A Wikipedia Mystery

From time to time I visit Wikipedia and check whether the information on the Teasmade page there is current, and whether it includes my latest research. Unfortunately I am not a very experienced Wikipedia editor, and I do struggle with the code. However, a nice editor usually follows in my wake and tidies it all up for me! Having sorted out some updates to inventors recently, I revisited the page today to check whether any of my code had been tidied up. Suddenly I spotted an amendment made in June 2019 which I had missed. Somebody had come along and added some new information about George Absolom. There were no citations for any of the new information. I was actually quite surpised that a Wikipedia editor hadn't removed it.

The original text read:

The word 'teesmade' was certainly initiated by George Absolom and predates the use of the word 'teasmade' by about four years. George Absolom applied for a Registered Design using the name Teesmade, but this was not accepted by the Patent Office on the grounds that the unit was not made on the River Tees and that this might confuse the public. Geographic trademarks were invariably refused at this time, and indeed the Patent Office passed legislation to forbid them in 1938. This legislation has since been relaxed. Although the name could not be formally protected, from 1932 onwards George Absolom continued to trade as Teesmade Co. Goblin were in no position to object, as the name had the indisputable advantage of prior use.

The mystery person had added what looked like some genuine information so the paragraph read:

The word 'teesmade' was certainly initiated by George Absolom Sr. and predates the use of the word 'teasmade' by about four years. George Absolom Sr. applied for a Registered Design using the name Teesmade, but this was not accepted by the Patent Office on the grounds that the unit was not made on the River Tees and that this might confuse the public. After he became ill and confined to his home in Chichester, his wife Blanche-Clementine Absolom took up a lengthy legal battle with the chambers of the Messrs. Lovelace and Catwell who is represented George Absolom Sr. in his own fight for a patent. Switching lawyers, she turned on her old lawyers for failing to represent her in the fiercer manner. She won the case, despite it dragging on for years due to poor funding on both sides. Geographic trademarks were invariably refused at this time, and indeed the Patent Office passed legislation to forbid them in 1938. This legislation has since been relaxed. Although the name could not be formally protected, from 1932 onwards George Absolom Sr.’S son, George Edward Absolom continued to trade as Teesmade Co. Goblin were in no position to object, as the name had the indisputable advantage of prior use.

It looks credible doesn't it? There are just a few minor slips: "chambers of the Messrs", "who is represented", "in the fiercer manner", "George Absolom Sr.’S son".

Now I'm very confident about my George Absolom research because many years ago I corresponded with his son Bob. I was completely confused. The mystery editor's I.P. address was recorded, but not their name or contact details, so I was unable to contact him/her to find out where this new information came from. I fished out all my documentation and correspondence, went back to my research on Ancestry, and logged into the British Newspaper Archive. I looked into every detail. Nothing checked out. George Absolom did not have a wife called Blanche Clementine. He did not have a son called George Edward. He did not live in Chichester. There appears to be no legal firm called Lovelace and Catwell.

I can only conclude that the mystery editor is one of those people on Wikipedia who make it their hobby to add spurious information, to create fake history, just for the heck of it. It seems such a shame that anyone would use their perfectly good brain to do something so idiotic and unconstructive. You can find out more about Wikipedia hoaxes and fake information here. If I'm ever proved wrong about this one, I offer my apologies.