We have few family tales
Tom SayersMaha Tuck
Gipsy Queen
Samuel Rose Parkinson
Benjamin I Hagan
Walter Tuck - WWI not yet
Fanny Ward - Reindeer Hotel - not yet
Tom Sayers
My mother was convinced that she was a direct descendant of Tom Sayers, the world champion bare fist boxer. She gave me a DailyTelegraph cutting from 6 August 1983:
Tom Sayers lived from May 1827 to 8 November 1865. He died in Camden Town. Many people try to say they are descended from him! My mother one of them because she lived with her grandparents, Frederick and Emma Tuck for a while during her childhood. I suspect Fred mentioned Tom Sayers being relatd to his mother. I´ve found from his parent´s marriage certificate his father was William Tuck and later his mother was Rebecca Syer. William was born in Beetley and Rebecca in Longham, both Norfolk. William´s father was James and Rebecca´s father Hugine Syer. Unfortunately, mother, a relationship beween our families seems remote.
Maha Tuck
A few years ago I received an email from Brenda, a descendant of Thomas Tuck whose grandson was named Maha Tuck (1867 - 1893). He became landlord of the Cherry Tree pub and pig market in Dereham Norfolk in 1871. A poem was written about him, below, and after his death his son, Ernest John Tuck aged 28 in 1901 became the publican there. ´Maha´ was his nickname as in the poem below.
When I was 16 and he 86, greatfather Frederick died at our house a few months after slipping on ice going to buy a newspaper. He stubbed his toe that tunned to gangrene. It was amputated then later his leg to the knee. My father and I helped him in hhis last days - a sad time.
His father was William, his father James then William then Thomas who married Sarah Brown. They had a son John who also had a son John. It was their son whom they decided to call "Uz". The vicar did not like that name so they said they´d call their son Mahershalalhashbaz, hence the poem.
Brenda was correct: I am also a descendant of Thomas Tuck and 2nd cousin 4x removed to Mahershalalhashbaz.
There are quite a few web pages about our Maha. A couple of articles are reprodused here:
TO THE EDITOR OF THE STANDARD
SIR, - In this town there is an innkeeper who rejoices in the baptismal name of "Mahershalalhashbaz" (see Isaiah 8,i).
I should think this is unique. He is commonly called "Maher," but in the parochial and other lists the full name appears.
Report says (but I will not vouch for its truth) that his father wished him to be named "Uz," but on the clergyman remonstrating he immediately said "Then we will have the other," and produced from his pocket a slip of paper with the longer name.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
W. E.
Dereham, Norfolk, April 8. The Standard, (London), April 11, 1892
Snippet from British Baby Names
The man in question was Maher Tuck, who I located in the 1871 census in Dereham. He died the year after this letter was written, aged 54. In fact the letterwriter was incorrect in his assumption that Maher Tuck's first name was unique, as although it was a rare name, there were other Mahershalalhashbazes living at that time. The name originates in the book of Isaiah in the Old Testament and is said to be the longest name in the bible.
More than most, it's a name that required shortening, and other nicknames included Marc, Marshall and Baz.
Gipsy Queen?
My mother once proudly told us that she was descended from a Gipsy Queen! Could this be true? If so, she would be an ancestor of more than 5 generations. Unfortunately she didn´t elaborate; so who may it have been? The most likely, for her, would be a relative of her father, James Whittaker. I liked him very much - he was a tatler in a cotton mill. He could mend machines. He could tell stories. He showed me, (when aged about 11), how to make a shed door lock with a piece of wood and a length of string, but better how to make a humane mouse catcher! In 1953 he bought a TV so we could all go to my grand parents house to watch the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. That was the first television programme most people in the UK had seen.
The most likely relative of James would be of his granny, Nancy Demaine (French connection?). I remember, and have a picture in my mind that she was a larger than life character who wore gipsy type dark thearical clothes. Perhaps the story came from that.
I have a photograph of James brother´s wedding June 1914. Hubert married Henrietta Wilkinson at Burnley. From left is Isabella, Sep Whittaker, ?, ?, Hubert, Henrietta Wilkinson then her parents.
