Author Topic: Social position of Stonemason in 1800's  (Read 3034 times)

Offline Jeffrey

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Social position of Stonemason in 1800's
« on: Thursday 07 April 16 10:58 BST (UK) »
Can anyone tell me the social position of the stonemason in the 1800's in Dumfrieshire. Was he classified as a servant?

Did he travel around farms to perform his job or did he have a static place of work?

Thank you.

Judy
CUMBERLAND  Armstrong Little Nixon Richardson Pearson Watson Braithwaite
WESTMORLAND  Richardson Dent Nicholson Hanson Kersey Smith Heigh
DURHAM Reed Smith Reay Hammond Metcalf Bell
Thompson Armstrong Branford Parkin Heaton Oates
NORTHUMB'LAND Nixon Johnson Armstrong Branford Thompson
DUMFRIES Armstrong Bell Halliday Little Carruthers Johnstone
YORKS Richardson Branford Siddle
ROXBURGH Jackson Elliot Armstrong Scott
FIFE Adamson Gosman Brown
AUSTRALIA Richardson Dent Hanson Kersey

Offline Iandj

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Re: Social position of Stonemason in 1800's
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 07 April 16 14:53 BST (UK) »
Hi Judy
I don't know what the academics would say in answer to your question.  I can only comment on my own family, which had a number of stonemasons who were born and lived in Dumfriesshire.

As you might expect, the answer isn’t straightforward, as this Wikipedia article illustrates: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonemasonry .  There were several types of stonemason.  Some were quarriers and sawyers, and some were workshop-based carvers specialising in either ornamental or memorial work or in buildings.  Some members of my family were involved in all of these types of work at different times between about 1800 and 1862.  For example, my great, 2nd great and 3rd great grandfathers were based at Locharbriggs and all apparently spent some time at least working in the nearby sandstone quarry.  Meanwhile, my 3rd great-grandfather’s brother emigrated to Canada in the 1830s and he built a number of fine stone houses that are now listed as important.

On the social scale these people were probably regarded as “working class”, but some had the opportunity to be apprenticed, then to become journeymen and later master masons, rising the social ladder as they learned their skills to join what we used to call “lower middle class”.

Ian
Iandj

Dumfriesshire: Martin, Lorrain(e), Smart, Muir
Roxburghshire, Selkirkshire: Lorrain, Turnbull, Riddell, Elliot(t), Ker(r), Scott
Lancashire, Cheshire: Johnston, Rutter, Barrow
Ayrshire, Lanarkshire: Jamieson, Glasgow, Thomson, Riddet, Blair
Clackmannan, Fife, Stirling: Simpson, Kirk, Stein, Pryde, Penman, Hempseed, Bauchop
Kincardineshire: Craig, Stewart

Offline Jeffrey

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Re: Social position of Stonemason in 1800's
« Reply #2 on: Thursday 07 April 16 15:32 BST (UK) »
That is a very good answer.
Thank you
Judy
CUMBERLAND  Armstrong Little Nixon Richardson Pearson Watson Braithwaite
WESTMORLAND  Richardson Dent Nicholson Hanson Kersey Smith Heigh
DURHAM Reed Smith Reay Hammond Metcalf Bell
Thompson Armstrong Branford Parkin Heaton Oates
NORTHUMB'LAND Nixon Johnson Armstrong Branford Thompson
DUMFRIES Armstrong Bell Halliday Little Carruthers Johnstone
YORKS Richardson Branford Siddle
ROXBURGH Jackson Elliot Armstrong Scott
FIFE Adamson Gosman Brown
AUSTRALIA Richardson Dent Hanson Kersey