Silhouette Scribblings

Daft Bat

Daft Bat

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My friend Tim has been in touch, asking if I can read what is on the back of a silhouette. I can read some of it, but would welcome any other ideas out there. :)

Here it is...

upload_2023-10-4_7-6-47.png
 
Well, I can read the easy bit:
Born August 28th 1791
died 1863 aged 70 years

The superscript is: ?? August 1827

but I'll leave the important bit - the name? - to those with good eyes and the ability to enlarge :D

Jane

Edited: Oops, that'll teach me not to be cocky! Year 1791 (not 1771). :oops:
 
William? ?????? Hughes? But the second word looks like Josephine?
In other words I have no idea but I do agree with the dates.
 
Is the surname Macpherson? Not convinced the first word is William either

I think the overwritten August 1827 is covering a prewritten -----Aug 1827, I think I can see that to to right of the fresh writing.
 
AnnB said:
Sorry for being picky, but if he was born August 28th 1791 and died 1863, he would have been 72 not 70 :confused: I am no expert on uniforms, but could he be dressed as an Admiral :nailbiting:
Click to expand...
No, you are not being picky :D
It looks to me like 71 was originally written, which was then changed to 70. If he was born in 1791, then he may well have still been 71 if he died before his 72nd birthday that year.

Could the second name be Moorhouse?
 
AnnB said:
Good call, and is the first name Martin?
Click to expand...
I did wonder that, however...

...there is a Smith Moorhouse who was buried on 13th June 1863 in Keighley, Yorkshire at the age of 72, which would give him a birth year of about 1791
 
From the Leeds Times 13th June 1863
On Tuesday, aged 72, Mr Smith Moorhouse, provision dealer, Providence-street.
Unless he had delusions of grandeur, I can't see this chap wearing a uniform....
 
Well, I was out of proper circulation for a couple of days (adverse reaction to covid jab) but today have done my best to find someone high up in the Navy with the surname of either Moorhouse or Monkhouse, but to no avail. :(

Any other suggestions please? :headbang: :reading:
 
I have looked at the 1861 census for any male b1791 with the optional keyword as Admiral, and cannot see anyone with a name that looks remotely like what is written. I have also looked at deaths b1791 d1863/4 and again nothing, I can see that could be the name above.
I think I am out of ideas:(

Hope you are feeling better now Jan.
 
Commiserations about the covid jab - my wife suffers similarly, and it's not nice.

As for the silhouette, it's just occurred to me that if it was done in 1827, the chap would only have been about 36. Isn't that a bit young to be an admiral?

And the name - I still think it looks more like Monkhouse than Moorhouse, but people make mistakes: if they knew that 'my aunt married someone called M...house' they might have got a few letters wrong.

But if it is Moorhouse, and we're not looking for an admiral, I've found someone who may be of the right sort of status in Knottingley, near Pontefract - a William Moorhouse.

1861 (RG9/3433 fo11 p16) - J.P. for the West Riding of Yorkshire

1851 (HO107/2329 fo533 p32) - Commissioner of the Queen's Taxes, Ship owner, Landed Proprietor & houses, Lime Burner (?) and Mercht.

1841 - haven't spotted him, but some of his children are at the same address as 1851, without parents (HO107/1310/10 fo8 p9)

I can't spot a death for William in or around Knottingley in 1863, but there's one in Mar qtr 1865 in the Pontefract district - but I haven't managed to find either a will or a newspaper announcement to match either of them.
 
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