'Local Government Board, Dublin'

[chrisscales]

Dear all

My great-grandad George Edward Wright is listed on the 1911 census as being a Second Division Clerk working for the Local Government Board, Dublin. He was living as a boarder with an old lady widow Caroline Arnold and her middle-aged daughter.

He was English born in Walsoken, Norfolk, so I am wondering how he might have ended up in Dublin aged 22 doing this job. He subsequently ended up in Dublin again to recuperate after being injured in WWI and married my Irish great-grandmother there in 1919, so figuring out how the Irish connection happened would be an interesting story.

Does anybody know anything about the Local Government Board in Dublin at this time and how an English guy might have ended up working there? Also would be interested to know if there are records about it in any of the Irish archives, or relevant books.

Many thanks

Chris

[chrisscales]

Perhaps it is something to do with this act...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_Government_(Ireland)_Act_1898

[Sinann]

If you put Local Government Ireland 1900s into Google there is lots about it.
As to how a man from England got a job in Dublin, well it may well just be a matter of choice, from the little I've just read it seems there were a lot of jobs in this area, one had to pass exams so a chap with a decent education who fancied going somewhere different or couldn't get a job at home may just have applied.
Maybe he had experience in a paticular job and was transferred to Dublin.

http://multitext.ucc.ie/d/Ireland_society__economy_1870-1914
Part 4 Employment.

[Sinann]

Try putting Dublin in County, use the More Search Options and put Clerk in occupation and England in Country of Origin in the 1911 Census of Ireland and you get 716 results. Many are in Barracks but it shows lots of English men were working in Ireland as Clerks.

[chrisscales]

Amazingly, I have found the announcement of his getting the job published in the London and Edinburgh Gazette for 4 April 1911, just two weeks before the census: http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/28482/pages/2716/page.pdf

Still not clear whether this indicates he was already in Ireland or was posted there, but since I didn't expect to find anything that's pretty good! Thanks for your comments and the link Sinann that's very helpful to understand the context.

Chris

[chrisscales]

Can anyone give me an indication of what a 'Second Division Clerk' might do and what level of education it might require? My great-grandad and siblings grew up in Walsoken and Wisbech St Peter, Norfolk but we don't really know anything about their upbringing, education etc. Their father was a house painter and decorator, and moved the family to London around 1910, but I've no idea why really.
Chris