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Some Special Interests => Occupation Interests => Topic started by: tonks on Monday 05 June 17 16:27 BST (UK)
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The profession of my ancestor Samuel Ketland in 1839 was described as plater. What does this mean? I am grateful for any explanation. Christina
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The profession of my ancestor Samuel Ketland in 1839 was described as plater. What does this mean? I am grateful for any explanation. Christina
It most probably means he worked in the relatively new industry of electroplating. This was used to apply thin coatings of precious metals to objects made from baser metals.
See: http://ethw.org/Electroplating
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That was a fast answer! Thank you very much :)
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From the OED Plater
1. A person who coats or plates articles with a thin layer of gold, silver, or other metal.
3. A person employed in the manufacture or application of metal plates, esp. in shipbuilding.
Stan
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Where in the country did the plater live?
:)
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He lived in Bloxwich, near Walsall in the West Midlands.
Christina
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I was born in Bloxwich maternity home. :)
Not to do with ships then but as electroplating was started around this time in Birmingham perhaps he was this kind of plater.
I did chemical analysis at Wm Bates and Sons, Hospital St, Walsall, said to be Europe's biggest electroplating factory at the time.
:)
Edit - could he be a railway plater? I'm sure that's a job and the railway was in the Walsall area at this time.
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dear medpat, i really don t know. the profession was given on the death certificate. samuel ketlands son worked as a bit filer in walsall. i have been in walsall in 2009 and i will come back in 3 weeks time on the tracks of my english ancestors. Christina
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http://www.historywebsite.co.uk/articles/Walsall/industry1.htm
This site has "plater" in its list of occupations at the beginning of the 19th century, possibly a bit before electroplating started.
His son was a bit filer, the bit being part of a horses harness, along with stirrups, spurs and other horse equipment the site says this was a major industry in Walsall.
If father and son worked for the same factory it is possible that a plater made some specialised piece of horse harness.
Mike
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http://www.historywebsite.co.uk/articles/Walsall/industry1.htm
If father and son worked for the same factory it is possible that a plater made some specialised piece of horse harness.
Mike
Plater, close (carriages, harness, etc.); brass plater, harness plater; covers ornamental and bright metal parts of carriages, harness, buckles, etc., with coat of silver, or nickel foil; cuts foil to shape with shears, tins surface of metal part to be covered by dipping in molten tin. places foil over tinned surface and applies hot soldering iron to cause it to adhere; trims and finishes with file. "A Dictionary of Occupational Terms"
Stan
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Thank you very much for all the interesting information about the occupation of a plater! I will be in Walsall in two weeks time and am planning to visit the Leather museum. Christina
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Christina,
Do you know David Tonks from Walsall? I am Angie, his daughter.
Angie
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There was an earlier reference to the railway. You may be thinking of ‘platelayer’, someone who looked after the track.
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There was an earlier reference to the railway. You may be thinking of ‘platelayer’, someone who looked after the track.
The profession of my ancestor Samuel Ketland in 1839 was described as plater. What does this mean? I am grateful for any explanation. Christina
From the Birmingham Journal - Saturday 03 September 1836
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Thank you for the information about the profession of a plater.
To Angie Tonks - what a surprise! Could you please send me a personal message? I have met your parents about 10 years ago when I started to research my English Family history. We share the same ancestors - the eldest ancestors in my Family tree are Charles and Sophia Tonks who married in Handsworth in 1810. Christina
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Christina,
I am trying to work out how to use this site... I have to post three times before I can use PM... I will try to find somewhere else to post and then I will PM you! Angie
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Christina,
I give up! This is a serious site and I am probably annoying people - angie.clarke@sky.com.
Ax