h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Yesterday's tale was a sad one, revisiting a tragic death. Death was very common amongst children in the Victorian era. There will not be many researchers who do not find evidence within their own families.

Notwithstanding the ever present shade lurking overhead, today's story is a little brighter.

I had entered this year's NaJoPoMo late, and consequently gave little thought to what I might be writing about. Because I had just started the narrative version of the family tree I thought it a grand idea to adapt some of the stories for the daily journal.

Even at this early stage I have a feeling that the stories may run out before the month does. What should I do? I need inspiration, and as I am essentially wandering around Victorian England who better to draw that from than the great man himself, Mr Charles Dickens.

And so, in honour of our noble countryman, I have decided that the stories should be published in daily instalments. This achieves two objects. Firstly it may enable me to complete the month, and secondly, it may provide a certain suspense that will bring the public back on a regular basis.

Let me introduce Benjamin, son of the Benjamin whose infant died tragically in the previous story. In a family that has resolutely wavered between solid working class and abject workhouse poverty (my current position), Benjamin was a rare peak of economic endeavour.

He started his working life as a tailor's apprentice, moving from the provincial town to the London district of Lambeth. After his apprenticeship he went into the business with his brother Henry. He also found himself a wife, Sarah Mary.

They were married for twenty two years and had at least six children. I say at least six because three of the known children didn't make it into adulthood, and there is a gap of six years between the first and second known child. As any researcher of Victorian families knows only too well, when you have a gap of more than three years, you should expect to find some bodies.

Despite these setbacks, Benjamin prospered. By the 1861 census the family had moved to a better house in Lambeth, and employ a live-in servant. OK it is not Downton Abbey or the Upstairs to the Downstairs, but for us it is remarkable. And the reason is plain. Ben is no longer a tailor, he is now an artificial florist.

I take this to mean that he was involved in the sale of artificial flowers, not that he was a florist with two wooden legs, a glass eye, and a hook. I also believe that he was not involved in the manufacture of the flowers, just the retailing. Artificial flowers were extremely popular in Victorian England. Flowers would brighten the drabbest of houses, and could be worn to provide a little gaiety, in ladies hats, corsages, and gentlemen's buttonholes. The problem with real flowers is that they had to be constantly replaced, and this could be an expensive business. Artificial flowers solved the problem, even the working class could find the pennies for a buttonhole or corsage.

As with a deal of manufacturing at this time, someone paid the true price of manufacture. The work of making the flowers was ill paid, and in the factories, very young girls worked with dangerous chemicals, to colour the blooms. A quote from an observer at the time:

“Very little experience enables one to tell at a glance almost how these girls are employed, and it is quite evident that the terrible infant in question and her companions are engaged in the manufacture of artificial flowers. Their teeth are discoloured, and there is a chafed and chilblainish appearance about their nostrils, as though suffer­ing under a malady that were best consoled with a pocket-hand­kerchief. The symptoms in question, however, are caused by the poison used in their work—arsenite of copper, probably, that deadly mineral being of a “lovely green,” and much in favour amongst artificial florists and their customers.”

In 1871 the family were still in the business, the older daughters were also working for their father, and other members of his family, brothers, sisters, and nieces, were also involved at one time or another. Sadly by this time, Sarah Mary had died. She was buried on the 21 August 1867, leaving behind three younger children, aged 13, 10, and 3 years old. Benjamin responded to this situation as only a go getting upwardly mobile Victorian gentleman should.

On the 21 March 1868 he married Caroline, who was ten years younger than his first wife, but had the advantage of being a mature person of 32 years of age, and someone who had worked in the artificial flower trade since she was 17. It seemed like an ideal match, at that age Caroline was heading into a lonely spinsterhood, and here she was, a ready made step mother and help meet. Tomorrow, we shall be formally introduced to the new Mrs Benjamin, which will be a pleasant surprise, but will be followed by a startling revelation.

fascinating stuff!

This is so interesting! Will you come and do my family tree when you've finished your own?

Deb

I am very likely to be renewing my subscription to a well known genealogy site in the next few months, so that I can do some checking and extra digging, due to the narrative revealing some errors and gaps.

In which case I may be available to take on small commissions to help pay for it. Unless you are a Smith. In which case, good luck.

I keep thinking I should get into geneaology--both sides have roots in the UK, and it'd be if it turned out I'm related to another h2g2er.

This is very dodgy reasoning but has some basis. You have 2 parents and they have two parents etc. Say 25 years per generation. Result: in 1770 you will have 64 pairs of ancestors.

Coming back the other way, the first 64 pairs have four surviving children who each have four surviving children, gives you approximately 262,000 relatives currently wandering around.

The probability of one of those being related to a hootoo is a statistic I will leave to others, but it cannot be too low.

I can't remember where I saw the article that proved that most people are related to 2legs.