In the early 19th century, elementary teaching was often taken up by those too old, too sick or inefficient to earn their living in any other way.
In the 1840's a contemporary report stated:
"from the lowest class of society which contains individuals competent to read, write and cipher... (The) majority are persons who were formerly employed in some petty trade or occupation... as carpenters, joiners, innkeepers, assistants in grocers or drapers shops, retired soldiers or excisemen....(the) class of schoolmistresses is composed of persons who have been empoyed as sempstresses, charwomen, and servants of the most humble description."
