Occupation on 1891 census - COMPLETED

[JonathanC]

Please can anyone read William Nicol's occupation (3rd line down).  I can read 'Hatter', probably 'shaper', but not the last word.

Many thanks for any help.

[Mort29]

As this is a Scottish Census, I cant view the original page on Ancestry ... 

Hatting was a skilled occupation and required that an apprenticeship of possibly four years be served before a man was considered to be a hatter. 

making a hat required four tasks.

1. Forming...making felt from animal pelts

2. Making or Sizing...shrinking and shaping the felt

3. Dyeing

4. Finishing...this involved rubbing the outer surface of the hat with pumice, stiffening the hat by applying a mixture of beer grounds to the inside which was covered with shellac or glue. It was then softened with steam and shaped over a finishing block. The brim was also shaped at this time. Finally the hat went to a female trimmer who sewed in the lining and attached a hat band.


with a lot of squinting that last word may be to do with plump ?

[fifer1947]

I enlarged it as much as I could and it looks like there are two sets of brackets round the Hatter and the other word.

[Sherwood]

Is it:

Hatter (shaper) (mercury)

Presume you know the "mad as a hatter" connection with mercury!



Sherwood

[dobfarm]

Shaper & Quenchs 

[Colin Cruddace]

My first thought was 'Own Emp', so working for himself as a Journeyman. 

Colin

[JonathanC]

Many thanks for all the suggestions.  At present I favour 'Own Emp', but I'm still not convinced.  I can't see 'Quenchs' as the word seems to have one letter with a descender.  And I'm struggling to see 'mercury'.  Is there anything I can do to image to make it easier to read?

[Alexander.]

Working off Colin's suggestion, I wonder if it says (Unemp) as in unemployed?

Alexander

[JonathanC]

Working off Colin's suggestion, I wonder if it says (Unemp) as in unemployed?

Alexander

Thanks. That's possible.  I'm definitely(?) seeing mp at the end.