Dating Grampa Heap

[Handypandy]

Could he be leaning on his spade?

I was wondering something similar..   or a shooting stick..is his height just an illusion?... the legs seem at an odd angle and the upper body appears out of proportion to his legs..

[Milliepede]

Can't see a spade and his other arm looks to be fairly down like the other one only his coat has flapped open to cover it.

Nothing strange between his legs like part of a stool and no fence in the background to lean on.

Most intriguing.  Do you know what occupation he had?

[cosmac]

Samuel, the father, started out in the textile industry (silk throwster) in Nottingham but later all records show him as a fishmonger.

John born Nottingham also started out working in the textile industry.  1867 marriage shows him as a FrameWork Knitter.  1871 Silk Spinner, 1881 Rubber Warper, 1891 Silk Warper, 1901 General Labourer.  Towards the end of 1890s the marriage certificates of his children show him as an engineer.  1911 census shows him as a former stationary engine man.  One of his son-in-laws worked for the railway - perhaps he introduced John to a new career. John's oldest son was newspaper distributor in Derby and John's obituary mentioned that he also worked in that trade for a number of years.  I assume he worked for/with his son.

The sons who moved to Canada were both between 5'9" - 5'11" which seems strange looking at the size of this man.  Samuel's wife was below 5' which might account for John's height - assuming that it is him and not the father.