Welcome to Writers Talkback. If you are a new user, your account will have to be approved manually to prevent spam. Please bear with us in the meantime
I have been doing some family research this afternoon and looking at burials in West Hoathley Sussex.
One of my ancestors was Lucretia Harborow the entry for her burial in 1625 says 'an old silly wench' !
Comments
Do tell us if you find out more about her, won't you?
You have to find out more!
She sounds delightful.
Chambers says the obsolete meanings are:
Simple, humble, pitiable, feeble.
Liz, it is surprising the comments the parson or clerk added alongside entries into some parish registers. My husband found one in a Welsh parish register (on microfilm via the nearby LDS centre) and there was one individual who really annoyed the vicar, and he put his nib through the paper at one point...
The term 'wench' is still used in the area where I live, and is a term of endearment. It is not associated in any way with being a bad woman, a whore or anything else. A wench simply means a woman.
Shakespeare called people who were not prostitutes 'wench'. But Chambers is quite sure... it might be that in between 'time immemorial' and now it has gone through various changes and shades of meaning, like all words.
It'd be interesting to contact a historian and see if they can understand exactly what whoever wrote it was saying!
[/quote]
I agree with what you say, Red.
You never know it may spark a new poem, Lou!