OT: Sheepish Question

you are spiritually aware then...

hugz cher

When I was studying French in high school, I sometimes dreamed in French. Once I dreamed a written language that had very odd symbols instead of Roman letters - one letter was a Teddy bear. :-)

=Tamar

Thank you, Mirjam, I always wondered about that.

=Tamar

The dropping of the 'H' at the beginning of a word sounds more like Cockney (East End of London) than Kent, although because of the number of Londoners who spent time in Kent (hop picking etc.) I'm sure the habit got picked up. What we describe as Estuary English, meaning accents from East London, NW Kent and S Essex (around the Thames estuary) has that quite a lot. I have read though that dropping 'H's is more a Cockney trait, but I've heard it increasingly amongst NW Kent young people Where in Kent was your grandmother from, Gem? I have a feeling you've told me before but I've forgotten Love & higs Christine

The added 'H' seems to be more common in people from Ireland, Noreen in my experience Love & higs Christine

I'm not positive where in Kent my grandparents were from, Christine. All I remember hearing was "Kent"... and about picking Hops. In fact, my grandmother had my oldest aunt (the one who was almost 102 when she passed away) while she was working in the Hops fields... and went back to work after wrapping the baby up in a cloth. At least that's the story that was passed down. *shrug* I was fairly young when my grandmother passed away, so I got the stories about my paternal grandparents from what my aunts, uncles and my own Dad had mentioned... and my Dad didn't talk much. He was the strong and silent type... *very* shy! ;o)

My grandmother's maiden name was Waghorne if that helps any in where in Kent she may have come from.

*hugs* Gem

Or since he was part Irish your *Da* possibly Love & higs Christine

Gem Lots of East Enders spent their summers in and around the area where I live picking hops. It was seen as their summer holiday, there are several books about it and it's a fascinating insight into a vanished way of life. try a look at this website about the Kent Museum of Rural Life, great place to visit when you get to come see us!! That origin might explain the way of speaking.

have many branches of the ancient and wonderful Waghorne family around here, so I'd be interested to find out where they all originally came from. It's a fairly common name around here, but they do tend towards large families so that could explain that. Interesting isn't it?

Love & higs Christine

Yes, Da, indeed, and he was HALF Irish, lol! Thanks again, Noreen

Thank you for the link, Christine! That was really neat to see. While looking at the map I saw the name Maidstone and it triggered a couple of bells... but that may be where my grandfather (who's last name was Hollands) was from... or it may not be anything at all but just a name I heard one time. :o)

That's pretty neat to read that you have many branches of the "ancient and wonderful Waghorne family" around there. The fact that they tend toward large families doesn't surprise me either, considering that my grandmother had 10 children. ;o) If I'm not mistaken she also came from a large family too... with a few sisters and brothers. There was one sister who may have (if I am remembering correctly) been a maiden aunt, who's name was Susie! She lived in a HUGE house all alone... my oldest aunt visited her when she went to England a couple of times, and said she was a loner type of person.

I'm not positive about my grandfather's family though (they were from Kent somewhere too)... although I know he did have at least two or three brothers. There was a rumor in the family that at least one of his brothers had immigrated to Australia years before he and my grandmother immigrated to Canada, but Aunt Lilly (the oldest aunt) said she didn't know about this. I really wish I had access to my oldest uncle's information that he had gathered... he was working on a family history for a few years before he passed away.

Now, I'm not positive which side (I think it was my grandfather's), but there were also Cook(e) cousins too who may also be from Kent. And the name Dupee (sp) is there somewhere too, but that may be someone who married one of my Dad's cousins. It is so neat thinking about this sort of thing. I wish it were easier to look things up, I would have a blast... but then, I would never get off the computer either... so maybe it's a good thing that it is a bit difficult to delve into family history without paying a small fortune to do so. ;o)

Thank you again for the information. I will keep that site in my favorites for future reference. By the way... Ashford is where my ex-husband is from. I have no idea if he is back in that town again, or living somewhere else. *shrug*

*hugs* Gem

Irish and German... now that would make for one volitile temper! LOL My family doctor is pure Irish and you DON'T want to tick him off!! I've seen him in action.. it can be scary! hehehe

And Christine... the Irish part of me (on my Mom's side) is likely why I never actually called her Mom. I went from calling her Mommie as a child, to calling her Ma when I grew up! Of course my two older sisters thought I was calling her MAW, like the Beverly Hillbillies, and they hated it... but my Mom knew what I was calling her (and I wrote it as Ma as well) and she loved it. :o)

*hugs* Gemini

Ma is what DH & his brothers (and his mum & dad now I recall) used to call their paternal grandmother, who was a very feisty, autocratic south Londoner. We named our DD1 after her which might account for a lot!! No Irish as far as I know Love & higs Christine

This gets weirder and weirder Gem. There are a couple of Holland/Hollands families in our area too, and, of course, Cooks, but that's not uncommon. Maidstone's not so far from here though. In fact I think I'm going shopping there later this week. Dupee's not a name I've come across though, but we're fairly close to France so who knows!

My your family get around don't they? We're all in either the South East of England or East Anglia, makes me feel quite parochial!

Ashford's a bit further away, so if your ex is back there he won't be bothering me!!

Glad you enjoyed the link, I went there with a few children one time a while ago and had a real blast. It was safe for them to run around and there were lots of barns with old farm machinery and rooms set up. They loved it and I was fascinated. Happy to help

Love & higs Christine

LOL, now... pass that along with my Mom's full-blooded Pole, and you've got ME coming in with half Pole, quarter Mick, and quarter Kraut! Talk about volitile! Hugs, Noreen

Uh huh... and I'm mostly English (my Dad's side is all English, and my Mom's father was half English), Irish (my Mom's mother's side), and French (my Mom's father was half French)... so I have a good mixture too! ;o)

*hugs* Gem

Makes my 100% English feel quite boring, but I can still get up a temper when required!! Love & higs Christine

Mom used to say her kids were/are *mutts*... I prefer Dad's descrip: Heinz

57! LOL Hugs, Noreen

I'd describe a dog like that (not that I'm saying you're a dog: oops) as a

*bitser* as in bitser this and bitser that, or a mongrel. I like the Heinz reference though Love & higs Christine