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tatoo

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Johnfromwales

Johnfromwales Report 3 Jan 2010 13:01

My grandmother was born in 1892 and lived all her life around Swansea in Wales Her family was strong catholic her mother was born in Ireland moved to Swansea married a Welshman 1890 ish my grandmother born 2 years later went to convent school she had a row of numbers tatoo on her arm can anyone tell me why ?

MargaretM

MargaretM Report 3 Jan 2010 13:16

That's curious! The only time I've heard of numbers tattoed on the arm is the prisoners in concentration camps during WW2.

Researching:
Great grandmother Dorothy Bean nee Abbott (1858-1908)

Johnfromwales

Johnfromwales Report 3 Jan 2010 13:27

I have been told it was something to do with catholics and convents at the turn of the 18-1900 hundreds but with no proof..i am looking for the answer ?

Ed Stone

Ed Stone Report 4 Jan 2010 19:27

Hello,
This reminds me of an episode of "Waking the Dead". The girls in an Irish convent run by nuns were each given numbers and referred to by number by the nuns. Not tattoo's. Whether this was based on fact and the numbering system in your query has now become confused with a tattoo, I don't know.