Christmas Snake Oil anyone ?. (V expensive mains extension block).

Greece isn't the UK. I'm surprised you need this pointed out.

Not as far as I know. But have never done any family tree, etc, tracing. But Jon doesn't know of any link either.

One odd thing was a sister of my mother married a Plowman too - no relation to my father. From the other end of the UK.

I knew a Plowman years ago at the University of Kent.

Hardly! I don't know how you can say that without a smiley, Dave.

That will explain us having the Euro as currency, then? Having no say in decisions made by the EU?

The noodle actually believes that. Sweet, isn't it?

Not a particularly rare name and not really surprising as it is derived from the occupation of a Ploughman which is a job that goes back a very long time, not too far from here there is a business which at one time was a nursery but has re branded as Plowmans Garden Center. Plowmen, Smith, Knight , Miller,Thatcher,Slater, Woodburn,Tanner are other occupational names that go back centuries yet despite its influence on our lives the Industrial revolution of the past 3 centuries doesn't seem to have created many that I can quickly think of. Are there many or any people call Miner, Fireman, Cablelayer, Latheman etc. I have known a few Turners but don't know if the name goes back a long way into wooden furniture making or from later metal working. There are some Drivers as well but would think the derivation is from shifting livestock rather than being on the footplate of the Rocket and subsequent locomotives.

G.Harman

G.Harman

Except that I have only ever heard of three. The one I knew, Dave, and a Jon Plowman whose name crops up on TV.

Only one I have ever heard of is 'citizen Dave'

Don't forget Piers :-)

Owain

Most people already had established surnames by the time of the Industrial Revolution.

Of course in Wales you will find Dai Sparks, Dai Tractors and Dai Websites in the pub.

Owain

There was a high court? judge much in the news at one time.

I try to.

Reminds me of the old story:

A Russian spy was dropped by parachute in the Welsh hills with instructions to contact a Mr Jones in the small village of Llanfair and give him the coded message: ?The tulips are blooming well today.?

Arriving at the village he asked a small boy where Mr Jones lived and was directed to a small cottage.

He knocked on the door and the owner emerged: ?Are you Mr Jones??

?I am.?

?The tulips are blooming well today.?

Mr Jones stared at him in amazement then smiled: ?Ah, you must have the wrong house.

?It's Jones the Spy you want.?

If surnames today were dictated by the type of job you did then Jobsworth would be no 1.

Lazybastard would be no 2.

Nice idea, isn't it? The EU sets standards for goods traded within it. Outside the EU we will be allowed to sell them any old rubbish. Dream on...

Interesting that although the spelling changed to ploughman many hundreds of years ago, I've never seen that used as a surname.

It certainly confuses a non native speaker. Who tend to pronounce it with an 'o'. Very handy with cold callers from abroad. You can truthfully say no such person here. ;-)

Always thought you Brexiteers were free loaders.

China sells us any old rubbish.

Owain