Robert Thomson's occupation please?

[Liviani]

Looking for the occupation of Robert Thomson here please. He is listed as the father.

It looks like _____ Maker or Worker.  Could it be Starch? Doesn't make much sense to me though I'm afraid.

Many thanks.

[Rosinish]

Looks like Starch Maker although I've never encountered that occupation before nor do I know what it may have involved as I haven't 'googled' it?

Annie

[Liviani]

Looks like Starch Maker although I've never encountered that occupation before nor do I know what it may have involved as I haven't 'googled' it?

Annie

Many thanks. Yeah I wasn't sure about this initially as I'd never heard of it before. Google doesn't enlighten me very much. I would assume it's something to do with starching fabrics? Unless there was another use for it back then. 

[Rosinish]

I'm not surprised you weren't sure Liviani as Starch 'Maker' would seem different from 'Starcher'?

'https://www.wordnik.com/words/starcher'

Have you checked earlier census records & where was this to check out possible places he could have been employed?

Annie

[Liviani]

I'm not surprised you weren't sure Liviani as Starch 'Maker' would seem different from 'Starcher'?

'https://www.wordnik.com/words/starcher'

Have you checked earlier census records & where was this to check out possible places he could have been employed?

Annie

I've not had much joy in finding Robert in any census.

This image is from the death certificate of his daughter Ann Thomson. Ann was born c.1833 Montrose, Angus (Forfarshire) to Robert Thomson and Barbara Wood as named on Ann's death cert.

Not had any joy tracking anything down regarding Ann's birth, Robert and Barbara's marriage or anything regarding Robert or Barbara in various census.

Though, Ann did marry a Francis Stewart in Montrose in 1858 so I'd imagine Robert and Barbara remained in this area?

 

Edit:

Tried a different database and found this on FreeCen;

Piece: SCT1841/312 Place: Montrose -Angus Enumeration District: 1
Civil Parish: Montrose Ecclesiastical Parish, Village or Island: -
Folio: 18 Page: 6
Address: Fishergate

        Surname       First name(s)       Sex       Age       Occupation       Where Born       Remarks   
        THOMSON       Robert       M       30       Labourer        Angus           
        THOMSON       Barbara       F       25               Angus           
        THOMSON       Charles       M       10               Angus           
        THOMSON       Ann       F       6               Angus           
    
        
and in 1851

Piece: SCT1851/312 Place: Montrose -Angus Enumeration District: 8
Civil Parish: Montrose Ecclesiastical Parish, Village or Island: Montrose Burgh
Folio: 254 Page: 10 Schedule: 59
Address: Castle Street

        Surname       First name(s)       Rel       Status       Sex       Age       Occupation       Where Born       Remarks   
        THOMSON       Robert       Head       M       M       38       General Labourer        Angus - Montrose           
        THOMSON       Barbara       Wife       M       F       40               Angus - Montrose           

[bbart]

A partial quote from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/domesday/dblock/GB-238000-494000/page/10

By the 1851 census an English  born family of starch makers were in occupation. The chief source of starch was potatoes up to 50 tons a day being processed while cornflour was also made from maize. The residue of both sold as pigfood.

I searched starch maker in old newspapers, and found lots of ads to hire them, but when I looked up the big companies looking to hire, it seems wheat and rice were also used, and some was for human use, such as to make baby food, thickening agent etc, but other companies were using the starch for ironing, and soap.

[Liviani]

A partial quote from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/domesday/dblock/GB-238000-494000/page/10

By the 1851 census an English  born family of starch makers were in occupation. The chief source of starch was potatoes up to 50 tons a day being processed while cornflour was also made from maize. The residue of both sold as pigfood.

I searched starch maker in old newspapers, and found lots of ads to hire them, but when I looked up the big companies looking to hire, it seems wheat and rice were also used, and some was for human use, such as to make baby food, thickening agent etc, but other companies were using the starch for ironing, and soap.

Many thanks for this. Very interesting! I will see if I can do some digging around about this occupation in the area.

I checked another census record earlier (think it was 1871) and found him still in Castle Street, Montrose but with a different wife. His occupation stated there was a dock worker. I wonder if there is any connection there to starch? Montrose is a port town.

Thanks again, first time I'd come across this in my tree.

[bbart]

You are more than welcome!

If you follow this insanely long link, at the bottom of the left column of an old google book states that one of the leading industries in Montrose was the manufacture of starch:

https://books.google.ca/books?id=H-saAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA699&lpg=PA699&dq=montrose+scotland+starch+factory&source=bl&ots=D5xVJxhW9A&sig=3ic6aS8cvkhQ6YHZwrai54-Rk34&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwir6YGmxuzUAhUji1QKHUVjCS8Q6AEIMTAC#v=onepage&q=montrose%20scotland%20starch%20factory&f=false