Genealogy Chat

After yesterdays hilarity with the occupation of beaver blower I've just found a family entry on the 1901 census for a 'sewage flusher'. We are from royal stock somewhere, i swear it.

Is a Great Invalid better than an Insignificant Invalid? and does a Urinal Flusher stand next to the loo holding the chain?

I have a 'coke dealer' from Islington in my family history!! Hopefully more to do with coal though.

A 'Scavenger' on the 1881. D

A 'Shoe Clicker' What is that? D

My GGGGrandfather was a Breeze Dealer which is apparently the equivalent of a bouncer on an ale house door.

When I worked in a shoe factory, a clicker was a person who used a machine to stamp out the leather shapes that made up the shoe or boot. But the term could equally apply to the eylet holes as well.

We had a shop in Faversham called 'Cornwainer' now moved to Ashford. It was previously called 'Cobblers' D

One of mine was a cordwainer too. Yes definately a bootmaker. Great name though.

SHOLLING PLAYER ????? Found a lodging house full of a team of these in 1871 Launceston ! Mostly German names, a few Italians and a Greek. Googling SHOLLING doesnt help ....

Breeze is undersize coke fuel, smaller than an inch in size - a by-product from the gasworks. I guess someone must have found a use for it (possibly in the manufacture of breeze blocks).

I have a coal whipper, a feather trimmer and my fave, a marsh looker.

I live in what was the centre of the boot and shoe industry in the Midlands.There are still a factories making the higher class of shoe (Ever heard of Chuches shoes?) People are still employed in these ocupations today. Because of our History - and we have a brilliant Boot and Shoe Museum- We have an area of the town with a series of blocks of Flats named in memory of our now almost redundant trade -Cordwainer House -Stitchman man - Eyeletter House and Laster House all PARTS of the boot and shoe industry. Jess

Laird How about 'strolling player'?

I have found out that my GGrandmother's first husband (if I've found the right person) was a 'traveller'!? Gail

A traveller was usually our equivalent of a company rep. My GGFx3 was a traveller (biscuits). Does it say anything after traveller so you have an idea of his job?

We have a Journey man in ours, does anybody know what that means please, cheers Tim in Oz

It should say something next to the journeyman, like carpenter journey or blacksmith journeyman. A journeyman was someone who had served an apprenticeship but was not a master (that is, employing others). He was our equivalent to a self employed man, selling his skills at a daily rate (hence jour (French for day)). There is a site for old occupations, just google for it.

I have a couple of 'Fancy Knitters' and imagine them sitting there knitting wearing a posh frock and their best hat. Or were they knitting something obscure called a fancy?

We have a 'crumpet maker' and an interesting one where under the occupation bit there is the word (died) - just like that, in brackets! Could that mean the man died while the enumerator was there???? ........... shouldn't laugh ........! Bev x