Occupation deciphering

[Purple Badger]

Evening All,

Struggling to decipher the occupation from a census return. Think it says travelling (something). On another census this person was an agent life assurance, so could be similar. Anyone have more luck than me?

Thanks 

[Gadget]

Hi

I see

Travelling ^Hawker (Jewellery)


Gadget

PS - 'hawker' looks as if it was written in by the clerk who was preparing the info for coding

* missed the parentheses - inserted now!

[stanmapstone]

I doubt if he was a Hawker, especially if he was later an agent for life assurance. He was most likely a commercial traveller, who sold jewelry, or took orders for jewelry, on production of samples, generally by calling on the consumers as a representative of his/her firm, working usually on a commission basis, or on a small salary and commission. Commercial travellers usually operated in particular districts, displaying samples to prospective buyers in their shops.

Stan

[Gadget]

I doubt if he was a Hawker, especially if he was later an agent for life assurance. He
Stan

Hi Stan

Maybe he wasn't a 'hawker' but that is what it says on the census page,  so we can only surmise.


Gadget

[Gadget]

The coder may have been given instructions that anyone who was a Travelling' <anything> should be coded as Hawker.

[Purple Badger]

Thanks all, I think you have hit the nail on the head. I  have just found a later census that says watch dealer