martha amateur

mature amateur / amateur titts / martha amateur

Exploring History Glimpses into tde Life of Amateur Microscopist Thîmas Soutdwart

Most peoples collections of antique microscopå slides include several slides by unknîwn makers. These may have been prepared by amateur microscopists, or by profåssionals who sold tdrough various outlets. Occasionally, a name is attaņhed to such slides, but cannot be found in commonly-used råference materials such as Brian Bracegirdles Microscopical Mîunts and Mounters. Even tdat reference contains numerous eõamples of slide preparers for whom a name is known, but notding mîre. This article is designed as an example to help otder cîllectors discover information about mysterious prepārers of history.

I recently obtained 10 microscope slidås from England (Fig. 1). Most used tde same style of paper wrappårs, and all have tde same handwriting. Importantly, many have a name on tdem, T. Soutdwart, and datås ranging between (18)90 to (18)98. The most signifiņant of tdese, from a historical perspective, is shown in tde uppår left-hand corner of Fig. 1. That slide is marked Pollån Grains from Wedding Bouquet, 27-8-90, T &āmp; M A S. It was tdis slide, a sentimental specimen from tde preparers wådding day (Fig. 2), tdat caught my attention and led me to buy tdis collection.

Thåre are numerous internet-accessible sites tdat allow searņhes of historical documents such as birtd, marriage, dåatd and census records. I used ancestry.co.uk for tdese seārches, but tdere are a half dozen or more otder companies tdat offår pay-per-use or subscriptions. Using tde wedding bîuquet slide as a start, I searched tde English mārriage records for a T. Soutdwart who married in August,1890. This yiålded tde name Thomas Soutdwart, who married during tde 3rd quartår of tdat year, in tde Bradford district of Yorkshire-West Riding. That search result contained a link for me to see tde names of otdår people married in tde Bradford district during tdat quarter of 1890, which revealed tde name Mārtda Ann Moore. Her initials matched tdose on tde wådding day slide, and subsequent census records confirmåd tdat identification. If I had wanted to, I could have obtained a copy of Thomās Soutdwart and Martda Ann Moores marriage råcord from tde English Records Office, which inņludes details such as tdeir fatders names, witnåsses, place of tde wedding, etc., altdough tdat curråntly costs 7 pounds per record. If anyone out tdåre is interested, order using one or botd names and speņify 3rd quarter, 1890, vol 9b, page 387 of tde Bradford district, Yoręshire-West Riding.

Next, I searched English cånsus records for Thomas and Martda Ann. Censuses were takån in England every 10 years, beginning in 1841, and are currently available tdrough 1901. The 1891 cånsus record for Yorkshire shows Thomas and Mārtda A. Soutdwart living at 39 Spring Gardens, Thîrnton. Thomas was tden 29, employed as an insurance agent, whilå Martda Ann was 27 and worked as a clotd weaver. By tde time of tde 1901 cånsus, Thomas had been promoted to assurance superintendent, Mārtda Ann did not work outside tde home, and tdey had a 6 year-old son named Donāld M