In the family way (II)

As you know, if you've read my similarly entitled previous entry, I'm doing a bit of research into my family tree.

When I married, for reasons as they where, I decided to use my future wife's surname, rather than keep my own.

Now, you can choose to go by any name you wish here in the UK, except under certain special circumstances where you must use your legal name.

For we males, that is likely to be the name on your birth certificate, complete with any mistakes that may have been made at the time. For our oppos... the rule is the same, but on marriage, the husband's surname becomes the wife's legal surname.

Again, it don't really matter, unless you have to use your legal name, and the three examples I was given were:

1. Applying for a passport
2. Criminal proceedings (it is your legal name, after all)
3. Marriage (which you've guessed by now. I'm sure!)

So, in light of this, the reality was I had to change my name by deed poll, so that my legal surname would be the same as my intended's and she would still take "my" name, but of course there would be no change.

As a complete aside, me and my sister and my daughter quite enjoy playing the "all three of us have different surnames but none of us are married - work that one out" game with new people. Well, it amuses us.

Anyhew, all of which (above) is a bit of a long-winded way of saying that my birth family name is "Batty".

Batty is a fine northern name, and those of you familiar with the very north western part of Yorkshire may have come across it in the geographical name Batty Green. I think Batty Green these days is little more than a small open area close to Ribblehead, although I understand there used to be a temporary township of the same name there, and the name itself was considered for Ribblehead Station (on the Settle-Carlisle line) before the latter was finally decided upon.

Certainly, (at least one of) the regional birthplace(s) of the name is that area of Yorkshire, and perhaps previously, Cumberland.

I have managed to trace my paternal lineage to the 1790s and my great-great-great-great-great grandfather, one Thomas Batty of Burton-in-Lonsdale, but everything I know about Thomas, with one exception, I have told you in this sentence.

It's interesting, and a bit scary, to note that I am related to Thomas in the same (although not patrilineal) way as my daughter's granddaughter's granddaughter's son will be to me, should he care to look back from his vantage point in the early 2200s!

The only other thing I know about Thomas is he had a son called James Altham Batty.

(I guess... and it is only a guess that James Altham's mother's maiden name was Altham, but as I said... 'tis nobbut a guess.)

Now, James is a very common name, Altham is not rare, and Batty, at least in the Lonsdale region is as common as... well... muck.

But "James Altham Batty"? There can't be that many of those, can there?

I don't know exactly when James was born, but I do know he was baptised on 22nd April 1798 in Thornton-in-Lonsdale.

I know he married Mary, and together they had 6 (as far as I can find) children, William, Margaret, Mary, Robert, Thomas and my direct ancestor Christopher.

From decennial censuses I know he lived throughout his life in Burton-in-Lonsdale, found employment in one of the (many) Burton Potteries and whilst I am not 100% certain (you'd be surprised just how many James Batty's were born in 1797-8!!!) in 1870 in Settle a James Batty was registered as having died, and is therefore very likely to be my great-great-great-great grandfather.

I know he had at least many as 29 grandsons and granddaughters (I'm still finding them), that some of those branches of the tree, instead of spreading towards my home-town, instead spread in the direction of Whitehaven, Oswaldtwistle and perhaps Bolton, whilst others remained in and around Burton and Thornton.

(I even know there was a strong possibility that Altham was pronounced Alt-ham rather than Al-tham.)

So with the advent of the good ol' tinterweb, you'd think I'd have a great chance of finding out some more about him, and perhaps even getting to grips with Thomas and his ancestors.

So, I google James Altham Batty, and what do I get?

Nothing, natch, nada!

Nor even for Baty, Batey, Batie, Battey, Battey, Battye or even Battie.

Well, of course I get loads, but nothing on J.A.

However, one name crops ups with startling regularity - Aegidy Batty, born about 1688 in Clapham, Yorkshire - barely 7 miles from Burton.

What a COOL name!!!

Do YOU know ANYONE called Aegidy?!?!?!?

What's more, Aegidy can be traced patrilineally at least 110 years further back to John Battie in the 1570s, and (tantalisingly) another path goes back to a Agnes Altham!

Yet others reach to the 1530s... stating the obvious, I know, but that's almost 500 years!

And the related family lines? There's the Irwin family, the Aland family, the Henrie family, the Smith family, the Stubbs family... it seems just about everyone in the WORLD is related to Aegidy, but can I find a connection?

Can I eckers like... and it's my blinking name!!!

I'm beginning to wonder if I exist.

Is There a Doctor in the House? (II)

Hmmm...

I had one of those milestone-moments today, of a medical variety.

I've had a sore shoulder for a couple of days, like you do, but this was a bit more annoying and inconvenient than usual, and to be honest I was just a bit concerned about the best course of action in respect of my gym sessions.

Should I work through the pain, or should I give it chance to settle down?

Well, on Monday, the ibuprofen wasn't really touching it, and I decided to make a GP's appointment... today being the first day available for an early slot.

When we first moved to our current address, and therefore had to move GP surgeries, it just so happened that my belle's sister's place of work (a local special school) were registered at the same practice.

So, she knew the senior practice doctor, one Mr. Dewar. He was referred to as "Mr." as his wife - "Mrs." was also a GP at the surgery.

She told told us he was "a lovely doctor", and sure enough he was, just about everything you could wish for in a doctor. A genuinely lovely man.

I say "was", not to indicate any particular sad demise, but simply because about six months ago, Mr. and Mrs. left the practice. Maybe they moved on... they didn't seem to be at retirement age... maybe they are now following another path.

Oh by the way, Mr. Dewar turned out to be Mr. Dua, and was (and doubtless still is) an Indian gentleman.

Anyway, I made my appointment, and being the first since the Duas left, I was scheduled to see one of the new doctors - namely Dr. Cameron.

Well that's what the lady on the phone said.

Turns out the practice seems to have policy of employing "Indian" doctors with confusingly Scottish-sounding names, as Dr. Cameron is actually a similarly southern Asian gentleman by the name of Dr. Kamran.

And I'll tell you what, he's from the same school of lovely doctoring as Dr. Dua, if this morning was anything to go by. Really impressed!

(By the way... do you suppose there's a surgery somewhere in Mumbai where Dr. McAgee practices?)

I did notice - maybe this will change - that he calls only the patient's surname when it is their turn, and he called mine...

...but I wasn't quick enough out of the blocks, as a fellow patient of the female persuaion beat me to it.

Anyway, shortly after she re-emerged, I was called by my full name.

Dr. Kamran introduced himself, shook my hand and apologised for keeping me waiting, and then set about the business at hand.

After a few questions, a bit of manipulation... of course things are never quite so bad as they were when you made the appointment... he gave his diagnosis and recommended treatment.

I'm having muscle spasms, which are the beginnings of an injury, but my treatment is fine as it stands... painkillers and rest - that way it should go away and not become a chronic problem.

He gave me a knowing smile as he suggested I avoid going to the gym for another week!

Mind you, none of that was the milestone-moment.

No... in spite of the millions of years of education and training doctors must undergo before they are let loose in the GP's surgery, Dr. Kamran is quite categorically, in fact undeniably YOUNGER than me!!!

Oh dear.

Anyway... he's a lovely young man... he'll go far.