Help with occupation please?

[Subaru]

Hi

On the 1841 census, there is an occupation that I think reads Ind.  Could anybody clarify, or correct?

His name is John Bowman, born abt 1771 in Cumberland, England.  Residing at Scilly Banks, Moresby, Cumberland.  His wife is Martha.

Thank you

Rosemary

[JenB]

Independant, ie of independant means, not in employment.

Jennifer

[stanmapstone]

These are the official abbreviations used in the censuses


Ag. Lab. 1841-81 Agricultural labourer
Ap. 1841-61 Apprentice
Army 1841 Members of HM land forces of whatever rank
Cl. 1841-61 Clerk
FS. 1841 Female servant
H.P. 1841 Members of HM armed forces on half-pay
Ind. 1841 Independent - people living on their own means
J. 1841 Journeyman
M. 1841 Manufacturer
m. 1841 Maker - as in 'Shoe m.'
MS 1841 Male servant
Navy 1841 Members of HM naval forces, including marines,
of whatever rank
P. 1841 Pensioners in HM armed forces
Rail Lab. 1851 Railway labourer
Serv. 1861 Servant
Sh. 1841 Shopman


Stan

[Subaru]

Thanks for that.

He was 70, so he could have been retired by then.  I just found their marriage this afternoon, in the parish records, and he is down as a husbandman.

Rosemary

[stanmapstone]

Husbandman is the old word for a farmer below the rank of yeoman. A husbandman usually held his land by copyhold or leasehold tenure, and may be regarded as the average farmer in his locality. The words yeoman and husbandman were gradually replaced in the late 18th. and 19th. centuries by farmer.

Stan

[Subaru]

Thank you Stan

His son had his own farm in 1841, in the same area, with 5 farm labourers working there.  There's a big 50 next to the workers on the census.  I wondered if that was the amount of acres, fields he farmed.  His name was John Bowman as well, b1806.  His farm was called Round Close.

Rosemary

[stanmapstone]

Thank you Stan

 There's a big 50 next to the workers on the census.  I wondered if that was the amount of acres, fields he farmed.
Rosemary

Hi Rosemary,
The 50 has nothing to do with either the workers or acreage, as this was not required in 1841. It has been added by a census clerk in the census office. These annotations were made when extracting data. On the pages of the original books these marks are in coloured inks, crayon or pencil, and can be easily differentiated from the enumerators' returns. On monochrome microfilm these additions are difficult to differentiate.

Stan

[Subaru]

Thanks again Stan.

I've only found this connection in the last couple of days, it makes a change that somebody in this area is doing something other than mining, and that they have didn't come from Ireland.  Well not so far anyway.  I know at some point they will have come from somewhere, but most of my branches come to a full stop at Ireland.  I wish they had made them put down the town they were from on the census, it would have made things so much easier.

Rosemary