Genealogy Chat

Heather I was so taken with the woman who fell into a cart of feathers and suffocated that I had to find the report of the Inquest. Apparently, she and five other women were returning from a remote farmstead, where they were working as seasonal labourers when it started to rain heavily. A Carter was passing, with a load of feathers for market and gave them a lift. On the way home they got a bit thirsty and visited the Dog and Bottle for rather a long time, it being dark when they came out. Three of the women sat up Front with the Driver, the other two sat on a sort of board behind the Driver with their backs to him. On going up the final hill to their home village, which was also the Carter's home village, one of the women on the back slid slowly forward and landed face down in the feathers. Arriving at their destination, the others could not rouse her and left her to sleep it off in the cart, which was put in the stable with the poor old horse. The Carter remarked at the Inquest that he had been much annoyed by the Horse braying and snorting all night, but was now of the opinion that the beast had been trying to alert him to the dangerous situation that the woman was in. He also remarked that he had never heard tell of anyone coming to harm before by feathers. Verdict: Accident Death due to suffocation in a Cart of Feathers.

Thanks for that Marjorie, I shall have to tell my husband who was fascinated when I told him how she died. Today I had the great pleasure of meeting a distant cousin who I found through this site. He had come up from Devon to do some research for a few days. A lovely man and although we share a GFx4, family resemblence still there - isnt that incredible. Anyway this poor chap has spent two whole days in the records office and he showed me the stuff he had turned up and then said, he had found this entry for 1598 in one parish record and he wrote it down because it made him feel so choked "Mary, name unknown, poor girle who was found dead by the wayside in the cold". Isnt that just so sad! No one claimed her obviously.

Talking about gravestone inscriptions, when I worked for a Funeral Director, we also arranged headstone engravings. One family came in with their desired inscription: Quickly and quietly came the call, His sudden death suprised us all. Another one.......'Peace at last!' (but for whom??) Shouldn't laugh but couldn't help it. Clients actually thought I was a lovely person!! So much so, one bereaved husband came to 'view' deceased wife several times a day and needed lots of tlc. Only TWO days after the funeral, he phoned me up asking for a date!!

Well, Hazel, now you have introduced the subject I can admit to my shameful hobby, which is collecting Awful In Memoriam Verses. My favourite so far is: We heard the angels calling We heard the distant drum The gates of heav'n flew open And in walked Mum. (PS, this is NOT meant to offend anyone who has lost their Mum, and I apologise in advance)

Alan Bennett story about a Yorkshireman who was widowed. He ordered a tombstone and discussed the engraving on it - "I'd like 'she was thine" he said. The monumental mason agreed this was a fitting tribute, and said it would be ready next week. The widower goes to inspect the work. It read 'she was thin'. "Oh, you've missed off the e" he fretted. The mason reassured him "So I have, but there's plenty of space to add it. Come back in an hour". An hour later the man returned to read 'E, she was thin'! nell

I still chuckle at that old favourite: Man goes to a newspaper office, "I want to put in a death notice for my wife". He writes down "Jean Smith died Tuesday" The lady looks at it and says kindly, "You are allowed 7 words" "Oh right" says the man and writes, "Jean Smith died Tuesday. Fiesta for sale".

how about softening of the brain??? hope its not hereditry!! my nickname is 'nanna moon'

On a grave stone Defanition of a life. A dash between two dates. 1904-1960 Think about it

I rather liked this one I read the other day while looking through some old documents - "killed by a sack of caraway seeds falling off a crane"! Jack

Peter LOL Oh don't know if I would like that one Jacqueline LOL> Pat x

Nudging to see which ones would make the best place mats?

Lyla LMHO Oh it's good to see this again, and I have just noticed I was the last entry, typical. LOL. Wish we had more fun like this on here more often, seems we have less and less of it these days, what a great shame hey? Still good to see it here again X Pat x

Pat you whant more laughs start a thrad up say with the funnest Epitaphs seen or found

Gerri - what a brill idea! I've been to a couple of 'oldies' brithday parties where they've laminated old photos as coasters, but the cerificates would be great as placemats!!

Marion the lettuce LOL. brings back great memories this thread, hey? Wasn't Lyla going to do that one? must ask her incase she doesn't see this, Peter. Best thread on Genes this is. Pat x

One from a little book called..... 'A small book of grave humour' Here lies John Higley Whose Mother and Father were drowned in the passage from America..........had they both lived, they would have been buried here. oops! lol

Pat, Last time I tried to add a new thread to the most amusing series i only got one reply. I think it's your turn to start one! Lyla

Marion, I have griping and stopping too...they are hurting big time! Aileenx

Lyla, Just read back and it was Peter! he's cheeky. I didn't want to start something that someone else had thought of that's why I said that. What thread did you only get one reply? must have missed that one, was that just after this or more recent? Pat x

I remember reading a 100 year old extract from a local paper about someone dying after losing ' two bucketfuls of blood'...how on earth did they know that? Aileen