LMA another pair of eyes needed please. - Genealogists' Forum

Lynn the Forest Fan · #1 02-10-09, 16:05

Could someone work out what it says for the groom's occupation on this marriage please?
The marriage was between William Hanks Levy & Anna Wrangle,11th Dec 1852, St Mary Spital Square. The previous year for the census, he had been listed as a teacher & in 1861, he was a charity director.
He was blind, which is why he didn't sign his name.

Many thanks

kiterunner · #2 02-10-09, 16:38

I would have said Compositor, but I'm not sure whether that would be possible?

Merry · #3 02-10-09, 16:41

Probably showing my ignorance here, but it looks like it says Compositor, which I thought would be a job only possibly for sighted people? Perhaps not! A printers compositor (I thought) was someone who placed the typeset for printing newspapers etc.

I am going out now, but will be interested to see what others have to say!1

JayG · #4 02-10-09, 16:43

Looks like Compositor to me too.

Nell · #5 02-10-09, 16:54

Perhaps he wasn't completely blind? Or maybe he was a compositor who relied on touch rather than sight?

Or possibly a compositor with a braille printers (not sure how braille was produced, but it was invented in 1821).

Rachel · #6 02-10-09, 17:00

wondering what it says for the bride's occupation ?

Is it School Mistress ?

JayG · #7 02-10-09, 17:27

Looks like school mistress to me Rachel.

Interesting that in 1851 both Anna & William are recorded at 'Asylum of the London Society for teaching the blind to read'. Anna occupation 'matron of boys'.

I'd go along with Nell on the braille, the compositor fits where he is in 1851.

Lynn the Forest Fan · #8 02-10-09, 19:12

Thanks, I didn't realise what a compositer was, but that sounds right.As far as I am aware, he was totally blinded in an accident at his mother's funeral, as a child. He went onto wirte a book Blindness & the Blind & was influential in getting work for blind people. Incidentally, the school he was at in 1851, was the one featured in Martin Freeman's WDYTYA

Joan of Archives · #9 02-10-09, 19:18

How fascinating Lynn! Can you tell us what happened to him; that sounds so sad. You don't have to say if you'd rather not, it just sounds so tragic.

Lynn the Forest Fan · #10 02-10-09, 19:37

I only have the story 3rd hand, but he was blinded in his right eye by scalding tea & broken china piercing his eye & he went on to have 14 operations to save the sight of his right eye. So it is possible that he was only partially blind. I googled Braille compositor & that does seem a likely occupation for him, although he did also study music in 1846, so composer is always a possibility. He died in 1874, 2 years after his book was published.
I found this information out from a lady, who mistakenly had him married to Emmeline Jolin (one of her distant rellies) who actually married his cousin Thomas George Levy. she had the information from the great nephew of Emmeline.