Who Do You Think You Are - Paul Merton 28th Aug

Originally Posted by Ann from Sussex

Yes, certainly looks like aurist to me. I wonder if he was one of those quack "doctors" who stood on street corners and offered to cure you for a consideration, his speciality being ears - eek! Given Caroline's story he can't have been a Harley Street sort of doctor can he? At least he could write his name as a witness and it doesn't look too bad as it often did if someone wasn't often required to hold a pen.

Caroline was born in St Giles and her father John was a shoemaker. Transcribed incorrectly as Blunkett.

https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/...off=&ml_rpos=2

[kiterunner]

Interesting. Thanks, Maggie. I wonder whether he changed his occupation after that.

[kiterunner]

Here is the transcript of the trial for robbery:
https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/brow...=t18680406-387

[kiterunner]

And the one for assault:
https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/brow...=t18680406-388

[kiterunner]

FMP has Caroline's baptism record - in the England Roman Catholic Parish Baptisms, Carolina Plunkett born 1852, baptised 1855, Lincoln's Inn Fields, father Joannis. I haven't viewed it. And it looks as though she may have had an older sister Elizabeth baptised 1851 and a younger sister Sarah baptised 1855, a brother John born 1845 and baptised 1846, and a sister Mary Ann born 1849 and baptised 1850. There are also a Julia baptised in 1844 and a Stephen 1848 at Soho Square who may or may not belong to the same family. But as I said, I haven't viewed the images for these records and they only have father's name, not mother's too, on the index, so I don't know for sure whether they are siblings of Caroline.

Edit - Julia's and John's birth regs give MMN as Folks so they are indeed siblings of Caroline - the index gives her MMN as Fokes. I did try searching the GRO index for siblings earlier on but I guess the GRO site doesn't consider Folks to be a "similar sounding variation" of Fokes.

[kiterunner]

So this is the Plunkett family in 1851. I had seen earlier that some public trees had this family as Caroline's but I wasn't sure whether they were right:
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interacti...=successSource

48 Charles St, St Giles in the Fields
John Plunkett Head Mar 34 Laborer Ireland
Sarah Do Wife Mar 30 Charwoman Essex, Tilligem
Rachel Do Daur 12 Do Maldon
Julia Do Daur 7 Middx St Giles's
John Do Son 5 Do Pancras
Stephen Do Son 3 Do Do
Mary Ann Do Daur 1 Do Do
Elizabeth Do Daur 1 mo Do St Giles's.

[Katarzyna]

Originally Posted by kiterunner

So this is the Plunkett family in 1851. I had seen earlier that some public trees had this family as Caroline's but I wasn't sure whether they were right:
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interacti...=successSource

48 Charles St, St Giles in the Fields
John Plunkett Head Mar 34 Laborer Ireland
Sarah Do Wife Mar 30 Charwoman Essex, Tilligem
Rachel Do Daur 12 Do Maldon
Julia Do Daur 7 Middx St Giles's
John Do Son 5 Do Pancras
Stephen Do Son 3 Do Do
Mary Ann Do Daur 1 Do Do
Elizabeth Do Daur 1 mo Do St Giles's.

I suspect that is Tillingham, Essex. I have several relatives from there.

[kiterunner]

Yes, I thought it meant Tillingham too.

[vita]

I've always admired Paul Merton's wit but didn't expect him to be as nice as he evidently

is. As others have said, no drama just genuine empathy. His reaction on finding

grandfather's grave had no headstone was very moving.

[Ann from Sussex]

I have always found Paul Merton funny. A few years ago I went to the improv show he and his wife were touring round the country and it was brilliant; very, very clever.