Excavator in 1860's England

[iwccc]

Could someone please inform me as to the job description of an "Excavator" in England in the 1860's?  Would it be a private job or a local council team etc.  What would conditions of work be like?  Thank you

[Mabel Bagshawe]

Can't see it immediately in some of the lists of old occupations, but would guess it was a fairly strenuous and dirty type of manual labour. I would think they would be involved in sinking mines, digging out foundation holes for buildings and many of the other types of work a mechanical digger would do today

have a look at http://www.sampfordarundel.org.uk/sampage60.php  - there are a couple of mentions of excavators as a class of worker involved in railway construction

[stanmapstone]

An excavator is just  a labourer employed to dig out earth etc., so could be employed anywhere this was required, building foundations, railway tracks, roads, docks, canals, drains etc.. Also known as a navvy.
Stan

[stanmapstone]

From the Carlisle Journal - Friday 18 August 1865

[iwccc]

Thanks stanmapstone,  I am just trying to add some flesh to the bare bones of my family history.  Much appreciated.

[iwccc]

Thanks Mabel , I am just trying to make sure that I am not understanding "Excavator" in the 2017 context as opposed to 1860s.  I appreciate your input

[iwccc]

Hi Stanmapstone,  What a great piece of paper. Thanks for finding it. Certainly adds a lot to my research.  Very interesting.  Much appreciated