The Diary of Nathaniel Bryceson (Part 8)

[nestagj]

Great minds think alike !!  I used to know a psychiatrist who was a bit odd ! and his answer to the occassional strange look or comment  was - it takes one to know one ! I think that says it all !!!!!

Hello Deb; Steven is it the dreams keeping you awake - I just can't sleep "  I too have the strangest dreams - i'm sure an analyst would have a wondeful time deciphering them.  Ok sometimes they are totally related to something that's bothering me but most times they are totally disconnected - like you - old schoolmates and family.  Sometimes my late parents !!!!
Ah well going to try and get back to sleep now
Night Night !

[Ruskie]

Happy Birthday Steven!  (or should that be Curly). 

Like the others I don't see Nathaniel as having any kind of mental instability. He is simply unusual and eccentric and very interesting! And now we have seen this other side to him - a sense of humour - he is able to laugh at himself.

The cat eating horse discussion is a bit stomach turning so I'm going to stay out of that from now on  ... 

[Ruskie]

What on earth are we going to do with no diary entries for FOUR days?! 

[Ruskie]

Something to keep in mind (but which may not be true) is the fact that when Mary married Matthew Ward on 27th June 1841 their details were:
Matthew Ward, full age, Tailor, living: Richmonds Buildings, father: Matthew Ward, Tailor
= Mary Bryceson, full age, wid, living: Dean St, father: John Sheperd, mason

[dee-jay]

Something to keep in mind (but which may not be true) ... Mary Bryceson, full age, wid, living: Dean St, father: John Sheperd, mason

I laboriously checked Dean Street images of 1841 to no avail but discovered many illegible entries in the surrounding streets.  I have to keep reminding myself that the census returns are a 'snapshot' of just one night ... 

Has anyone made any attempt to discover the occupants of 22 St James' Street - which Nat mentions several times?

[Daisy Loo]

I did have a look into the James St address...I am pretty sure I posted a few bits about it! As to where, I don't know...possibly in the first two or three threads!  But as I've said before, fresh eyes are always welcome! 

Steven...Ruskie used a good word, eccentric, which would have been my interpretation of NB's comments regarding insanity!  In fact, he reminds me of my nephew...who is thin, dark haired, dark eyed, his hair is a big mop that hangs into his eyes, and he's in to the (dare I compare?) modern day version of books...the computer...but he is extremely sharp, and has a very dry wit, and he too, is just 19.  He's heavily into irony and self deprecation, which is how I kind of imagine NB to be.

Happy Birthday Steven...glad to know that you are older than me....just...

[steve_gus]

I wouldn't read anything into Nat using the words attic and garret - a garret IS a room under the roof.

I'm sure Nat has mentioned his diary, and called it a journal, and you could call a car an automobile, and a cat a feline. Its just different names for the same thing. However, specific use of the word attic in modern language doesn't infer a room rather than a non inhabitable storage space. Different meanings for different times perhaps.

I cant imagine any attic space in Soho - especially now - not being exploited as lucrative living accommodation

[Ruskie]

I wouldn't read anything into Nat using the words attic and garret - a garret IS a room under the roof.
.... Its just different names for the same thing. However, specific use of the word attic in modern language doesn't infer a room rather than a non inhabitable storage space. Different meanings for different times perhaps.

I cant imagine any attic space in Soho - especially now - not being exploited as lucrative living accommodation

I came to the same conclusion after a bit of googling ... 

[Ruskie]

dee-jay, I think Deb also looked for the James St address ...