|
Pages: [1] 2
|
 |
|
Author
|
Topic: What is a Rag Sorter? (Read 810 times)
|
Kevinshouse
RootsChat Veteran
Posts: 717
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
|
I have found a family member - occupation Rag Sorter - I know or presume they would have sorted rags, but what for and why? Any help much appreciated
Kind regards Susan
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
ricky1
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 13554
Mum & Dad
|
Hi Susan
It might not be just old rags, googling around I found that they also have it down as
Occupation: RAG SORTER (PAPER)
Occupation Rag Sorter, industry Paper Mill
ricky
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Harby,Garton,Drury,Duncombe,Booth,Catton,Barker, Kirkby, Wilson. Lincolnshire, Also Murkin's, Jeffery,Pettitt,Carter, from Suffolk/Cambridgeshire boarder Census information is Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk |
|
|
ricky1
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 13554
Mum & Dad
|
Also found this. although I think its in the USA, but would have thought that they did the same over here 
http://www.umaine.edu/folklife/wphistory.html
ricky
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Harby,Garton,Drury,Duncombe,Booth,Catton,Barker, Kirkby, Wilson. Lincolnshire, Also Murkin's, Jeffery,Pettitt,Carter, from Suffolk/Cambridgeshire boarder Census information is Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk |
|
|
Kevinshouse
RootsChat Veteran
Posts: 717
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
|
Many thanks for your replies Ricky, my relative Elizaebeth (a great aunt was a rag sorter aged 17 on the 1911 census, but they lived in a small village in the countryside! I wonder where she did her sorting.
Many thanks again for your time
Kind regards Susan
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
ricky1
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 13554
Mum & Dad
|
Hi Susan
I aint as old as the 1911 census  , but I can remember a woman in our village used to go around collecting old clothes. She used to remove the buttons etc, and then bag up the clothes/rags and sell them. Perhaps thats all your rellie did
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Harby,Garton,Drury,Duncombe,Booth,Catton,Barker, Kirkby, Wilson. Lincolnshire, Also Murkin's, Jeffery,Pettitt,Carter, from Suffolk/Cambridgeshire boarder Census information is Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk |
|
|
Keziahemm
RootsChat Aristocrat
Posts: 2625
Clematis Lincoln Star
|
Here's a good site for old occupations
http://rmhh.co.uk/occup/a.html
Susan 
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Herefordshire: Mytton Lincolnshire: Ingham Northamptonshire: Knight (Welford); Linnell; Gaudern; Staffordshire (Brierley Hill, Kingswinford): Wood; Somerset: Bailey; Lewis Warwickshire: ( Alcester, Henley in Arden, Aston Cantlow): Lewis; Casey/Keasey Warwickshire, (Birmingham suburbs) Knight; Lewis Yorkshire (Bradford): Ingham Census Information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov |
|
|
Christopher
Deceased
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 10243
1939 - 2009
|
Hello Susan,
Rag sorters may have been people who sorted old clothes for charitable or commercial purposes I remember people going around Belfast collecting old clothes when I was a child just after the war I think they may have had a pony and small cart to get to the suburbs ... in the more densely populated parts of the city they may have used hand carts. You knew they were coming as they shouted "Any old rags?"
The rags were sorted into those that were still fit for wear and those that could be used for other purposes. Some people's rags are other people's good clothes. Those that were fit for wear were sold at stalls in markets or in second hand clothing shops. The same thing happens in charity shops today. Items fit for wear are kept and items not fit are bagged up for collection by recycling businesses. The charities receive a payment which is based on the weight of the items passed on to the recyclers.
Christopher
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
behindthefrogs
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 4272
EDLIN
|
Paper was originally made from rags and so a rag sorter was a normal occupation to be found in a paper mill.
David
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Living in Berkshire. From Northampton & Milton Keynes DETAILS OF THE FOLLOWING NAMES ARE IN SURNAME INTERESTS, LINK AT FOOT OF PAGE Wilson, Higgs, Buswell, PARCELL, Matthews, TAMKIN, Seckington, Pates, Coupland, Webb, Arthur, MAYNARD, Caves, Norman, Winch, Culverhouse, Drakeley. Johnson, Routledge, SHIRT, SAICH, Mills, SAUNDERS, EDLIN, Perry, Vickers, Pakeman, Griffiths, Marston, Turner, Child, Sheen, Gray, Woolhouse Census Info is Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk |
|
|
cathaldus
RootsChat Senior
Posts: 285
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
|
High quality, high density cartridge paper still has a "rag" content. Rag sorters were also involved in the "shoddy" market, where old "rags" were in effect "re-constituted" and re-used, maybe as filling, or such things as "flock" mattress covers etc. There was a thriving industry in the West Riding of Yorkshire in the production of "shoddy" and I suppose the word itself now expresses it as "being of inferior quality"
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
trefriw
RootsChat Extra
Posts: 60
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
|
In the Batley area of West Yorkshire, Rag sorters were employed to sort rags in the Shoddy mills. The rags were sorted according to the materiaal they were made of, they were then 'reconstituted', mixed with a proportion of new wool and made into cloth. The cloth was used to make uniforms for the armed forces. They also made Mungo in the batley area. Mungo was similar to shoddy.
Rag sorters were skilled workers as they could identify the different materials they were sorting.
Francine
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Taylor: Whitley/Thornhill,Yorkshire
Bean: Helpston,Northamptonshire/Yorkshire
Denton: Thornhill/Thornhill Lees,Yorkshire
Grason: Thornhill/Thornhill Lees,Yorkshire
Hill: Ufford,Northamptonshire/Yorkshire
Kaye: Lepton/Whitley,Yorkshire
Sykes: Lepton, Yorkshire
|
|
|
|
|
jacquelineve
RootsChat Aristocrat
Posts: 1327
I've not edited my PROFILE yet
|
Susan
My g.g.grandparents were rag + bone gatherers, their daughters occupation was rag sorter.
Jackie.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Dudley Worcs:Ellis Durkin Oakley Rich Smith Baggot Saunders Turner Williams Hobbs Harts Hill: Baggot Wright Tipton:Whitehouse (boatman) Timmins Yorkshire:Littlewood Wilcockson Derbyshire:Wilcockson Derby Belper:Spencer Herefordshire Brampton Bryan:-Turner Worcs. Hereford. Gloucs. Hodgetts Radnorshire: Meredith Bristol Somerset: Box Census Information is Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk |
|
|
|
|
|
Pages: [1] 2
|
|
|
|
|
