Odds and Ends

A few small odds and ends now.

Firstly, there was this little reference to Hugh of Montgomery, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury, as having red hair. He's known as Hugh the Red, so this isn't anything new. This passage specifically mentions red hair though.

The Welch called him Hugh Goch, because he had red Hair.

Nottinghamshire. Somersetshire - Thomas Cox (1738)

The name Goch/Coch means red in Welsh.

Finally, there's this passage about red hair from: THE WORKS OF LAURENCE STERNE (1775)

It's not especially interesting, though it does serve as another example of redhead dislike/distrust from an earlier period of history.

A friend of mine once had conceived a particular aversion to persons who had been born with red hair. He carried this strange prejudice to an extravagant length. He used to say, that he could never confide in a friend or a mistress of this complexion - for that the men were false, and women frisky.

An instance or two of this kind had determined his philosophy, with as much reason as the jockey, in an old story, had for the reverse - who having once met with a good horse, who happened to be cropt-eared, pronounced that cropt-eared horses were naturally good. - A barber too recommended white-hafted razors from the same experience.

Red hair is only a sign - if it be any sign at all - of warm or lively affections; and operates according to the ruling passion, of love, religion, ambition, play, revenge, Etc. - which differs equally both in men and women of all complexions. And I have always found more virtue in warm affections, than in lukewarm ones. - Warm passions may be tempered, but cold ones can never be brought to seeth.