Genealogy Chat

hello, can anyone help with a word in the last column of the 1881 census? We´ve got a Winifred Hill who was an inmate in the Stockport Workhouse, she was married, a cotton spinner and blind and either pregnant or had just given birth. In the very last column there´s a word that looks like "Bonkers". Am sure they didn´t have this word in 1881! can anyone help? thanks, Michele

I know it's dreadful but I have to say it made me laugh - it looks just like bonkers! Surely not?
Jan

I´m glad someone can read it as that! :)

I looked through the other pages and all the other entries say imbecile (which is bad enough!) but bonkers ha ha that takes the biscuit

can't read it as anything else though ,googling doesn't give it as anything other that a fairly recent word.

thanks for your quick replies, have googled bonkers, bowkers and borkers- yes it might be an illness, although she didn´t die in there but eventually got out and had 4 more children. can read everything on that page apart from that word!

I agree, googling seems to imply the first usage was beginning of 19th century. I would get in touch with OED, who knows, you might have stumbled onto something!
jan

the oed are looking for uses before 1945

Were people bonkers before 1957? Or were they just nuts, loopy, or crackers? The OED has evidence from 1948 of the word being used in Navy slang to mean drunk or light-headed, so there seems to be a connection. But did the word change tack before 1957?

try it they might be grateful?

if she had recently given birth perhaps she had postnatal depression or psychosis. If so she would have been acting very strangely

thanks for all your replies, I couldn´t help but have a bit of a laugh when I first saw it, will email the OED tomorrow

Let us know what they say - if nothing else they might come up with an alternative (hope not though!).
jan

The writing is different to the rest of the page, half written half capitals. Perhaps it was added mischeviously some considerable time later.

I don't know if it might be relevant? but in 1891 she has a daughter aged 10, which might put her in the workhouse for the birth? I wonder if the 'bonkers' is actually something like 'born=RS'? the 'E' being the = plus upstroke of previous letter?

Stockport Workhouse also served as an infirmary for the area.

Linda

I agree with Rambling Rose, possibly the RS stands for Restricted Sight, i.e. she was born with restricted sight.

The capitals for RS rule it out for being "bonkers" so I shouldn't bother the OED.

If she'd just given birth then presumably she would have been one half of a pair of bonkers nine months previously ; )

the OED did write back, probably thought I was bonkers for asking a daft question! but the first use of the word was in 1945, so I think those of you who have written about RS at the end of the word being Restricted Sight are right, perhaps the beginning of the word says Born, or Blind In one eye, thanks for all your replies and have a nice weekend.

Hi,

had to have a look myself. Are the first 4 letters actually BORN and then as previously suggested RS (restricted sight)???

Dee x

Hi Dee, don´t know for sure, can stll see bonkers when I read it! think a trip to the library is necessary...