Genealogy Chat

Someone has overwritten the original text - I can see Pub fro the licensed victualler, but what are the others? (See below)

I can't make out what has been written in a different hand over the occupations of this family? John Thomas Dudley Age: 21 Estimated birth year: abt 1880 Relation: Son Father's name: John Mother's name: Charlotte Gender: Male Where born: Foleshill, Warwickshire, England Civil parish: Foleshill Ecclesiastical parish: West Longford St Lawrence County/Island: Warwickshire Country: England Street address: Occupation: Condition as to marriage: Education: Employment status: View image Registration district: Foleshill Sub-registration district: Foleshill ED, institution, or vessel: 12 Neighbors: View others on page Household schedule number: 99 Household Members: Name Age Alice Jane Dudley 23 Charlotte Dudley 43 John Dudley 43 John Thomas Dudley 21 Mary Ann Dudley 14 Henry Hawker 26 View Original Record View original image

It's hard to tell, but it looks like Alice Jane was originally listed as a 'Tape Weaver' and has been overwritten as a 'Fancy Sex' (no, I don't really believe that's what was meant, but that's what it looks like!). Mary Ann and John Thomas appear to have been a 'Dressmaker' and 'Bricklayer' respectively (and not written over). Henry Hawker appears to have been a 'Bondsman (Colliery)' - not sure about the word in brackets - and overwritten as 'C Below', which I assume meant that he worked underground in a coal mine (based on the other occupations on the same page). Tim

Thanks Tim, Yes, thats what I thought it looked like, but I didn't believe it! Mark

Some of my ancestors had 'Fancy Box' against their name - they constructed cardboard gift boxes.

Could be, but I don't remember seeing this level of annotation before - anybody any idea why it might have been considered necessary? Mark

Isn't it, ''Fancy Sew''???? Merry

Again, could be, Merry. But why the annotation? Mark

I have to agree with Paul, I think it says Fancy Box, I have seen it before too.

It's a classification catagory. The enumerators went to all this trouble recording peoples occupations and then the enumerators checker came along and stuck all the occupations into specific types. If you look at the census for Northampton there are about 1001 different trades associated with the footwear business. The checker came along and wrote ''Boot'' next to all of them!!!! Merry

There are a couple more examples a few pages on - look less like Box - still can't make it out though. One is on Tape Weaver again, but the other looks like machinist (safety work)? This is really bugging me now! mark

Thanks Merry, That makes sense and will let me get to sleep now! mark

It does look like Box, but a ''Fancy Box Maker'' was a specific occupation and had nothing to do with haberdashery or weaving and a lot more to do with cardboard! Merry

Ah, Merry, Merry, Merry. Have you never bought a punnet of strawberries in the traditional box-weave?

They use classifications for things like bakers too I noticed. The every day 'bread' baker and the luxury 'biscuit' baker or even confectioner. You can understand it really, probably gave an indication of the prosperity of an area/the industry of the country.

Paul! Tesco only do plastic boxes!! (You will be getting a reputation.....firstly reading old newspapers for their front page ads and now threads about s*x.....) Merry

Merry, there are few pleasures left in life for an old bloke like me. It won't be long before the meaning of s*x eludes me altogether. By the way, I sent off for the product on the front page ad but unfortunately I was 125 years too late.

Tut Tut is the word s*x being allowed GR? Mark's thread, Paul's Victorian newspaper proclivities!! What's the world coming to? I never realised that those papers were so interesting. A new hobby beckons! LOL Mog

Mog, you know perfectly well that everybody on GR is using it as a form of surrogate s*x. Why else would we be tapping away on our computers way into the small hours when we could be indulging in the kind of recreational activity our ancestors enjoyed so much?

Morning all, I changed the title to include THAT word after Tim suggested it because I thought it'd get you all interested. Strangely enough, it did! Mark