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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: GenesA on Saturday 06 October 18 09:12 BST (UK)

Title: What does this occupation mean?
Post by: GenesA on Saturday 06 October 18 09:12 BST (UK)

I have an ancestor who is described in parish records as being a “Rugger”. This was in 1707 and 1711 and I can’t find any information on this at all.
Could it mean that he made rugs?

Title: Re: What does this occupation mean?
Post by: PaulineJ on Saturday 06 October 18 09:16 BST (UK)

I doubt it.
Is the image available for another interpretation?
Whereabouts on the globe was the parish?

Title: Re: What does this occupation mean?
Post by: GenesA on Saturday 06 October 18 09:18 BST (UK)

The information was from FreeReg and is from Nympsfield in Gloucestershire.

Title: Re: What does this occupation mean?
Post by: PaulineJ on Saturday 06 October 18 09:25 BST (UK)

There's certainly clothweaving in the area.

It would well be a  rug maker after all. Can't find it as an occupation though

Title: Re: What does this occupation mean?
Post by: ShaunJ on Saturday 06 October 18 09:34 BST (UK)

Quote

This was in 1707 and 1711

There's one in 1705 too - see baptism of Grace Osburn.

Title: Re: What does this occupation mean?
Post by: ShaunJ on Saturday 06 October 18 09:47 BST (UK)

This is one from 1707

Title: Re: What does this occupation mean?
Post by: Rena on Saturday 06 October 18 10:09 BST (UK)

My mother used to use a rag rugger when she made small mats/rugs at home by using bits of cloth.

Her's was nothing like this but here's a modern rag rugger tool which should give you an idea of the man's job:

https://www.makings.co.uk/rag-rug-making/rag-rugger/

Title: Re: What does this occupation mean?
Post by: stanmapstone on Saturday 06 October 18 12:46 BST (UK)

According to the OED a Rugger is an obsolete Scottish  term for "A plunderer, robber, ravager. Chiefly in collocation with reiver", which does not seem to apply here.

Stan

Title: Re: What does this occupation mean?
Post by: Rena on Saturday 06 October 18 18:15 BST (UK)

In the 20th century, just four miles from that village was this company in Rugby.

JB Champion & Sons, rope and rug manufacturers, Reliance Works

I should imagine at the start of the 18th century manufacturing these things could well be described as cottage industries with all the family helping to make goods to sell.

Have you noticed any ropemakers in the vicinity which would suggest the use of hemp and sisal?  Ropes were made from hemp and when I was young doormats/rugs would be made from that material too - probably today aswell..

I've always associated ropes with sailing ships and boats but I once came across an image of rope making out in a field in a Yorkshire country village 

Title: Re: What does this occupation mean?
Post by: collin on Saturday 06 October 18 20:15 BST (UK)

Just had a look in an 1830 dictionary and
Rug is a coarse nappy woollen cloth
A coarse nappy coverlet used for mean beds
A rough woolly dog.
I would guess that a rugger was a maker of coarse woollen cloth

Title: Re: What does this occupation mean?
Post by: GenesA on Saturday 06 October 18 22:04 BST (UK)

Thank you all  :)