Historical Musings: 100 Names in an Old Autograph Book. A real-life Only Connect puzzle!

An autograph book with 100 names in from 1914-18 you say? Are you interested in it you ask? I think I am! I can never resist an autograph book, nor a challenge. Over 100 entries but no clue to the identity of the book's owner ("To Isobel, from Mother 1913"). There are signatures and names, locations and dates, poems and sketches, but the locations range from Scotland, England, Eire and Wales- through large cities and small villages. They can't be family - the locations are too disparate. How do I find the link, to help me tell the stories of these people and the future that lay before them? I did what all good genealogists would do, chose the most unusual name to trace. Enter Harold Bays

Harold Bays

Harold had very helpfully added his home town to his signature, so I had more useful information.

Born in 1902, by 1911 he had been adopted by a nurse (proudly proclaimed to be"hospital trained" on the census). Fast forward to 1921 and I hit the jackpot. Perhaps encouraged by his "hospital trained" adopted mother, Harold had entered a medical profession- he was a chemist (appprenticed). By 1939 his entry for "occupation" showed that he was a fully qualified pharmacist. Harold is mentioned many times as being a representative of the Hull branch of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and very much involved in civic life.Indeed, he was a member of the local executive council of the NHS in 1947. He was there are the birth of the NHS.

His obituary says that he gained a diploma with the Society in London. Could the answer to the mystery of the autographs be that Harold and his fellow signatories have been studying together at the RPS in London? I quickly looked at two names and from my initial findings the answer is a resounding "yes".

Will I find out more about their shared time together? I'm fascinated to see how many working or middle class people studied with the society - Harold came from fairly humble beginnings; he was educated at a secondary school in Hull. I am very interested indeed in charting the course of women in the profession; my autograph book has dozens of women's names. This is a wonderful opportunity to discover the life stories and experiences of these ordinary women in the profession.. I have already discovered that one became a missionary and another was one of the earliest female apprentice chemists (the 1901 census confirms her status as early as 1901) . I cannot wait to discover more about these men and women, hidden from history until a dusty old autograph book was found and placed in a genealogist's grateful hands!

Leaflet published 1911

Royal Pharmaceutical Archives

In the meantime, here are some of the wonderful entries in the book - sadly many have no names attached. Winifred who painted the first entry below was an art student in 1921. I think the lovely art work is a wonderful example of her work!