Hello Brian I would definitely say they were business partners – but who is to say whether there was a lesbian relationship as well – I am sure they existed. I have seen two women dressmakers described as head of household and partner in various censuses. Also two teachers running a girls’ school were sometimes enumerated as head and partner. Best regards Elizabeth Pugh Whitehorse Yukon Canada
Elizabeth, I’ve re-checked the censuses and the lady I have researched, Elizabeth Thompson Eaglesfield was described as a partner to Ellen Rowe on the 1891 census. They are at the same address on the 1901 census but the enumerator failed to write in anything in the “Relation to head of house” column. Elizabeth died in 1904 so I cannot check a later census. However I did look at the 1881 census, and both Elizabeth and Ellen were working as servants in the same household, so they obviously knew each other for well over 20 years. They were both single and were certainly good friends if nothing else. Brian Binns From: Elizabeth Lee Pugh [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: 07 February 2012 15:37 To: [email protected]; [email protected] Subject: "partners" Hello Brian I would definitely say they were business partners – but who is to say whether there was a lesbian relationship as well – I am sure they existed. I have seen two women dressmakers described as head of household and partner in various censuses. Also two teachers running a girls’ school were sometimes enumerated as head and partner. Best regards Elizabeth Pugh Whitehorse Yukon Canada _____ No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2012.0.1913 / Virus Database: 2112/4793 - Release Date: 02/06/12 _____ No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2012.0.1913 / Virus Database: 2112/4793 - Release Date: 02/06/12
From: "Elizabeth Lee Pugh" <[email protected]> > Hello Brian > I would definitely say they were business partners - but who is to > say whether there was a lesbian relationship as well - I am sure > they existed. > I have seen two women dressmakers described as head of household and > partner in various censuses. > Also two teachers running a girls´ school were sometimes > enumerated as head and partner.> I do not believe that anyone is entitled to leap to such conclusions, given the length of time that has passed. Yes, of course, there were undoubtedly lesbian relationships in Victorian and earlier times but who are we to judge or say what might have been? Maybe they were entirely innocent relationships of two people who simply chose to share their lives for friendship in a more innocent age. What does really infuriate me is the vociferous and strident propaganda put out by the politically correct loonies of today's gay brigade, whether male or female, who are always trying to "out" Florence Nightingale as a lesbian purely because she never married and had close friendships with women. Whatever Florence did is none of anybody's damned business today! It is also the perversion of history that upsets me. -- Roy Stockdill Genealogical researcher, writer & lecturer Newbies' Guide to Genealogy & Family History: www.genuki.org.uk/gs/Newbie.html "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." OSCAR WILDE
Replied off list. Brian Binns From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: 07 February 2012 16:40 To: [email protected]; [email protected]; Elizabeth Lee Pugh Subject: Re: [NTT] "partners" From: "Elizabeth Lee Pugh" < [email protected] > > Hello Brian > I would definitely say they were business partners - but who is to > say whether there was a lesbian relationship as well - I am sure > they existed. > I have seen two women dressmakers described as head of household and > partner in various censuses. > Also two teachers running a girls´ school were sometimes > enumerated as head and partner.> I do not believe that anyone is entitled to leap to such conclusions, given the length of time that has passed. Yes, of course, there were undoubtedly lesbian relationships in Victorian and earlier times but who are we to judge or say what might have been? Maybe they were entirely innocent relationships of two people who simply chose to share their lives for friendship in a more innocent age. What does really infuriate me is the vociferous and strident propaganda put out by the politically correct loonies of today's gay brigade, whether male or female, who are always trying to "out" Florence Nightingale as a lesbian purely because she never married and had close friendships with women. Whatever Florence did is none of anybody's damned business today! It is also the perversion of history that upsets me. -- Roy Stockdill Genealogical researcher, writer & lecturer Newbies' Guide to Genealogy & Family History: www.genuki.org.uk/gs/Newbie.html "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." OSCAR WILDE _____ No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2012.0.1913 / Virus Database: 2112/4793 - Release Date: 02/06/12 _____ No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2012.0.1913 / Virus Database: 2112/4794 - Release Date: 02/07/12