Genealogy Chat

I know that this is a very old conversation but if anyone is still interested then maybe this will help?
Half of my family are from Sheffield and half are from Barnsley. My Dad was born in Sheffield and my Mum Barnsley. I had an Uncle Charles from Sheffield and my family there called him 'Our Wag'. My Mum said that was a Sheffield name for anyone called Charles. However, I spent a lot of my working life in Sheffield and never heard anyone use that term? I have since done some Family History research and found that my Grandmother on my Fathers side was born in Birmingham and moved to Sheffield when very young. Wag is a Warwickshire term for someone called Charles and comes from a rhyme Charley Wag?

Oh well done Martin, I think perhaps you have it there. It does seem to arise in the Victorian era so would tie in with this story. I guess both girls called Charlotte would become Charley same as boys with the names Charles and then the Wag would be added on. Thanks for your kind assistance!

Cassell's Dictionary of Slang has 'hop the wag' and 'play the wag' without any reference to Charles/Charlie. But it also has 'play the charley wag' - [mid-late 19C] to play truant (var. on PLAY THE WAG). This seems to link it back to the nursery rhyme. I came across this whilst doing a search of the WWW Playbill advertising CHARLEY WAG and a favourite drama at the Bower Theatre, 9 and 11 June 1866. Was there a music hall / theatre character / actor called Charley Wag? Or did they take their name from the nursery rhyme? I also found this Steve said ; 'The People's Magazine was published by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) in 1863-73.' These were the years of Wild Boys of London and Charley Wag -all the criminal boy-heroes This might be the answer Charley Wag, the Boy Burglar, in 1860 became the most notorious of a batch of Wild Boys romances. These included The Wild Boys of Paris, or The Secrets of the Vaults of Death; The Wild Boys of London (which was to achieve the rare distinction of being suppressed by the police in 1879); The Poor Boys of London, or a Life Story for the People, which described boys being driven by evil surroundings into crime; and The Boys of London and New York, printed rather surprisingly in Wigan. Even the transatlantic influence did not succeed in ousting from the pages of this publication pictures of witches in red ponchos and Welsh hats, complete with attendant vipers, toads and bats. http://www.*comicsuk.*co.uk/History/HistoryMain.asp?PassedEra=Story%20Papers%202 MB

How strange that a nickname like that would spread all over the country. Must find out the definitive answer, eh? I wish I could stop being so obsessive. Still, family history is the ideal hobby for people like me, eh?

Oh thanks Sue! Is Wag on there? Shall go and check. I can just imagine my husband seeing this thread and saying to me 'Is that all you have to do?'. But we enjoy it dont we guys!

This site explains a few nicknames......including Nobby (and it isn't rude!) http://www(.)royal-navy(.)mod.uk/static/pages/4726(.)html another explanation here http://members(.)lycos(.)co(.)uk/johnclark/personal(.)html Sue

Perhaps I ought to send a letter to the Daily Mail for their questions page?

We all really appreciate your bottom getting an airing Sarah! Yes, now you say it, I can remember my mother in-law saying she used to 'wag-off' from school to help her grandad in his shop. She was from Liverpool.

It would seem that simple, but often these nursery rhymes have a deeper meaning dont they? Like perhaps this was a covert reference to Charles 1?

Interesting question. I did a quick search of the Internet and came across a lot of people called Charles with the nickname or alternate name Wag. But no explanations given. MB

How strange, wonder what it meant then. I mean people used to say 'His a real Wag' and it meant a good laugh, joker didnt it?

Googled this - Charlie Wagg, the fenlanders' name for Charles 1st

Sarah, then I hope it has a shaved head and glasses - as per you know who.

Nudged a previous thread for you!

I had a great aunt called Charlotte who was known by the name 'Wag'. Ive noticed that men called Charles often have that as a nickname too. Anyone know why?