I do love a good random search of various websites for unfortunate names, don’t you? Well, this weekend has been the turn of the ailment department. Measles, Chickenpox, Smallpox, the common cough and cold …. you get the idea.
The first visit to the surgery was poor Rubella Florence B. Frost who was born in the Dartford Registration District (RD) in June quarter 1907. She must have constantly been the butt of people’s jokes during her formative years in particular and unfortunately, it’s not a name she lost on marriage to Charles R. Constant in September quarter 1926 in Woolwich. Rubella makes regular appearances in the London Electoral Rolls on Ancestry and there are also references to Miriam Rubella Frost who married in Woolwich RD in 1927. It would appear though that Miriam was not an original Frost but married to become one in 1904 (born Holmes in 1883) and was in fact the mother of Rubella Florence, it being her second marriage. It is perhaps not so surprising that her daughter, Rubella, was referred to as ‘Ruby’ on the 1911 census ….
Following Rubella was James Headache. Unfortunately, he died aged just 33 years old and was buried in Oxted on 11 March 1826:
[Source: Ancestry, London, England, Deaths and Burials, 1813-1980 (Call No. DW/T/7285) and Surrey, England, Burials, 1813-1987 (Ref No. P3/1/34)]
Headaches seem to die out in the nineteenth century as Elizabeth departs in Bicester RD in 1854 and she is the only reference to the surname on FreeBMD. Mumps are equally uncommon though Mary was baptised of Adam and Elizabeth in 1857 in Sacred Trinity Church, Salford and Richard is referenced on FreeBMD as being born in 1864 in Salford:
No reference to the family has been located in any census in England with the correct transcription of their surname! Quelle surprise!
And so, here endeth the list of surgery attendees for this week …. More next Sunday. Keep your eyes peeled!
