Storm Tickler
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- May 28, 2019
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- 17
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Hi all, I've recently been looking at some historic US newspapers and thought I'd see if there were many referencing to tickling in them- there was surprisingly quite a bit! Nothing mindblowing or too interesting, but I've summarized the stories below and linked the newspapers. At the very least it's an interesting insight into the early 1900s
Might be useful if anyone ever writes a whole 'history of tickling' book
Tickling leading to divorce:
A surprising number of women in the early 1900s were reported to have filed for divorce due to being tickled so much by their husbands, especially on their feet.
In 1900 one woman in an article about men no longer having any rights asked for divorce as her husband was in “the habit of tickling her feet [as]… when he came home at night he wished to be greeted by laughter and that there was no other way to make his home happy with peals of laughter except by tickling her feet” https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn99021999/1900-03-11/ed-1/seq-28/#date1=1789&index=15&rows=20&words=her+tickling&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1963&proxtext="tickling+her"&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
In 1912 Mrs Gertrude Draught went to the police to have her husband punished for “tickling her feet to keep her sleeping”: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn89052038/1912-12-20/ed-1/seq-4/#date1=1789&index=7&rows=20&words=her+tickling&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1963&proxtext="tickling+her"&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
In 1913 Mrs Betty Killingsworth alleges “her husband took delight in tickling her feet… she never had a full night’s sleep: ‘Slumber Disturber’ https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86058226/1913-09-10/ed-1/seq-3/#date1=1789&index=1&rows=20&words=her+tickling&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1963&proxtext="tickling+her"&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
(this was reported in several papers)
This one is not sympathetic to Mrs Killingsworth (assuming it’s the same case)
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026897/1913-04-09/ed-1/seq-5/#date1=1789&sort=relevance&rows=20&words=her+tickling&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=0&state=&date2=1963&proxtext="tickling+her"&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=3
Also in 1913 Mrs Edith Esther Perdy had a court rule her husband could no longer tickle her: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85025007/1913-03-24/ed-1/seq-5/#date1=1789&index=18&rows=20&words=her+tickle+tickling&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1963&proxtext="tickling+her"&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
“Too ticklish for robbers”
A number of papers in 1912 reported the attempted robbing of Mrs Frances Roberts, who hid her purse somewhere on her body. Apparently the robbers kept accidentality tickling her whilst searching her, causing her to laugh so much they ran off
Account with ‘visual representation’:
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88085187/1912-09-23/ed-1/seq-8/#date1=1789&index=0&rows=20&words=TICKLISH+WOMAN&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1963&proxtext="ticklish+woman"&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
Another account of the robbing:
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86069395/1912-11-09/ed-1/seq-7/#date1=1789&index=7&rows=20&words=TICKLISH+Woman&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1963&proxtext="ticklish+woman"&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
Same story, different paper:
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85042354/1912-09-13/ed-1/seq-11/#date1=1789&index=11&rows=20&words=TICKLISH+WOMAN&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1963&proxtext="ticklish+woman"&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
Female criminal tickled by police
At the other end of things, it was reported in 1909 that a young woman who was suspected of stealing a gold tooth had her neck tickled by police to make her open her mouth and reveal the tooth: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87078082/1909-06-16/ed-1/seq-6/#date1=1789&sort=relevance&rows=20&words=HER+Her+her+TICKLING+Tickling+tickling&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=9&state=&date2=1963&proxtext="tickling+her"&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=3
Young woman awakened by man tickling her feet
Adela Romarkowa, a “pretty Polish girl” reported in 1912 that she was awoken by a stranger tickling her feet: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85042354/1912-08-17/ed-1/seq-7/#date1=1789&index=6&rows=20&words=her+HER+tickling+TICKLING&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1963&proxtext="tickling+her"&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
Discussion about why people are ticklish from 1901 (not overly interesting)
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026824/1901-08-08/ed-1/seq-1/#date1=1789&index=4&rows=20&words=Feet+feet+ticklish+Ticklish&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1963&proxtext="ticklish+feet"&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
Not entirely sure what the tickling is in this one:
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1915-06-23/ed-1/seq-5/#date1=1789&index=15&rows=20&words=Feet+Ticklish&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1963&proxtext="ticklish+feet"&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
Might be useful if anyone ever writes a whole 'history of tickling' book
Tickling leading to divorce:
A surprising number of women in the early 1900s were reported to have filed for divorce due to being tickled so much by their husbands, especially on their feet.
In 1900 one woman in an article about men no longer having any rights asked for divorce as her husband was in “the habit of tickling her feet [as]… when he came home at night he wished to be greeted by laughter and that there was no other way to make his home happy with peals of laughter except by tickling her feet” https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn99021999/1900-03-11/ed-1/seq-28/#date1=1789&index=15&rows=20&words=her+tickling&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1963&proxtext="tickling+her"&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
In 1912 Mrs Gertrude Draught went to the police to have her husband punished for “tickling her feet to keep her sleeping”: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn89052038/1912-12-20/ed-1/seq-4/#date1=1789&index=7&rows=20&words=her+tickling&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1963&proxtext="tickling+her"&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
In 1913 Mrs Betty Killingsworth alleges “her husband took delight in tickling her feet… she never had a full night’s sleep: ‘Slumber Disturber’ https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86058226/1913-09-10/ed-1/seq-3/#date1=1789&index=1&rows=20&words=her+tickling&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1963&proxtext="tickling+her"&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
(this was reported in several papers)
This one is not sympathetic to Mrs Killingsworth (assuming it’s the same case)
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026897/1913-04-09/ed-1/seq-5/#date1=1789&sort=relevance&rows=20&words=her+tickling&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=0&state=&date2=1963&proxtext="tickling+her"&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=3
Also in 1913 Mrs Edith Esther Perdy had a court rule her husband could no longer tickle her: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85025007/1913-03-24/ed-1/seq-5/#date1=1789&index=18&rows=20&words=her+tickle+tickling&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1963&proxtext="tickling+her"&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
“Too ticklish for robbers”
A number of papers in 1912 reported the attempted robbing of Mrs Frances Roberts, who hid her purse somewhere on her body. Apparently the robbers kept accidentality tickling her whilst searching her, causing her to laugh so much they ran off
Account with ‘visual representation’:
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88085187/1912-09-23/ed-1/seq-8/#date1=1789&index=0&rows=20&words=TICKLISH+WOMAN&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1963&proxtext="ticklish+woman"&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
Another account of the robbing:
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86069395/1912-11-09/ed-1/seq-7/#date1=1789&index=7&rows=20&words=TICKLISH+Woman&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1963&proxtext="ticklish+woman"&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
Same story, different paper:
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85042354/1912-09-13/ed-1/seq-11/#date1=1789&index=11&rows=20&words=TICKLISH+WOMAN&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1963&proxtext="ticklish+woman"&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
Female criminal tickled by police
At the other end of things, it was reported in 1909 that a young woman who was suspected of stealing a gold tooth had her neck tickled by police to make her open her mouth and reveal the tooth: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87078082/1909-06-16/ed-1/seq-6/#date1=1789&sort=relevance&rows=20&words=HER+Her+her+TICKLING+Tickling+tickling&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=9&state=&date2=1963&proxtext="tickling+her"&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=3
Young woman awakened by man tickling her feet
Adela Romarkowa, a “pretty Polish girl” reported in 1912 that she was awoken by a stranger tickling her feet: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85042354/1912-08-17/ed-1/seq-7/#date1=1789&index=6&rows=20&words=her+HER+tickling+TICKLING&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1963&proxtext="tickling+her"&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
Discussion about why people are ticklish from 1901 (not overly interesting)
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026824/1901-08-08/ed-1/seq-1/#date1=1789&index=4&rows=20&words=Feet+feet+ticklish+Ticklish&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1963&proxtext="ticklish+feet"&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
Not entirely sure what the tickling is in this one:
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1915-06-23/ed-1/seq-5/#date1=1789&index=15&rows=20&words=Feet+Ticklish&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1963&proxtext="ticklish+feet"&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1