totally off-topic-.....

annpa · Post by **annpa** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 12:59 pm

Sorry folks, this is not genealogical except in that it involved my father.

I've just been listening to a Radio 4 programme about Spike Jones and realised he was the author of a couple of lines my father taught us when we were little:

"Don't hit your Grandma with a shovel
It makes a deep impression on her mind"

Sorry about that!!
It made me wonder who the author was of another set of lines that were favourites of my father:

"Don't throw stones at your mother
Pity her poor old head
Don't throw stones at your mother
Throw bricks at your father instead"
Does anyone know the author or should I blame Daddy?

It made us roll about with laughter when we were children, even my mother and grandmother laughed. Perhaps at our reactions.
One of the last ones I remember him saying to himself as he walked out of the room, my mother coughing away in another part of the house was:

"It wasn't the cough that carried her off
'twas the coffin they carried her off in"

I'm sorry if they appear gruesome, but hearing the programme this morning recalled many many happy times when we were children, (and even into my middle age!). My father was a very quiet man normally, wouldn't harm a fly, but his humour was excruciating!
Cheers
Annpa

Russell · Post by **Russell** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 2:07 pm

Hi Annpa

Don't know where the first two came from but the third is definitely lines from a song:
It ain't the cough that caries you off
its the coffin they carries you off in.

Its an old music hall number. Just a pity I can't sing it for you........On second thoughts its maybe just as well !!
That's the only bit I remember clearly but I remember it from the days of steam radio as a child. Probably London from the writing and style of singing.

Russell

Mykayla's Gran · Post by **Mykayla's Gran** » Sat Feb 25, 2006 12:33 am

Hi Annpa and Russell

I’ve been away for a few days so I’m just catching up with you all. Your posts really made me giggle

. Annpa, coming from a quiet man such as your father must have made it even funnier. On the other hand, every Christmas my father used to sing “The Little Boy that Santa Claus Forgot” to all of us. We kids just hated to be considered “soft” so it was very embarrassing to be reduced to tears time after time

. We always fell for it though!

By the way Russell, I also have McGillivrays (spelt various ways) in my family tree. My Finlay McGillivray was born on the Isle of Skye around 1795, moved to Fife (Newport-on-Tay) where he married Mary Gibson (a Tayport girl), had 9 children and died in 1868. Any connection?

Vee

Russell · Post by **Russell** » Sat Feb 25, 2006 1:29 am

Hello Vee

My wife's difficult McGilvrays are Archibald b ~1820/23 on Colonsay marrying a Christina McLean from Glenelg about 1882 !! She was born 1 May 1851 ! We are pretty sure he was married before but ???
They ended up in Kilmore & Kilbride (Oban) but are proving very difficult to pin down. Until we do we can't progress any further back. He was a marine pilot in his younger days so doesn't always appear on a census.
We have a marriage certificate which has the name spelt four different ways so wild cards are the only hope.
Don't think there will be a link but with this family/clan...... who knows?

Russell

Mykayla's Gran · Post by **Mykayla's Gran** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 3:42 pm

Hi Russell

Re the McGillivrays ....you've probably seen this site already but I thought I'd post it anyway, just in case.

http://www.ncf.ca/~cv297/mcg-clan.html

I contacted Roy some time ago and he kindly emailed me some extra information which I found helpful. I actually managed to give him a little bit of info he didn't already have so I was very pleased that I could return the favour, albeit in a tiny way.

Hope you find it useful

Regards

Vee

JJ

Russell · Post by **Russell** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 8:56 pm

Hi Vee
thanks for the reminder. We had listed that site and worked through it 8 or 9 months ago but we were slightly naive novices then and we know a lot more about searching sites so perhaps next time we will find out more (We thought that there was only one way to spell the name!!!!)

A computer crash had wiped out my 'favourites' file and I was able to rescue most of it from the old hard drive. The assistance offered on the best websites is amazing. Someone always knows how to.........whatever it is you need!
When the 1851 and 1841 are funally on-line we might make some progress?
Thanks again
Russell