Female accountant, 1881

[suttontrust]

While trawling the 1881 for Snelgroves I came across the following:
Jane Snellgrove, widow, aged 77, born Sampford Peverell, Devon - occupation Accountant.  Her address was Mantle St., Wellington, Somerset, and living with her was her niece who was a "Governess (Prof)".
I'm intrigued by the thought of a 77 year old female accountant in 1881.  Any thoughts?

[Hackstaple]

It was not by any chance a bad transcription of "Annuitant" - a likely "occupation" for a 77-year old lady. 

[RJ_Paton]

The Institute of Chartered Accountants was formed in 1880 from the merger of the five bodies formed in various parts of England ... approx 1200 members were listed and all would appear to have been male.

That said it leaves other options ...
1) mis transcription as Hackstaple has said
2) she wasn't a formal accountant .... clerkess maybe ... who kept the books (although this was also a male dominated job market (as were secretaries)
3) She was frozen out by her male peers in the accountancy racket.

happy hunting 

[suttontrust]

It would have to be a truly awful mistranscription.  Maybe she was an accountant - it's what she told the enumerator, after all - just not recognised by the men.  And if she'd been working independently there was no reason to stop in her 70's if her brain was working okay.