Telephone what!?

mugwortismy cat

mugwortismy cat

Tenacious to the End!
Due to a message I received today I have been doing a small bit of work on my Muncaster one name study. This was born out of a stupid error at the beginning of my research, but I kept it going -- my own Muncasters are from County Durham, but my one name study is centred in the Furness area (was Lancashire, now Cumbria).

Anyway, after moving to Whitehaven, Cumberland, one branch went to the Isle of Man -- I may have to start another thread about the family in the IOM forum, but at present could someone please interpret the occupation in the 1901 IOM census for Matthew Henry MOORE (he's married to a Muncaster -- Ancestry have it as MORRE) it looks like 'telephone wir?????' and appears to have been overwritten by '???? Carpenter'

the reference is RG13; Piece: 5305; Folio: 99; Page: 34

here's a snip 1901IsleofManCensusForMatthewHMoorecrop.jpg
 
Looks like Telephone Workman to me. :)

Not sure where you see Carpenter - the next column has the word Worker in it - are you seeing that as the end of the word Carpenter?
 
Weird, the more I looked at it and the more I enlarged the image the less like 'workman' it seemed, but that was my first thought. And looking again from the image I just posted that now seems quite clear!

Can you tell what is written over it?
 
I'd definitely say 'telephone wire-something'. My husband says 'operator', but I'm not sure about that. Telegrams used to be 'wires', didn't they?
 
Daft Bat said:
Not sure where you see Carpenter - the next column has the word Worker in it - are you seeing that as the end of the word Carpenter?
Click to expand...

I think I need new glasses:( , but I thought the 'l' was the beginning of a second word and as it's a bit curved thought it was a 'C', and then probably joined it up with 'worker'. I'm finding it hard to distingush the original writing from the over-writing ... Still can't get 'telegraph' but can see '--l-aph' so what other word could it be?
 
I'd go with Telephone Wireman. Searching the Occupations in 1881 there are a few of both Telegraph Wirem[e]n and Telephone Wirem[e]n. Which suggests that the expression "Wireman" had been in general use even in those days.

Even Glen Campbell, although perhaps not that far back in History, sang about the 'Witchita Lineman', which was, in that case, overhead mains cables.

Q. Why isn't Witchita spelt Witchitaw? I'm sure that's what he sings!

Money? I'm sure he has some.:p
 
Well, I keep looking and now what I thought was the 'l' part of the k of workman seems to be part of what is written over the top; and I still see 'wi ....' rather than 'wo....' --- (we need a colour image of the original and then it would be clearo_O )

I like wireman, I think it's a good word, so I am going with that (sorry, Jan ... I feel disloyal now :oops:, but this doesn't necessarily mean you were wrong, because you hardly ever are;))
 
Ken_R said:
Even Glen Campbell, although perhaps not that far back in History, sang about the 'Witchita Lineman', which was, in that case, overhead mains cables.

Q. Why isn't Witchita spelt Witchitaw? I'm sure that's what he sings!
Click to expand...

On a similar note is anyone ever going to explain the Arkansas thing to me? didn't someone else ask that recently?
 
I don't know if it is worth printing it out and trying to go over the word written on top in a different coloured pen.
 
Bay Horse said:
And what about Slaithwaite? :)
Click to expand...

Slaithwaite is in my home town, Bay Horse. If you are from Slaithwaite or the Colne Valley it's pronounced Slawit, local people who were not born in the Colne Valley refer to it as Slathwait, outsiders pronounce it Slaythwaite (they're wrong ;))
 
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