Genealogy Chat

I would tend to agree with the trade Volmonger involving the selling of voles (water voles) or even rats which were often classified together. I'm sure we are all familiar with the term "ratcatcher" and several old paintings of city life often include a picture of a man with several of these creatures strung along a pole. No different from people eating squirrel which was also quite common. :-S

Thanks, Paul. Mystery solved.

Often you find that 'V' is used instead of 'W' (there was no letter W in Latin). A Wolmonger was a dealer in wool, which is probably what was used in the cheaper wigs.

See page 28 of:

http://socserv2.socsci.mcmaster.ca/econ/ugcm/3ll3/power/WoolTrade.pdf

Could be, John. There are 5 Tucker's in the 1791 directory for Bridport but no John and no volmongers!

The strangest thing's you think about when you can't sleep.
I believe that Tucker was a wool merchant.

The term 'monger' is Old English, as we know, and there's no reason why the word "vol" should not also be that language. Now, allied to OE is German and there's a German word 'Wolle' (pronounced 'voller').

Could it be that the 'volmonger' is a archaic term for the trade of wool-dealer or wool merchant?

It would explain the connection between Tucker and the wig-making Golding family. What are wigs fashioned from? Yep, you've guessed it...

I didn't, but I've heard that leaving 'the bed in which I lie' part before.

John, did you look at the second will I mentioned (Mary Golding)? In that Mary (who is dying) leaves "the bed in which I lie" to John Tucker (the son of the John Tucker, Volmonger). Possibly some vermin in that!

*Note to self* Always view the document!

Could "John Tucker, of Bridport" be a mole-catcher or catcher of vermin?

It's obviously an ancient and now obsolete term. None that I can find remaining in Dorset in any census.

Have just found out that a currier also worked with skins and the volmonger had a brother-in-law who was a currier, so I think I will go for Fellmonger!

Had a look at the will and I would say it definitely says Volmonger.

Thanks again, everyone. Some interesting ideas.

The word appears in two different hand written wills on Ancestry, one 1780 where it is clearly Volmonger and the second from 1787 in which the first letter does look more like an H.

This is the 1780 will if anyone wants to look. Volmonger is near the end of the line second from bottom on the first page. The second will is from the same collection and is for Mary Golding.

Dorset, England, Wills and Probates, 1565-1858
about Hugh Golding
Name: Hugh Golding
Residence Date: 1780
Residence Place: Bridport, Dorset
Event Type: Will
Probate Court: Dorset Archdeaconry
Reference Number: Ad/Dt/W/1780
Event Record Number: 11

If the will is hand-written, perhaps it's the penmanship - and it could well be "Felmonger". The "F" with a single stroke formed like a "V" and a "e" looped like an "o", an "L", then "monger".

This is a longshot... is it possible that you saw a transcription of the original - perhaps typed? If so... is it possible that someone put a "V" instead of a "C"

Colmonger is a Coalmonger - seller of coal. ;-)

This may sound daft but could it be volemonger a seller of watervole which I have never heard of but going back through the centuries people used to catch and sell a veriety of things.The trade may have died out in the early 1800's.
Colin.

How about Fowlmonger (dealer in fowls)? There is a Fowl-monger street in Madras, India, and a couple of fowl mongers in the 1911 UK Census

Thanks everyone for the suggestions, etc. I think I will try to trace that family forward (not direct ancestors) and see what occupations his descendants had.

A costermonger originally sold costards, a type of apple.

Voll small piece of mowable land next to a cottage could volmonger be a gardner?

According to my dictionary, a fellmonger was a dealer in hides, particularly sheepskin. Also "fell" is an old word for what we would now call a "fleece". Were wigs made of wool??

In a west country accent it is possible that "fell" was misheard as "vol".

Fell mongers were around in bridport.

1881 census
129; North Street; John Roles; SIMS; Head; Mar; 39; Fell Monger; Bridport; RG9-1368F16