Help deciphering father's occupation

[nelmit]

Sarah - any chance you could upload it in the original tiff format?

Hi Annette,
It was too big and wouldn't upload, so I converted it. I could chop a piece off maybe-- would that work?

Regards,
Sarah

You could give it a try.

Regards,
annette

[SarahND]

Okay, it's in the gallery now. We'll wait for an Admin member to link it. (Only I think I'll be asleep before that happens!)

[nelmit]

Okay, it's in the gallery now. We'll wait for an Admin member to link it. (Only I think I'll be asleep before that happens!)

It's there Sarah - http://talkingscot.com/gallery/displayi ... ?pos=-1627

I'm beginning to think it's the name of a house and then his occupation.

ie Furnitgue(well not that exactly) House Horse man.

Hopefully if you ask for a better image all will be revealed.

Night night,
Annette

[Rach]

Here's my tuppence worth!
Look up Genuki Ayr for pigot's directory of Mauchline and there is a John Brown who is listed under 'shopkeepers and dealers in sundries' in 1837.
Other than that I can't add anything extra.
Rae

[SarahND]

Thanks for that, Rae! I've been busily noting down all the Browns in the directory, trying to make something fit the "Furnishing House: Handlooms Dead" occupation... But having a good time banging my head Euphemia's husband was a draper, two of her sons became house factors, one a draper, her daughters married well, one married a ship owner, another a minister. So whatever John's occupation was, it was unlikely to have been Ag Lab or coal miner.

Now here is something intriguing from Pigots, in the Cumnock section: The castle of Terringzean, now in ruins, is in the neighbourhood - it gives the title of baron to the family of Dumfries. Could the first two words be Terringzean House?? That would nicely give Alan his downward loops, and they don't need to migrate in any direction

Cheers,
Sarah

[LesleyB]

Hi Sarah

Could the first two words be Terringzean House??

Nice idea, and I'm sure we would all like to be put out of our misery
but to my eyes there are no descenders in the first word, and there is also an ascender in the middle of it.

Best wishes
Lesley

[SarahND]

but to my eyes there are no descenders in the first word, and there is also an ascender in the middle of it.

Are you sure you have your glasses on, Lesley? [-o<

My head is spinning with Browns in Ayr... There are all too many Johns fathering children in that area. In 1841 is a John Brown, age 70-74, a Grocer in Sorn. He is living alone with 8 year old Jean McCreadie. He could just possibly be Euphemia's father. Maybe one of Alan's loops is the 'y' in Grocery

There are at least 7 children born in Sorn to John Brown and Jean Sliman between 1797 and 1809. This may be John the grocer

Then there's John Brown and Helen Armour, who married in 1793 in Mauchline and had 11 children... None of these John Browns can be the right one, since Jean Lennox appears to have been around the whole time from the birth of Euphemia in 1789 until the birth of Thomas in 1809--- so I'm stumped.

Regards,
Sarah

[LesleyB]

Hi Sarah

Are you sure you have your glasses on, Lesley?

Oh yes. Not seeing any descenders in the "occupation".

Best wishes
Lesley

[hg]

How frustrating for you Sarah.

I have been looking at this of and on since your first posting and it is no clearer now than it was then.

I am still not sure if the first word starts with an F or T, it looks as if there is a t in the middle as there is a line going across.

The third word could start with an h or w, when I looked at Widow they look similar. I am not swaying back to warehouse as I am not sure if there were any in the 1800's, in any case I still think it ends in a n or m.

Cant offer any other suggestions.

I hope you are able to decipher it though as I'd love to know.

all the best

Helen

[Isabel H]

Could it be Furnisher & house handloom (ie carpets/furnishing fabrics) dealer?