I have enjoyed this mailing list for the week or two I have been on it. They have some informative discussions. (I like the Holmes quote below.) Mary-Gene -------- Original Message -------- Subject: Re: [VAROOTS] Old Names of Occupations Resent-Date: Wed, 8 Sep 2004 14:33:55 -0600 Resent-From: VAROOTS-L@rootsweb.com Date: Wed, 8 Sep 2004 15:34:15 -0500 From: John Parrott <johnparrot@cox.net> Reply-To: VAROOTS-L@rootsweb.com To: VAROOTS-L@rootsweb.com References: <20040908195338.56314.qmail@web40902.mail.yahoo.com> Don't know about your great grandfather's title, "Professor" but many people who could read and write were given honorary titles by the people in the area simply out of respect for the work they were doing. You have to remember illiteracy was rampant back then and in many cases these people were interpreters, letter writers and readers as well as being teacher of children. John Parrott ----- Original Message ----- From: "Emaress Nova" <emaress_nova@yahoo.com> To: <VAROOTS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, September 08, 2004 2:53 PM Subject: Re: [VAROOTS] Old Names of Occupations > Paul, Still within occupations - but not watermen > - My great grandfather was 23 years old when he > joined the guard unit that eventually became the > 27th Va Inf in the Civil War. He listed himself > as a teacher by trade. After the war he turned up > in Lexington VA in the census, married and with > one child (he was the one who reported her birth > and he listed himself as Professor)I know that he > was an itinerant school teacher and that at one > point he was called a singing master. I have > never been able to find out where he got his > education to become a teacher. How were people > educated in the mountains of Virginia to become > teachers? And was his "Professors" title one that > he gave himself do yu suppose? > --- Paul Drake <pauldrake@charter.net> wrote: > > > > > Definitions in our very powerful language turn > > on the "wheres" and "whens" of the words, and > > dictionaries can not be correct for all time. > > Oystermen, ferry operators, crabbers, > > lobstermen, "boatmen", canal boatmen, etc., > > etc., whether for their own account of for hire > > by others, in the past have been known as > > watermen. > > > > Holmes said it well: "A word is not a crystal, > > transparent and unchanging. It is, rather, the > > skin of a living thought, and its meaning may > > vary greatly with the time and the context in > > which it is found." > > > > Paul