The Census of Humour

Hermy

One of our regular posters recently suggested that the forum could do with a humour thread.

So here it is folks - the Registry of Peeves - somewhere for all the funny, weird and wonderful stuff that you happen across.

It doesn't strictly have to be genealogy related but probably better if we stay on topic more often than not.

I'm not very funny so I'll leave it to someone else to get the ball rolling.

pinkypinky

One of my favourite ever transcription errors was that Eoin MacNeill (of cancelling the Rising fame) was originally the Secretary of the Garlic League, rather than Gaelic League. Now only preserved in an old blog post of John Grenham's.

https://www.johngrenham.com/blog/2017/11/20/census-correcting/

Deja Boo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119111750#Comment_119111750

lol pinky! 😂 ...I would like to join that league, i could be the quality inspector of garlic bread 🤣

I recently read a 1950 american census transcription which read "stage robber" ....hmmmm, the census taker included criminal activity? 😝 nah, was actually "stope robber" at a mining company.

Deja Boo

For Hermy...

Deja Boo

🤣😆

Deja Boo

speling matters :D

Deja Boo

true story 😋

Deja Boo

:)

Mick Tator

Why 'Peeves'?? A peeve is something annoying or irritating. .

pinkypinky

It's just a light-hearted play on deeds, Mick. This thread can also be used to post terrible trees where people birth children on other continents when they were 7 or whatever.

Mick Tator

😀 That connection went straight over my head! (Must be working too hard on serious stuff). Thanks

Deja Boo

:D yup.....

Jellybaby_1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119128652#Comment_119128652

I also thought the same thing!

Hermy

It's a bit of an oxymoron all right.

If anyone has a better suggestion by all means throw it in the hat and we can change it

Garlinge

Fawcett, Edward,  Dublin, liner draper. To my son Edward Fawcett, unmarried, all real and personal estate to him and possible children with reversion to child or children of my brother Thomas Fawcett, deceased, and my granddaughter, Hannah Judd, by Peter Judd, deceased. To my daughters Hannah and Sarah, 5/- each and no more because they have been disobedient daughters. Executor son Edward Fawcett. Dated 22 May 1752.

Fetherston, Cuthbert, Ballinamodak, Westmeath My wife Elenor Fetherston. My four younger children John, George, Ann and Eline. My disobedient daughter Amy Fetherston. To my apostate daughter Elioner Fetherston because "she and her husband in his life time had by rasping stealing and robbery much of my substance" nothing. My son John Fetherston. Trustees Anthony Robinson, of Kilegonahan, Joshua Clibborn of the Moate, William Louther, Tubor [Tubber], King's Co. To my sons John and George benefit of farm at Ballinamodak after decase of wife. Dated 16 Feb. 1693. Witnesses: Neal Caghiernon, Cathran Dargan, Thomas How.

Inventory taken 28th day of 3rd month 1696. Valuations of cattle, horses and "28 sheep and lambs at £9." "7 acres of winter corn at £14.0.0.

pinkypinky

Love it!

Hermy

One of my ancestors - Mary Baptista - was somehow incorrectly transcribed as Bagot William.

And in a convent where another relative was domicile the mother superior was rather aptly given the job title prison rather than prioress.

Jellybaby_1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119132611#Comment_119132611

Curiosities?

Deja Boo

I have an ancestor who re-married late in life, to a woman over half his age. It's odd to see messages insisting his oldest children were, in fact, the second wifes actual birth children, when she hadn't even been born herself yet. Miracle of miracles.

Deja Boo

ha!

Hermy

I’ve redesigned the thread title so hopefully things will be much funnier from here on in.

55Gem

Do you think the Census form arrived in the middle of an argument between Michael and his father!

www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai001081273/

Rmulvany

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119139460#Comment_119139460

Took me a minute to spot it... 🤣

Deja Boo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119140321#Comment_119140321

I can almost see the image of that census takers interaction :D ...brilliant!

Deja Boo

sometimes it feels that way :D

Mick Tator

Congrats to whoever came up with the revised thread name. But I think we still need one for 'peeves' - here is one from today on a family DNA site on Facebook

'. A fire burned the records in about 1865? So any thing prior needs other info… old bibles, knowing the religion (more than I thought), their jobs -super helpful, parish, etc. even who attended weddings and baptisms, neighbors etc.'

Hermy

Perhaps the Census of humours plural to account for peeves, misdeeds and general glee.

Jellybaby_1

There was a similar thread called 'Funny/Unusual records' started way back in 2017 and was last used in 2020, so are we duplicating it with this one?

Hermy

No it's not intended as a duplicate of that one though funny and unusual records are certainly welcome. On the suggestion of one of the regular posters it seemed like a good idea to have dedicated thread for genealogy-related jokes, memes and other quirky stuff that folks might happen upon.

Deja Boo

Thanks for the fun thread, Hermy and Pinky - very kind of you both.

I enjoy genealogy and I enjoy silly things, as distraction from serious life. I do hope this thread doesn't offend anyone, as it's just a bit of fun.

Jellybaby_1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119146394#Comment_119146394

My brother would applaud that one! Me, not too much! 😶 (🤪)

Deja Boo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119146413#Comment_119146413

:D

Deja Boo

How to decipher medical records and causes of death...

...you're welcome :D

BowWow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119139460#Comment_119139460

I'd say Michael definitly filled out the form, and Daddy was'nt as good at the reading/writing as he had Michael put down - kinda like the number of fluent Irish speakers in this house in 2022...

Deja Boo

^ that makes sense BowWow :D

I assume the parents were fed up with this 15 year olds attitude, when the u.s. census taker listed "does as she pleases" as Catherine's occupation.

Spook_ie

Enjoy

Deja Boo

While researching why a long-dead Priest (of Czech heritage) used his paternal grandmothers maiden name rather than his fathers surname, I found this.... made me laugh... wise words of advice to live by: Schovajsa! Nebojsa! Volopich! ("Hide Yourself! Don't be afraid! Don't prick an Ox!") :D

"What is not shared with English but is similar to North American native languages  is the colorful nature of some Czech surnames, such as Brzobohatý (Soon to be rich), Volopich (Pricking an ox), Urvinitka (Tear a string), Rádsetoulal (Liked wandering around), Stojaspal (Slept standing), Vítámvás (I welcome you), Tenkrát (Back in those days), Schovajsa (Hide yourself!), Nebojsa (Don't be afraid!), Skočdopole (Jump in a field!), Vozihnoj (Driving with manure), Osolsobě (Salt for yourself!), Ventluka (Knocking outward), Nejezchleba (Don't eat bread!), Potměšil (He sewed in the dark), Přecechtěl (He wanted anyway), Drahokoupil (He bought costly), Nepovím (I'm not going to tell)." - from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czech_name

BowWow

https://youtu.be/cyBVHG-RrvI

Jellybaby_1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121130788#Comment_121130788

The Doc did a great job there! 😁

Fraoch333

I can't figure out all of the writing over the text in the religious profession column, but someone seems to have been enthusiastic in completing that column in the Census!

nai003743214.pdf

Hermy

Great find Fraoch! 😀

I see it's been transcribed as All Roman Catholic so the full statement might be as follows though I'm not sure about the word after Catholic.

All Roman Catholic and not Idolators and Blasphemers as Sworn by King Edward the VII

The same family's 1911 return was a more sober affair.