Chatting, Linked In and Web Design

Garry came over today. We chatted about this and that and went through how he can edit his web site, maybe adding a blog to it. We also discussed Linked In.

David has done a great recommendation for me on Linked In, that's really nice of him.

I did some digging into the Trade Directories for London in 1840's. I found one from 1848 that lists "James Hamer" as a machinist - someone who works a sewing machine making shoes in all probability. This doesn't quite match the death certificate from 1849 that says "hatter" though. I'll have to look elsewhere for confirmation I've got the right person.

I got the spec for the 2nd Interview today as well. I need to do a presentation, answer a technical questionaire and face a panel. 

"Mad" Hatter and The DTs

After doing some more research, notably in the British Medical Journal article "Did The Mad Hatter have mercury poisoning?" it looks like my probable ancestor wasn't mad. It also suggests that The Hatter in Alice wasn't mad either. The chapter in Alice in Wonderland was called "A Mad Tea-Party" though, and the Cheshire Cat warns Alice that he is mad. The BMJ and Wikipedia say that the character of the hatter was based on Theophilus Carter, a man who invented an alarm clock bed - which I thought had been invented by Caractacus Potts in "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" (or maybe by "Doc" Emmett Brown in "Back to the Future"). The phrase "mad as a hatter" predates the Alice books apparently - and possibly predates hat making as an industry. 

As for James Hamer, he died of "Delerium Tremens": also known as "The DTs" which means he was probably an alcoholic and was suffering withdrawal.

He was in the Union workhouse in West Street, London. This was formerly St Sepulchre's workhouse near Newgate and Smithfield. Conditions here were pretty grim.

The Police came round last night. 3 PC's from Whitehill Police Station, not Sting and the band. They were handing out Neighbourhood Watch packs round the street. 

Thursday and Friday: Career Development in Alton

I was on a career development course at the Job Centre in Alton on Thursday and Friday.

Some useful networking, plus we did some exercises on body language, expanding outside our core areas of focus, checking for key issues on applications. Not really trail blazing stuff, but it got me out of the house and meeting people which I think will be the best part of it.

On Friday evening we received in the post the death certificate for the person who MAY be my great great grandfather's father. There is nothing on it that helps at the moment. He is listed as being a "hatter" and dying of "delerium tremens" in what looks like a workhouse in 1849. So it looks like I may be related to The Mad Hatter.