RootsChat.Com
General => The Common Room => Topic started by: janeann1966 on Saturday 05 May 12 19:55 BST (UK)
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How odd are the occupation names way back just today I came across a Jappaner & a Virtualler? never had a clue what either one would have involved but was positive Virtualler would be something to do with taking photo's & I was wrong lol has anyone else got any I have also had a lighterman a skinner and a kidcalfman interesting to guess what they are (mind u simple things please simple minds lol) ;D
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:D Would be interested to hear anyone else' and I didn't mean if you answer you would be as simple as me lol
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See http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/Museum/metalware/japtrade.htm for examples of japanning.A leather japanner, aka a leather enameller, gave a hard coloured surface to leather by coating it with varnish or collodion spread thickly by hand, brush or slicker (a small hand tool), then dried the leather in a heated chamber.
Virtualler is Victualler. A licensed victualler, was a person selling any intoxicating liquor under a licence from a justice of the peace. Properly a victualling house was one where persons were provided with food and drink but not lodgings, and is thus distinct from an inn, which also provided lodgings.
Stan
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A Lighterman was a member of the crew of a lighter, a large barge like craft used on rivers and sometimes towed round the coast. A Skinner is a general term to denote a worker skilled in the curing and dressing of fur skins.
Stan
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I did look them up and the ones who worked with leather and fur made sense as they lived in Bermondsey Leather Market in Surrey and the Lighterman as all thru the family all the sons did the same and lived in Greenwich by the Thames but the other one got me so it was like a licensee or a glorified barman/maid
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From the OED
licensed victualler, one who has a licence to sell food or drink, but esp. the latter, to be consumed on the premises; a publican.
victualling-house A house where victuals are supplied or sold; an eating-house, inn, or tavern. There was a Society of Licensed Victuallers
Stan
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I think whoever did the census that i looked at def got it wrong and couldn't spell lol it was down as a virtualler the leather trade one side of my family were all in skinners jappaners think i spelt that wrong again and other occupation names think i will look up where the leather market was cos when i was younger leather was in and it was called petticote lane maybe the same place i went every weekend thanks Stan thought there would be more input but obviously not ha kind Regards Jane
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Hi Jane :)
Some of the old terms do take a bit of getting used to!
There are some links at the top of the Occupation Interests Board that might help you find info about your ancestors' occupations:
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/board,296.0.html
Cheers
Prue
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Thanks Prue and i'm at the stage of my search where I want to find out the stories and details about my ancestors ans occupations tells you so much of how they lived Jane
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Prue just saw your profile I have a grandad Harry as well lol x
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No worries Jane, of course our ancestors' occupations are very important to know about if you want to be more than a "name collector", it helps form a picture of their lives and maybe give you an idea of why they decided to do certain things, live in certain places etc.
I never knew my Grandad Harry, he died the year before I was born. I hope you know/knew yours :)
Cheers
Prue
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on one census i foun the persons occupation down as princess
marcie
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Marcie I would have love to have found someone who was a princess lol was it true? I have a daughther and before she left home would have put her down as a princess or rather acting like one and Prue yes I did know grandad Harry well took him his dinners all week til he died in 89 but I know what you mean my dads dad died when I was 2 so I never knew him and if it was not for my searching I wouldn't know anything about him Jane x
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she was the daughter of john stewart, high steward for scot landand she was of royal house and blood.i just found it so funny that it was considered an occupation the same as an itinerant?
marcie
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That is prob one of the best occupations i have heard brilliamt lol Jane
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Hello janeann
in old writing the letter c often resembled the letter r as in this one copied from a pdf to learn how to read old writing:
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Don't want to seem gloomy but if you've got occupations it's often interesting to look at what they eventually died of- some ailments can be linked to the working conditions, I fear.
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My Gt grandfather was a "coal trimmer" He overlooked the loading of coal on to barges and ships and made sure that the load was evenly distributed in the hold.
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So thats why I got the victualler/virtualler wrong thanks for that its interesting to know and as for being gloomy I am just looking into how some of my ancestors died one especially at age 22 who died in the workhouse infirmary so I think its important as well. I bet a coal trimmer was a hard life I have alot who worked on the docks but were still in workhouses so suspect alot of work for little pay I love all the stories as well as just names the best part of researching
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HELEN SMITH OF THAT FAMILY WAS A TRMMER, AND DIED AGED 15 FROM THE DUST CREATEDFROM IT.CLIPPENS SQR. JOHNSTONE,WE HAVE ALWAYS SUFFERED FROM OUR CHESTS IN THIS FAMILY.
MARCIEDEAN
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this may help you looking for old occupations:-
http://rmhh.co.uk/occup/a.html
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Don't want to seem gloomy but if you've got occupations it's often interesting to look at what they eventually died of- some ailments can be linked to the working conditions, I fear.
alexander smith was a quarrierand later when his father could no longer work as a quarrier he employed him as hired help to stack and move rocks around muirhis grandfather died because he set the charges and was not careful enough one day.hugh helped his son alexander and died of congestion dust in his lungs,and died in the poorhouse alexander tried to pay for his fathers keep buy eventually had to rely on the counties help and he was the one who found his father when he died.
but by the time his daughter muriel married he was a builderand no longer a mason, if you think about it masons were needed to make window sills in those days,and i think that is how my grt gran janet met george blanchard steele because of her fathers association with them through work.
it is only a theory but i cannot see how they would have met otherwise
marcie dean