Farmer to Mariner?

[mtabbut]

I was wondering how common it would have been in Wexford in the mid to late 1800s for a farmer to become a mariner later in life. 
I'm trying to id the death certificate of my great great grandfather, John Rossiter.  I know that John was a farmer who lived in Newbay.  His last child was born in 1866.  I know that he was deceased by 1881.  The only Wexford death record that looks like it could really be him is from 1879, but that John Rossiter is listed as a mariner. 
Thank you.

[Rena]

Bearing in mind the crop failures due to the potato blight in the mid 1800s I should think that it's highly possible that your ancestor took up an alternative occupation

[KGarrad]

Welcome to RootsChat!

If Wexford had a society anything like the Isle of Man, then it was perfectly normal for many men to be both farmers and mariners at the same time

[heywood]

Hello and welcome   

My relatives who lived by the coast were fishermen plus farmers/stone masons etc.

Is this the death?
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1879/06504/4873101.pdf

He is described as a Sailor 

Does the address fit - Byrnes Lane - do you have any children’s marriages with that address?
What about his wife? Do you have her death?

Heywood

[Sinann]

There was a few John Rossiters who were mariners
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01mab/
many of the names on that list are there more than once and not all would be of the correct age but it does show there could be more than one man of that age in the area at the time.
Newbay is about 3 miles from the sea, so possible he could have been both or they could have lost the farm, if he was still living in Newbay with a farm when he died I'd say a person would be inclined to say Farmer.
He may simply not have a death cert, many don't.

It might be worth having a look at the size of the farm, if it was very small it increases the chances he needed a second occupation.
Have you found it in Griffith's Valuation, was it passed on to a child?

[heywood]

These entries would match the year of birth of the death already posted. These records begin 1866 which was the birth year of the last child - may have some significance 

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01mae/

[culbaire]

If the son born in 1866 is Joseph, the occupation of his father John Rossiter, Newbay is given as labourer on Joseph's birth registration.

[heywood]

Was just going to post that culbaire 

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1866/03526/2297807.pdf

[Sinann]

We need more information on the family from mtabbut

BTW Welcome to RootsChat mtabbut.