Occupation

Capn Pugwash · Post by **Capn Pugwash** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 9:16 pm

Could someone please enlighten me as to what a 'Pilmer' was? Later generations of this family are described as 'ploughmen'. Is this an abbreviation, or something else entirely?

Post by **SarahND** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 9:34 pm

Hi Capn,
Pilmer?

Can't find that anywhere, but perhaps others will. Is this just one source, say a census or marriage, where it might have been written oddly, or was this person a pilmer on all documents straight through?

All the best,
Sarah

Capn Pugwash · Post by **Capn Pugwash** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 9:47 pm

Hi Sarah,

Thanks for getting in touch. It is written clearly on three entries in records of birth which I have been looking at. I'm sure I have seen it elsewhere too, but can't remember where. Been scratching the head for a while over this one.

All the best,

Pugwash

Post by **SarahND** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 9:55 pm

Hmmm

At least you have company in the head-scratching now! Perhaps a TS member who is a pilmer themselves can enlighten us!

Regards,
Sarah

Capn Pugwash · Post by **Capn Pugwash** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 9:59 pm

Sorry to have wasted your time folks. I now believe that Pilmer could be a location - perhaps a steading - near the village of Lauder in Berwickshire. Possibly a variation of Pilmuir.
Doh!

Post by **SarahND** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 10:01 pm

Well, that's a relief! Whew! One more puzzle off my mind

Currie · Post by **Currie** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 1:57 am

It probably is just the place but nevertheless here are a couple of references to Pilmer. An occupation by that name might have been involved with the suppression or removal of dust in some sort of industry. Milling, feather down, heaps of possibilities. Some connection to Devonshire or Cornwall, although maybe it was more wide spread.

http://www.google.com.au/books?id=1ydKA ... r&as_brr=1

http://bally.fortunecity.com/sligo/172/dialect.html

I believe that dust has the inalienable right to stay exactly where it falls.
Alan

Post by **SarahND** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 2:04 am

Seems to have more to do with rain...

Perhaps he was occupied in sprinkling down the roads to keep the dust down

Currie wrote:I believe that dust has the inalienable right to stay exactly where it falls.

And I believe that any combination of sounds is bound to be a word somewhere...

Sarah

Currie · Post by **Currie** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 3:56 am

Hello Sarah,

That why I found so much stuff in that newspaper freebee. I had sounds like Llanrhyddlad, Garndolbenmaen and Llanystumdwy to work with but don't ask me to repeat them.

Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust.

I don't remember seeing any ashes.
But I'm certainly seeing plenty of dust.

Alan

Post by **SarahND** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 4:01 am

Currie wrote:That why I found so much stuff in that newspaper freebee. I had sounds like Llanrhyddlad, Garndolbenmaen and Llanystumdwy to work with but don't ask me to repeat them.

Just the sort of sounds I used to ask my students to repeat

but I'll restrain myself

What were your search terms? Did you put in part of the name or what?
Always willing to learn from the newly crowned Google King of TS

Cheers,
Sarah