Happy mortal, none but you shall read this..

[Fridgemagnetman]

I liked this story from the BBC, a carpenter who used the floorboards in a castle in France as a personal journal. Written in the 1880's

The story traces infideltiy ,infanticide within the village.
They managed to trace the carpenter through official documents when he signed a petition to get rid of the local priest.

A hidden diary written by a carpenter on the floorboards of a French Alpine chateau provides a rare insight into the private lives of villagers in the late 19th Century, writes Hugh Schofield.


I saw this on the BBC and thought you should see it: The secrets of a diary written on castle floorboards - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-44265475

 

[tree]

The link wouldn't do anything for me, so
I looked one up myself.

I think this is the story.
The secrets of a diary written on floorboards

Yipes.
I wonder if this will work.
I see, now that I have Copy/Pasted it, the numbers
at the end are the same.

 

[tree]

Well, the link in Post #2 works when I click it.
But not the link in Post #1.

 

[Mia]

Does work tree. Also I get 'Look up on Google' when I right click, on Fridge's link and it finds it as well.

 

[Mia]

Fascinating that Joachim requested that a protestant priest be sent, the next time instead of the catholic Abbe. As he abuses the confessional and is a poor doctor. And mentions that at very least the protestant priest will be married. It seems that there was not as much of a gulf between the two religions as happened later in the nineteenth and twentieth century. It explains why some ancestors moved from protestant to anglican to catholic through generations. Something that puzzled me for some time.

 

[tree]

Does work tree. Also I get 'Look up on Google' when I right click, on Fridge's link and it finds it as well.

I didn't know anything about right clicking on a link.

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

It seems that there was not as much of a gulf between the two religions as happened later in the nineteenth and twentieth century

Sort of people living their normal lives within the confines of the labels they are given.

I was always more fascinated discovering history from the other perspective,not just the royal or powerful one where records may be more well preserved.

The infanticide is also interesting. Part of the journey of how society sorted problems through necessity all the way along.
The taboo culture also necessary perhaps as a way to allow people to get through their day without being overcome by the simple horror of living.
The ordinary man having little access to writing material nor the time or the money.

A bit like the way the English historian Mary Beard,who specialises sp Roman history will go to the graffiti to paint a picture of how the majority may have lived.


Hopefully I didn't stray too far into the taboo subjects here and shall swerve around,not delve deeper.

 

[Mia]

I was always more fascinated discovering history from the other perspective,not just the royal or powerful one where records may be more well preserved.

It used to anger me incredibly when I could find little in the way of history of ancestors from the past. None of whom were royal or middle class. Birth, marriage and death records were all that was discovered, if that.

It told me little about them, and gave me few in the way of clues as to their motivations or lives. Which I would have liked to know. Although I did find some clues on the female side, from lace-making and quilts and the making of clothing. It does little to answer the questions as to why an eleventh century ancestor married twelve times.

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

It used to anger me incredibly when I could find little in the way of history of ancestors from the past. None of whom were royal or middle class. Birth, marriage and death records were all that was discovered, if that.

It told me little about them, and gave me few in the way of clues as to their motivations or lives. Which I would have liked to know. Although I did find some clues on the female side, from lace-making and quilts and the making of clothing. It does little to answer the questions as to why an eleventh century ancestor married twelve times.

Or even more recently... grandparents even parents, it all becomes lost.

I remember reading somewhere of a mother who kept a diary to pass on to her children.
How amazing would that be?

I'm sure more people do it now, with blogs,journalling etc

Although would it be as true as the floorboards?

Equally there are many happy to be lost.

 

[LucyPurrs]

I didn't know anything about right clicking on a link.

Fridge's link didn't work for me either (either right or left clicking it) but yours did no np.

 

[Smiley]

That's fascinating proof that people have always been people.

 

[Mia]

Although would it be as true as the floorboards?
Equally there are many happy to be lost.

Highly doubtful, the stories from the floorboards were things not said aloud and perspective that seems to have become of interest in the present. Secrets to be kept, that were likely whispered into ears.
I don't expect they were written about in many letters or diaries, I don't know if local gossip was passed that way in that era. It's more likely that it was purely oral recounting. Except in this instance with the carpenter.

 

[Progster]

I was always more fascinated discovering history from the other perspective,not just the royal or powerful one where records may be more well preserved.

Have you read Samuel Pepyes diaries?

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

Have you read Samuel Pepyes diaries?

Have you?

I only read a bit. I remember at the fire of London he was busy burying cheese.
Worth a fortune,apparently.

 

[Sabrina]

I remember reading somewhere of a mother who kept a diary to pass on to her children.
How amazing would that be?

.

Thank you , that was my intention when I wrote my memoir book (I published it in Kindle). I edited all my blog posts of several years to do that.
I might publish a second one.

 

[Progster]

Have you?

I only read a bit. I remember at the fire of London he was busy burying cheese.
Worth a fortune,apparently.

Just extracts. My father had these, and he used to read to me from them.

 

[ksheehan88]

Wow.... that's amazing!

 

[Tom]

Interesting story. Would love to inherit that place from a long lost French relation. If I had a French relation that is. I'm available for adoption btw and my shots are up to date.

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

Interesting story. Would love to inherit that place from a long lost French relation. If I had a French relation that is. I'm available for adoption btw and my shots are up to date.

You might get it for a cheap price.

Some idiot has written all over the floorboards.

 

[Tom]

You might get it for a cheap price.

Some idiot has written all over the floorboards.

I think it was this guy.