The Diary of Nathaniel Bryceson (Part 8)

[Daisy Loo]

I am off to bed now...but Oh MY!!!

What a delightful, and informative entry...and.. and...it's hilarious!  Is he showing dry wit, declaring himself slightly insane???  I can't stop chuckling! 

[deb usa]

Hi everyone

I too, loved today's entry .... although I had a moment  when he told us of the black cat's feasting ...bletch!

What the heck is a Knacker??

Nat ..."out of his mind " ...well I had no idea 

Love it!!!!!

this is one of the best entries of the diary:
Granny Shepard, whilst out in the Buildings, was stopped by a young woman who asked her who was buried from No 9 yesterday, and on being told a young man, “What?” says she, “that young man that lived in the garret that was out of his mind” and, on being told such was not the case, she looked amazed and said “Oh, but he was a little out of his mind, I am sure”.  Whom she means is none other than myself, who till last May lived in the garret and certainly the only one in the house who shows any symptoms of insanity.  Thus the neighbours suppose me to be dead and buried, whereas here I am well and hearty.

  deb

[dee-jay]

What the heck is a Knacker??

Usually a buyer of horses and cattle for slaughter at the end of their useful life, often used in context 'only fit for the knacker's yard'.

[Ruskie]

... who till last May lived in the garret ...

This touches on something else I was wondering (and having such a bad memory I thought it may have been mentioned in the diary but I'd forgotten) and that is: "Where did Nathaniel live before he moved into Richmond Buildings earlier in the year?" And the answer appears to be: "upstairs in Richmond Buildings". I wonder if this lends any weight to the theory that in the 1841 census there is a possible sighting of Nathaniel either living with, or visiting, the Vaggs also in Richmond Buildings?

[dee-jay]

Richard VAGG appears to have married Catherine TOPLISS  2Q 1838

[Ruskie]

Richard VAGG appears to have married Catherine TOPLISS  2Q 1838

Good find dee-jay. I think I had a half hearted look for the couple ages ago but couldn't find their marriage. Where did the marriage take place? Also, I couldn't find any children born to the Vaggs, and definitely no Nathaniel. There are records missing for the area so this is all just guesswork (but fun  )

[dee-jay]

I found that on the FreeBMD site but I've just spotted a marriage of Richard VAGG to Eliza PECK in 1827 at Westminster St James and the burial of an Eliza VAGG in 1833 at Westminster, so it could have been a second marriage for either or both Richard VAGG & Catherine TOPLISS in Regn District St Martin 1 143.

[Daisy Loo]

I thought we knew that Nathaniel lived in other rooms in Richmond Buildings.  Didn't he live with his mother and Matt...then the Marshall family moved, and him and Granny Shephard took over their rooms?

I wonder who WAS buried then, that this woman was referring to!!


Added: By the way, welcome dee-jay...always great to have fresh eyes looking over something!  Maybe you'll find Ann Fox for us, like avm found Mrs SKirriker! 

[steve_gus]

If you were in a workhouse, by definition you would be expected to work, and that would it not, possibly be something like a mangler? It doesnt mean thats what she did before.

I think todayts entry re the horse and madness is my favourite so far