More Ancestor Worship

[poliphilo]

 My great grandmother's people were Larkins- like the poet, like the characters in The darling Buds of May. My great great great grandfather, John Larkin, back in the 1850s, was landlord of the Artichoke in Orpington- a building that still stands though it has changed names several times- first to the Olde Blacksmith's Arms and then (boringly) to the Priory Tavern. It is currently a Turkish restaurant called the Aksular.

 John's children were- in order of birth- Eliza, Eliza, James (my great grandfather), Charlotte, and then bewilderingly- Nodiah, Abigail and Libish. Well, Abigail is not so very bewildering but Nodiah was an obscure Old Testament propetess and Libish is apparently Sanskrit. What on earth was going on in that family? Did they suddenly get religion?

Comments

[cmcmck]

Good Jewish name, Abigail.

I did consider Rachael for myself.

[poliphilo]

I've just discovered I have a great-great-great grandmother whose maiden name was Amby Lee. Does that sound Romany to you?

That branch of my family tree is firmly rooted in North West Kent- Erith, Orpington, Bromley....