'Madder Perinden' as occupation in 1841? *completed*

[hiraethu]

I've managed to track down my potential 3x Grt-Grandfather and his family in the 1841 Scottish census on ancestry, but I'm a bit puzzled by what they've put down as his (and his wife's) occupation.

I had a quick google search of 'Madder Perinden' but nothing came up. I would check the 1851 census for comparison but so far it looks like the family got separated for some reason in the 10 year gap, and while there are a few possible Johns (my 3x grt-grandfather), it looks like his wife Susan (transcribed as Thusan in the 1841) has disappeared and their children might be living with one of John's siblings.

It could just be a transcription error (as ancestry don't have the digital scans to display), especially since they put down Susan as Thusan, but as both John and Susan had the same occupation I thought maybe it was something else.

They're in the Blantyre, Lanarkshire area, and their eldest son (11) is working as a cotton piercer, if that helps at all. If all fails I'll have to get some credits for ScotlandsPeople (do I ever wish they offered subscriptions) and view the original and see if I can make out anything different.

Any help is greatly appreciated! Many thanks in advance.

[stanmapstone]

From the OED Madder; The root of the plant Rubia tinctorum, employed medicinally or as a source of colouring matter; the reddish-purple dyestuff or pigment prepared from this. Also: a similar pigment produced synthetically. In early use also used to denote other dyestuffs or pigments of a similar colour.

Stan

[JenB]

I see, from googling the madder industry, that the roots were ground up to make the various dyestuffs.

You'd need to check with the original image, but following on from this I'd suggest that he might have been a madder grinder.

[hiraethu]

Thanks both for the quick replies and help!

I'll part with some credits so I can check the original image and be sure, but that sort of occupation makes more sense than the ones I was coming up with (for some reason I kept thinking about hats!)

Thanks again!

ETA:

I got the original image from ScotlandsPeople and it's definitely looks like Madder Grinder, but then I think this census taker was having some fun with spelling because Susan is actually spelt 'Shusan', and Grinder has some very misleading and loopy letters. But at least the mystery is solved!

[Paul Caswell]

Perhaps "Madder Pounder"?

[joycestevenson]

John Alexander seems to be my 3xgreat grandfather, and from your post on here can see what his wifes occupation and proper name.
Thank you for the info

Joyce Stevenson