For this week's Alphabet Challenge I chose a topic which I especially love about genealogy. When you find an ancestor in the census return or a GRO certificate, are you like me? Do you feverishly avert your gaze to the occupation column? Finding out what my ancestors "did for a crust" is an all important aspect to finding out so much more about what sort of life they really led.
This is a personal A-Z of my ancestors' occupations (I was quite surprised to find that most of my ancestors had occupations which started with the letter 'P'). There are a wealth of books in local libraries, genealogy societies, and online shops which can help you piece together what your ancestors working life would have been like. Costume books, meticulously researched and written by C.W & P.E Cunnington, Catherine Lucas, and Christabel William-Mitchell also help to put the "meat on the bones" of your ancestors social and occupational history.
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| Coachman c. 19th Century |
I am so proud of my ancestors for their chosen occupations. It conjures up images of hard graft, inner pride, community satisfaction, and physical endurance in all weather conditions.
Agricultural Labourer (or 'Ag Lab' as we genealogists like to call them)
Blacksmith Bricklayer Bookseller Baker
Coachman/Cabman Carpenter Clothier Charwoman
Draper Domestic Servant Dairyman Dustman
Enumerator (Census) Errand Boy
Fishmonger Fisherman French Polisher Farmer Factory Hand
Gardener Glazier Groom
Horse Hair Curler/Weaver Harness Maker Hawker Hay Carter Housekeeper
Innkeeper Ironmonger Instrument (Musical) Seller
Journeyman
Letter Carrier Labourer Laundress
Mattress Maker Music Hall Attendent Music Teacher
Nurse Newsagent
Omnibus Conductor Ostler Organist Overseer
Photographer Painter Plumber Police Constable Printer Picture Frame Maker
Projectionist Professor of Music (Teacher) Paper-hanging Dealer
Projectionist Professor of Music (Teacher) Paper-hanging Dealer
Quilter
Railway Gate Keeper Railway Plate Layer Rate Collector
Steward Shepherd Saddler Solicitor Soldier Stationer Seamstress
Tallow Chandler (Candle Maker) Timber Merchant
Upholsterer Upholder
Verger Victualler
Waterman (Thames) Wheelwright Weaver
Yardman
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| Thames Waterman |
Footnote: This blog post marks twelve months since I started blogging here at "A Pocket Full of Family Memories" and I would like to give special thanks to Gould Genealogy and all of my regular readers for coming back again and again to read, leave comments and give me positive encouragement and continuing enthusiasm for my posts.
How wonderful to have so many diverse occupations in your ancestral family:) One day I must make a list of my own..absolutely fascinating Debra.
ReplyDeleteThank you Ann, it really is a highly fascinating thing to research. Good luck making your list! xx
DeleteWhat a cool list! I am intrigued with your ancestor who worked as a horse hair curler/ weaver! Maybe soon you will have a zoologist in your family.
ReplyDeleteBlogiversary Greetings. Congratulations on a fab first year and best wishes for the next year.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your one year anniversary! And what a great idea to list the occupations. I think I will do that today.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your blogiversary! I'm so impressed, being a newby blogger. I love your list of occupations and will definitely start doing that now - absolutely fascinating! Mine had relatively low-level occupations - or so I think - but I need to be certain before I make generalizations, don't I?! Thanks for your great post!
ReplyDeleteHappy Blogiversary! Great list too. I'm delighted to see 'ag lab' because haven't we all got one of those? Pity you haven't found a Knight, X-ray technician, or Zoo Keeper...yet ;)
ReplyDeleteHappy blogiversary, Deb - time flies when you're having fun. I wouldn't fancy being a tallow chandler much - we had a candle factory nearby until it closed recently. Most of my family were farmers :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you everyone for your lovely blogiversary wishes, I am truly blessed. Now then, I must find that X-ray technician and Zoologist! ;-) xx
ReplyDeleteWhat a totally fabulous list of occupations you've found that you're ancestors had, and congrats on all the research that you've done to discover them.
ReplyDeleteSuper Duper Happy Blogiversary to you ... don't forget to have celebratory cake, you deserve it!!