My grandmother and three great aunts were dressmakers and they were.....dressmakers! Being very Victorian ladies they would have been quite horrified at any other imputation! Ros -----Original Message----- From: northumbria-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:northumbria-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of jain wykes Sent: 17 December 2009 19:57 To: northumbria@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [NMB] "On the street"? Hi Brian, Do you know how commonly the euphemism 'dressmaker' was used for prostitute. And if it was commonly used do you know how a genuine dressmaker may have described herself, in order to distinguish herself from the euphemistic type? I ask because I have come across several 'dressmakers' in my research. i wonder if an understanding of the wealth of the area that the 'suspect' lived in might give an indication? Cheers Jain ----- Original Message ----- From: "Brian Pears" <bp@bpears.org.uk> To: <northumbria@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, December 16, 2009 2:55 AM Subject: Re: [NMB] "On the street"? > > Hi > > I've found it. > > 1861 RG9/3829 Folio 69 Page 21 Schedule 118 > Wall Knoll, Newcastle upon Tyne > > Ann Isable Dobing Head Unm 19 on the street Sunderland > Alice Jeffereson Boarder Unm 22 " Durham, Jarrow > > Well it couldn't be clearer; they were prostitutes. It was a very common > occupation, though practitioners were rarely so open about it. Apparently > the usual euphemism was "dressmaker" > > Brian > > > > The NORTHUMBRIA FAQ page is located at > http://www.bpears.org.uk/NorthumbriaFAQ/ > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > NORTHUMBRIA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > The NORTHUMBRIA FAQ page is located at http://www.bpears.org.uk/NorthumbriaFAQ/ ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to NORTHUMBRIA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Ros Dunning wrote: > My grandmother and three great aunts were dressmakers and they > were.....dressmakers! Being very Victorian ladies they would have been quite > horrified at any other imputation! Ros All the old people dating from the Victorian era that I got to know well back in my younger days were very different from the "Victorian" stereotype we read so much about. I seriously doubt that the stereotype had much basis in fact outside of posh society and certain religious sects. I would think it quite likely that your relatives would have found the implication highly amusing particularly if they were elderly and infirm at the time. Brian -- Brian Pears (Gateshead, UK) http://www.bpears.org.uk/ Joint List Admin NORTHUMBRIA Genealogy Mailing List GENUKI Northumberland Maintainer