I love genealogical research, whether it’s my own family, or whether I’m using it to explore pattens of movement of people in former times to make the actions of my characters in my novels realistic and believable. A couple of days ago, I shared a sonnet by Canadian born scientist and poet George John Romanes; he was born in Ontario in 1848. His parents who were both Scottish left Canada when he was only a baby, and the family appear on the 1851 census:
- George Romanes, 1807, 44, Scotland, Presbyterian Minister, MA, Edinburgh
- Isabella Romanes, 1813, 38, Scotland
- James Romanes, 1837, 14, Canada
- Georgiana Romanes, 1843, 8, Canada
- George Romanes, 1849, 2, Canada
- Isabella Stewart, 1813, 38, Ireland, Servant
- Maria Terrey, 1835, 16, England, Servant
- Grace Urquhart, 1828, 23, Scotland, Servant
They were living in Brompton Square, Kensington, and obviously were a family of substance with their three servants. I can’t find the family in the 1961 census… sometimes that happens… a census is not completed, or has been lost or destroyed in the war, or the family were abroad… whatever the reason, I can’t find them; however I do find a George and his sisters Georgiana and Charlotte in 1871. There is no mention of their parents, but they are described as ‘son’ and ‘daughters’ so maybe their mother and father were travelling somewhere. They are at home with a friend of George’s, Charles Lister, and I guess the two men must have met at University as they are both described as ‘graduate in natural science; they are looked after by a female servant and a young page, aged thirteen… But is he the right George? I have a feeling he may not be… the difficulties of genealogical research! how easy it is to muddle to people of the same name, even an unusual name!
I had never heard the name Romanes before I came across George; now that I am looking through archive material there seem to be quite a few, and quite a few George Romanes’… have I found the right one? Are the others of the same name related to him? I may have to do some more research… all that I have found might be the details of the wrong person!
Here is another sonnet he definitely did write:
Scientific Research
Why should I chafe and fret myself to find
Some pebble still untouched upon the beach,
Where struggling wavelets follow each on each
Upon the tide-mark of advancing Mind?
If, one with them and urged by those behind,
My utmost energy at last should reach
A stone unwetted by a bubble’s breach,
What gain were it to me or to my kind?
Though I should fail that further inch to go,
Some other soon will creep its rugged floor,
While, resting on the conquered strand below,
I calmly watch the rivalry before,
Rejoicing at the steady onward flow,
But at my new-found peace rejoicing more.
Lois Elsden 