THE HISTORY OF MY NAME

THE ONLY CAKE WITH MY NAME ON IT. BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA (1970’s)

How many of you know the real history of my name?

My actual name is Emma-Jane Watson with no middle name.

Mum had one.

My sister had one.

Dad had two.

The history of my name as many in Melbourne may not know is…

Around the time I was born dad was working two jobs (like most of his life). During the day he worked in the meat industry and at night he was a bouncer in a pub. One of the pubs he worked at was the ‘Ashley’ and it was rough in it’s day.

Hence, dad working in a pub by the name of the ‘Ashley,’ it was a preferred choice of name by mum, until dad’s mate said, ‘Don’t call her after a bloodhound pub.’

So, the name was scratched.

Then, another of dad’s mates had a girl named of Sally-Anne.

From that moment onwards he was set on having a daughter with a hyphened name.

Back in those days you never knew what you where getting until the birth. Mum went from wanting not wanting kids to a brown-eyed boy. Dad on the other hand was set on having three girls!

A DECORATED TILE THAT I NEVER GOT TO USE.

So, how did my name get chosen?

My first name was eventually snapped from mum’s mother’s middle name and the second one was plucked out of a hat! A group of names where gathered and the name ‘Jane’ was picked!

As a child mum told me that the name ‘Emma’ had come from a race horse, but while doing the family history I found that my second and third great grandmothers had the name Emma in it. After that discovery I felt it was more a family name then after a racehorse!

Families, may never know the truth.

Only that I know the history of my name.

Isn’t that how it’s meant to be?