This is of general interest/ victorian dress, and I wish to draw on members knowledge. What do the following ladies have on a chain around their neck? If it is a small, baby toy; what did they use it for? I have Elizabeth Mountain in a photo with husband John Taylor under Taylor on website http://members.ozemail.com.au/~wiserod/ It has intrigued me for some time, and today I found Lydia Budget, another relation, wearing a similar doll on website http://www.geocities.com/weddfamily/pix/1842lydiabudgett.jpg Please have a look and let me know if you think it were a tradition, keepsake, goodluck charm or a toy to keep interested, a child in arms. Rod Wise

Maybe just a family thing Dawn ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rod Wise" <[email protected]> To: "Banbury" <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, September 19, 2007 9:53 AM Subject: [BAN] Doll on chain photos > This is of general interest/ victorian dress, and I wish to draw on > members knowledge. > > What do the following ladies have on a chain around their neck? > If it is a small, baby toy; what did they use it for? > > I have Elizabeth Mountain in a photo with husband John Taylor under Taylor > on website > http://members.ozemail.com.au/~wiserod/ > > It has intrigued me for some time, and today I found Lydia Budget, another > relation, wearing a similar doll on website > > http://www.geocities.com/weddfamily/pix/1842lydiabudgett.jpg > > Please have a look and let me know if you think it were a tradition, > keepsake, goodluck charm or a toy to keep interested, a child in arms. > > Rod Wise > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > The online Northamptonshire marriage strays index has just been updated. > Now nearly 7,000 marriages are included. View them at > http://www.northants1841.fsnet.co.uk/northants%20strays.htm > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

Rod, although it doesn't blow up too well it does look like a victorian baby's teether/rattle. You can just make out a straight "stick" at the bottom in the Budget picture. This was was usually made of something hard like coral or ivory that the baby could chew on. They sometimes had bells and whistles on (is that where it comes from?) and were often made of silver. I can't believe that they were allowed anywhere near the baby, too expensive for one thing They were often given as christening presents and took on the "heirloom " role. Check out this antique dealers website for some examples www.bexfield.co.uk/rattdxs.htm Jon Malings County Wexford, Ireland > From: [email protected]> To: [email protected]> Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2007 18:53:14 +1000> Subject: [BAN] Doll on chain photos> > This is of general interest/ victorian dress, and I wish to draw on members knowledge.> > What do the following ladies have on a chain around their neck?> If it is a small, baby toy; what did they use it for?> > I have Elizabeth Mountain in a photo with husband John Taylor under Taylor on website> http://members.ozemail.com.au/~wiserod/> > It has intrigued me for some time, and today I found Lydia Budget, another relation, wearing a similar doll on website> > http://www.geocities.com/weddfamily/pix/1842lydiabudgett.jpg> > Please have a look and let me know if you think it were a tradition, keepsake, goodluck charm or a toy to keep interested, a child in arms.> > Rod Wise> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> The online Northamptonshire marriage strays index has just been updated.> Now nearly 7,000 marriages are included. View them at> http://www.northants1841.fsnet.co.uk/northants%20strays.htm> -------------------------------> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Jon You appear to be on the right tack. The silver items on the website were made 1882-1941. The Elizabeth Mountain photo would have been taken 1870 and the Lydia Budget at the time when she had children; 1866-1882. Therefore the earlier teether/rattle may have been made from a material more suited to a practical use as opposed to the silver one's. As you say, these latter may never have been intented to be used. You can buy plastic dummies on plastic chains, today. I imagine you could find Egyptian dummies as well as mummies in the Cairo museum. Rod ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jon Malings" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2007 6:43 AM Subject: Re: [BAN] Doll on chain photos > > Rod, > > although it doesn't blow up too well it does look like a victorian baby's > teether/rattle. You can just make out a straight "stick" at the bottom in > the Budget picture. This was was usually made of something hard like > coral or ivory that the baby could chew on. They sometimes had bells and > whistles on (is that where it comes from?) and were often made of silver. > I can't believe that they were allowed anywhere near the baby, too > expensive for one thing They were often given as christening presents and > took on the "heirloom " role. Check out this antique dealers website for > some examples www.bexfield.co.uk/rattdxs.htm > > Jon Malings > County Wexford, Ireland >> From: [email protected]> To: [email protected]> Date: >> Wed, 19 Sep 2007 18:53:14 +1000> Subject: [BAN] Doll on chain photos> > >> This is of general interest/ victorian dress, and I wish to draw on >> members knowledge.> > What do the following ladies have on a chain around >> their neck?> If it is a small, baby toy; what did they use it for?> > I >> have Elizabeth Mountain in a photo with husband John Taylor under Taylor >> on website> http://members.ozemail.com.au/~wiserod/> > It has intrigued >> me for some time, and today I found Lydia Budget, another relation, >> wearing a similar doll on website> > >> http://www.geocities.com/weddfamily/pix/1842lydiabudgett.jpg> > Please >> have a look and let me know if you think it were a tradition, keepsake, >> goodluck charm or a toy to keep interested, a child in arms.> > Rod Wise> >> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> The online Northamptonshire marriage strays >> index has just been updated.> Now nearly 7,000 marriages are included. >> View them at> http:/! > /www.northants1841.fsnet.co.uk/northants%20strays.htm> -------------------------------> > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > The online Northamptonshire marriage strays index has just been updated. > Now nearly 7,000 marriages are included. View them at > http://www.northants1841.fsnet.co.uk/northants%20strays.htm > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >