Genealogy Chat

In 2007 my MIL gave me a torn page from an old family bible that she had salvaged from her mother's dustbin ( altzheimers)
The page contained births and baptisms for all the children born in a Banffshire town to OH's 3x great grandparents

After researching each child, I found that one son vanished from census records after 1871. At this time was an artist, living in Troutbeck Westmoreland
I did spot that there was something rather "odd" about his address but, didn't really think too much about it.
I searched everywhere but no trace of this man could be found after 1871.

Last week, I took out a world sub with FMP as I really wanted access to the Newspapers.

I entered the details of this missing relative and with one single search, I found him immediately!
There are dozens of news articles about him.

There are web pages, photographs,and paintings OF him.
So far, I haven't found anything painted BY him!

He was George Smith...."The Skiddaw Hermit"

I also gleaned that a man who knew a little about George decided that he should be recorded and so, added him onto the 1871 census return himself!
I'm so glad he did or I might never have found my missing George

how wonderful!!

I assume you've seen this one (I googled!)


Long before old Millican though was a chap called George Smith who lived across Bass Lake on the edge of Skiddaw on Dodd fell in fact. The ‘Skiddaw Hermit’ as he was called back then came from Scotland originally in the 1860’s and was a serious artist by profession painting a number of portraits of individuals in and around the area. His home ‘Chitty’s nest’ was made up of branches and bracken interwoven with moss and grass for weather proofing, a round structure nestling on the side of a crag on Dodd. Inside, were a bed of bracken and a blanket if he was lucky and cooking implements of various shapes and sizes and a diet of dry tea leaves and sugar – hardly appetizing!

However, his one passion was the evil drink of which he excelled and frankly loved, but eventually took him over and as time went on he became a bit of a nuisance around the area. Forcing him to leave the district he turned up in Windermere where he found religion and a more respectable lifestyle. He eventually returned to Scotland where he died in 1876. A massive heap of empties were left on Dodd and the nest he lived in was quickly destroyed by wind and the inevitable bad weather.

------


I noticed it said that he died in Scotland



I was interested because some of OH's ancestors came from that area :-)


as you said, there's lots about him!

Thanks Sylvia,
Yes I have found all of this .
A single article often appeared in multiple newspapers up and down the country.

When he returned home, he lived temporarily with his only surviving sister in Alvah before being admiited to the Asylum.
He escaped from the Asylum in 1874 but he did eventually die there in 1876

Fascinating, thanks for sharing :-)