9 May 2010

Saddles and Shoes

When I looked at the list of today's anniversaries I saw an opportunity for a bit more research; Rhoda Smith, my first cousin four times removed, was born in Chatteris in 1825, the daughter of Nicholas and Susannah, and all I had for her was the 1841 census entry, when she was a labourer, and a marriage entry with a choice of husbands.

So, cup of tea to hand, I set to . . . and first of all discovered that she married Stephen Saddler on 18 July 1841 in Chatteris and . . . and . . . and . . . . disappeared! That's probably why she didn't get a mention last year but I was most disappointed. Now I'm wondering how one normally spells Saddler? No problem guessing the derivation of the surname but one "d" or two??

I'll put her on the "To Do" list and move on . . . . Clara Rolls.

Now, Clara has nothing to do with my family, she is part of my research for the Papworth Heritage Centre (http://www.papworthhospital.nhs.uk/content.php?/about/papworth_heritage_centre), and was the daughter of Alfred Rolls who was born in Papworth Everard in 1840.

I was idly following the family after they left the village and ended up in Liverpool; Clara was born in Birmingham, the oldest of Alfred & Mary Ann's children, and I found her in the 1881 census (in Liverpool), aged 20 and with her occupation as "Gutta Percha (unemployed shoe maker)".

Now first of all, I thought this was the enumerator having some scouse fun with us - a play on her being unemployed; then I turned to Mr Google and it turns out to be some sort of latex used, amongst others things, in the manufacture of shoes. Mind you, it also seems to have been used in some very unpleasant dental work too - yuk!

So, today's entry has increased our knowledge! I wonder if I can get Gutta Percha into a conversation this week . . . . . ?

More soon.

2 comments:

Konein said...

In an attempt to increase other peoples knowledge I tried real hard this week to steer conversations to shoes and dental work so as to unobtrusively work in the words gutta percha but alas..
I did manage to find out your Rhoda Sadler moved to Canada. In the 1861 Canada census their eldest child is 17 year old Henry who was born in Canada. So Rhoda & Stephen must have moved to Canada around 1844. She died in Lambton County, Canada on December 30th 1900.

pengen said...

It's nice to have a challenge, isn't it - I didn't manage either!
Cracking find in Canada - thanks v much.