Genealogy Chat

Hi All. I have recieved a Marriage certificate today from Oct 15th 1892. The rank and proffesion of the husbands father is down as Jentleman? Also in the residence place it has just a name of a building rather than a streeet name? Can anyone tell me what a jentleman did please. Im quite stumped Thanks as ever Kelly xxx

As far as I know, a gentleman is a man of leisure, living on independant means. Hope this helps. Peter

Hi Thanks for the reply what would independant means be? He was listed on the census 12 months earlier as a book keeper? With a different address. Is it possible he has inherited money from somewhere in the interim and moved? Kelly xx

Hi Lynda Thanks for the web address im just having a look at it now. Its description of a Gentleman is Aristocrat who's income comes from his land!!! My how Charles Daveney has come up in the world in 12 months!!! Im more confused now than i ever was. Thanks for the link and all yourhelp. kelly xx

Hi, My Robert Edmonds was a gentleman by the time he died. He was described as such in his will and at his burial. In the Manor court books he was also described as a "gentleman and baker". He certainly wasn't aristocratic. He served his apprenticeship as a baker and did very well for himself - buying land and other properties and businesses. Eventually he had to do no work at all and lived off the income of his land and business - thus a Gentleman. Gwynne

Kelly, I asked tis very same question of Anthony Adolph on "ask an expert" a few months back. He said that although earlier than the 1800s a gentleman was considered to be someone who lived off income from land that from the beginning of the 1800s (the time period I was aking about) the definition became slightly more flexible and could simply mean someone who didn't have to work to support himself. If you go to the homepage of genes and click on the ask an expert section you can scroll back through the question sessions to see exactly what he said. Strangely enough my "gentleman" had also previously been an accountant and I simply assumed that he embezzled a load of money and sat back and enjoyed it LOL Zoe

Thank you Zoe & Gwyneth Its nice to know im not on my own in having a gentleman in my tree. I will pursue it further and see if i can find how he came to not have to work. Zoe i was thinking exactly the same LOL Kelly xxx

I understood that a gentleman was someone who always took his hat off before striking a lady. Keith

Hi Lynda. I am the sort of person my mother warned me against mixing with!! LOL Keith

I love Keith's definition of a gentleman. Made me laugh! I think in my ancestor's case 'gentleman' was a polite way of saying 'unemployed'. In the same way that actors would be listed as 'between jobs' and politicians as 'spending time with family'. Perhaps on my next census form I will put 'Lady' and see what future generations make of that!

My gentleman had been a clergyman. What is a gentleman? Somebody who knows how to play the trombone, but doesn't.

Hi, It didn't mean unemployed. It meant that they had enough means not to have to work. Gwynne

Yes, sorry, Gwynneth! Hope my last message didn't confuse anyone.