The Offley Family Society                          Newsflash  No. 189

A Superstition

[From the Euroa Advertiser 5 May 1893, Supplement, Victoria, Australia.]

A child's caul is the membrane or covering of skin in which the child was enveloped before its birth, and which in rare cases is round its head when it enters the world. It is an uncommon occurrence, and therefore from remote antiquity was regarded in unscientific days as supernatural and portending something in the future life of the babe. If the caul was crisp and firm it was considered to betoken health; but if relaxed and flaccid to prognosticate sickness and death. Cauls were sold by midwives to advocates - or barristers, as we should call them now - for enormous prices to ensure them eloquence and success. Sailors, being superstitious as a class, owing, perhaps, to their lives being spent so much apart from the rest of the world, and away from sources of information, such as newspapers and books, and depending so entirely on the uncontrollable circumstances of the weather, would readily regard the possession of a caul as a protection against drowning, which is their special danger. To trace the origin of such a superstition beyond these conjectures is probably impossible, ..... and it has not become extinct by even this l9th century. In A.D. 1655, Sir John Offley, [STA A] of Madeley Manor, Staffordshire, by his will, which was proved in that year, devised a caul set in jewels, which had covered him when born, and which he had kept till his death, to his daughter; thereafter to her son. and then to his own heirs male; and the caul was not to to concealed nor to be sold out of his family. ..... twenty guineas was asked for one in Eng land in 1779 ; twelve pounds in 1813. On May 8th, 1848, a caul was advertised in the "Times," which '" was afloat with its late owner thirty years, in all the perils of a seaman's life, and the owner died at last at the place of his birth." He had given £15 for this talisman, and even after the advance of education during that period, at his death a price of six guineas was asked for it. As much as £30 is said to have been paid for one in former centuries. It has, of course always been to the interest of those who had cauls to sell to represent them as bringing good luck, or else they could not sell them; and being rare they could ask a high price. Advertisements announcing cauls for sale even now occasionally appear in the weekly newspapers in England, the prices asked averaging between £4 and £5 each.

Additions to Archives

John M. Offley [BOU] has added to our archives the Attestation papers and associated documents for Charles William Duffield Offley [BOU E] and for his brother, George Conrad Offley. These pages (14 in all) give details of their military service as well as descriptions of their physical appearance.

Charles served in the Essex Regiment for over 12 years until Jun 1896. During this time he went into hospital on four occasions, once for a period of 79 days. He travelled to Egypt, Malta and Cyprus and was promoted to Lance Corporal. He did not, however, manage to keep out of trouble and was deprived of his stripe within three months of receiving it. George first served in the Essex Militia from 1892 and then in 1894 he joined the Bedfordshire Regiment but was discharged after 23 days as being unfit for service.

Another document, which includes a photograph, shows that Walter Offley [BOU A[ was a bandsman in the R.N.R.

These items are very useful additions to our archives which give colour to our ancestors' lives whereas the Pedigrees give only basic genealogical details.

Exchange Journals Received

Lancashire FH & HS: August 2011

Midland Ancestor (B&MSGH): September 2011

Shropshire FHS: September 2011

Newsflash  No. 189                                                                11th September 2011