Author Topic: Farmers and farmworkers "job descriptions"!  (Read 741 times)

Offline happyfamilies

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Farmers and farmworkers "job descriptions"!
« on: Sunday 29 November 20 16:17 GMT (UK) »
Hello all. 
I know job titles listed in Censuses could be a little vague, but I have found an ancestor who is described as an "Ag lab" in 1841, "Farmer-12 acres" in 1851, "Ag lab" in 1861, and "Farmer-10 acres" in 1861.   
I know I have the right person as the location and the other family members all match up.
Is this another case of "enumerator's licence" or could my ancestor really have had such changing fortunes? 
Opinions would be appreciated.

Offline GR2

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Re: Farmers and farmworkers "job descriptions"!
« Reply #1 on: Sunday 29 November 20 16:41 GMT (UK) »
In the Scottish lowlands, you had agricultural labourers working for one farmer or "free-lance" ones working for whoever required them (often just listed as "labourers"). It was quite common for a married farm worker eventually to rent a small croft of land. Either they worked that exclusively or, very commonly, worked at a local farm, coming home every day, or often staying at the farm and coming home on their day off. The lease might not be very long. These folk are sometimes called "crofters", sometimes "farmers", sometimes just "labourers" in censuses. Some enumerators will call a man with two acres a farmer, others will call someone with fifteen acres a crofter. There is no great consistency.

If your man is in Scotland, you can check the valuation rolls from 1855 onwards and see the name of the landlord and what his annual valued rent is.

Offline happyfamilies

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Re: Farmers and farmworkers "job descriptions"!
« Reply #2 on: Sunday 29 November 20 17:48 GMT (UK) »
Thank you for your input GR2 - that's interesting. 
Unfortunately, my chap's in Cheshire but I take on board the variations in enumerator's descriptions. 
Maybe this will remain another of life's little mysteries!

Online hanes teulu

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Re: Farmers and farmworkers "job descriptions"!
« Reply #3 on: Sunday 29 November 20 18:08 GMT (UK) »
Have you found any baptism's or obtained birth certs for children of your "rellie" - these might include occupation? Did he marry post 1.7.1837 - occupation might appear on marriage cert. If yes to Qu1, did any offspring marry and do you have the marriage certs - again a source of occupation?


Offline rosie99

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Re: Farmers and farmworkers "job descriptions"!
« Reply #4 on: Sunday 29 November 20 18:12 GMT (UK) »
Does his address remain the same. 

I have similar in Cambridgeshire, in one instance I found a newspaper article referring to the sale of the property/land owned by someone else but 'in the occupation' of my man.
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Offline happyfamilies

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Re: Farmers and farmworkers "job descriptions"!
« Reply #5 on: Sunday 29 November 20 18:33 GMT (UK) »
Thank you, hanes teulu, but no joy there - this predates 1837 and the info doesn't appear in the Parish records I have.   
I don't have a lot of certificates - been trying to avoid the extra cost!  Maybe I should put them on my list to Santa!!

Offline happyfamilies

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Re: Farmers and farmworkers "job descriptions"!
« Reply #6 on: Sunday 29 November 20 18:37 GMT (UK) »
Thank you, rosie99.
Yes, the road name remains the same, although there are numerous households but no farm name(s) so I don't know whether they're all working on one large farm or they each have their own.

Online hanes teulu

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Re: Farmers and farmworkers "job descriptions"!
« Reply #7 on: Sunday 29 November 20 18:47 GMT (UK) »
Have you considered revealing the names? I've searched the census for occupation "farmer 12 acres", location Cheshire without success.

Offline happyfamilies

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Re: Farmers and farmworkers "job descriptions"!
« Reply #8 on: Sunday 29 November 20 19:46 GMT (UK) »
hanes teulu - your question made me laugh - it's not a secret!

What I'm trying to do is to slim down a tree that's grown out of all proportion and contains small amounts of information about far too many people.  I'm weeding out my direct ancestors so that I can concentrate on them rather than people with whom I have no genetic connection.

My farmer/labourer is Thomas Edwards, born about 1805 in Tilston, Cheshire, married Sarah Lea in Malpas in 1828. They had one daughter that I have confirmed: Mary, born 1831 - I'm investigating some other possible children also.

This really began as a query about the vagaries of Census information and I didn't expect anyone to start chasing my family for me, so thank you again!