what exactely is an idiot?!

[nedda]

Hi Sloe Gin,

He was born in 1875, he only appears as "idiot" in the 1881 census, which is really his 1st census. 

As I said I can't find him on 1891 or 1901, and I have just found that he arrived in Australia in 1910, so does make me wonder where he was during those "missing" years.

So he was only 6 in the census, but you would have thought that if he was an "idiot" at 6, then there would have been minimal chances of him going on and getting employment, let alone being able to provide for a family.

Thanks

Nedda

[stanmapstone]

There was and never has been a law against 2nd cousins marrying- in fact most of you would confuse a 2nd cousin to a first cousin once removed.

Or first cousins.  It was not only possible for first cousins [cousins-german] to marry each other; it was also quite common, having been legalized in the 1540s.

Stan

[rachelralph]

ok so we may be starying from the original question, but it has been really interesting reading! i have learnt quite a lot from some of these posts.

going back to the lead thing, i read somewhere that they used to dye childrens sweets red with lead. dont know when this was though porbably before when we are talking about.

[stanmapstone]

See Adulteration and Contamination of Food in Victorian England  http://www.victorianweb.org/science/health/health1.html

Stan

[rachelralph]

oh my, it was when we are talking about then!!

[busylizzie123]

Thanks for that one again Stan.......makes you wonder how the human race survived and what future gens will find that we are contaminating ourselves with!!

[Redroger]

Milk was not only watered and contaminated in Victorian times, as late as the 1940s we were allocated a milkman under the wartime rationing arrangements. He delivered it in a churn and ladled out our ration with a measure. Often at least once a month when he thought his milk was going to be examined by the Public Health Inspector he would "accidentally" drop the churn so it couldn't be examined. My grandmother immediately boiled the milk for 20 minutes before any of use used it as a precaution. Very pleased to see the end of milk rationing.