Genealogy Chat

This is a photo of an old chap, with a very distinctive pipe. I wonder if anyone can help me age the old man, and if they have any clue as to origin of such a pipe.

http://static.zooomr.com/images/8010272_f189cc85ec_o.jpg

Andrew

It's an old clay pipe vey common in the 1800's and early 1900's most working men used to snap off the stem as they were to long and got in the way whilst they worked

try this site http://www.dawnmist.demon.co.uk/pipdex.htm

Roy

In the Elizabethan times clays were quite graceful with thin bowls and long stems. The Dutch redesigned these clays by enlarging the bowl and lengthened the stem and came to be known as the Alderman and was officially introduced by William II around 1700, the Alderman was adopted by the English and was graced with a curve to the stem and called "Yard of Clay" or "Churchwarden" as it's better known as today. The purpose of the long stem was to allow the smoker to rest his hand and bowl on the arm of the chair, the small knob on the bottom of the bowl was to stop the hot clay bowl from burning the chair arm, the knob became more of an aesthetic part of the shorter pipes rather than a requirement in later times. The Churchwardens were in vogue with the upper-classes of the Elizabethan times, the more common man would smoke a short pipe, often made shorter by snapping the end of the stem off due mainly to the "shared house pipes" in the ale houses, these pipes were there for the enjoyment of the customers and by snapping the end off separated themselves from the previous smoker.

He even looks as though he is sitting in a church crypt smoking a 'churchwarden'!!!

I brightened the photo up a little and he has a v interesting shirt/Waistcoat but can't quite make it out. He is wearing a long jacket and has what looks like a squashed bowler in his other hand.

I am quite good with digital image manipulation, but never know which bit of the photo is important, and where to maximise the contrast.

The information provided about the pipe is interesting, seems a bit eccentric to me. There is a hat held on the table, with some books I think. There is little clue to where this one is, so any thoughts about dating from the fasion, and the age of the chap.
There are two fellas it could be. One was born 1800 and died 1875 - I want to believe it is him.
Or born 1827, d c1891 aged 63
(he looks older than 63 to me)

I agree he does look older than 63 and the beard looks earlier Victorian. Or am I trying to convince you of who you would like to think it is! Pity there is no photographer's name.

I'd say he was in his seventies.

Kath. x