As one of the ones who started this off (when Viv gently disagreed with my retired draper who was the son of an engine driver being described as a gentleman) there is one clarification, and one interesting red herring I wish to add. Firstly, a lot depends on if it is someone describing themselves or, in the above case, a semi-educated registrar attempting to fill in part of a form. I don't believe my retired draper ever described himself as a gentleman, but it was the solution used at that time, by that official, presented with a particular description of his circumstances. There are many shades of meaning. My red herring is the use of the term "esquire", which is now archaic. I am sure it was used in a consdierably different way during the crusades/middle ages, when it was the trainee assistant to a knight. Yet my father, as the proprietor of a grazing property north of Licola, in the 1950s, always had letters arriving for him from the stock and station agency that he used, addressed to him with the letters "Esq" after his name. When I enquired of him what it meant, he said they did them all that way, and it was their way of buttering him up! Cheers Linda Barraclough Briagolong List Owner: AUS-VIC-GIPPSLAND email: kapana@netspace.net.au http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~surreal/AVG/