Unusual Occupations

[manukarik]

Carol

You’ve just reminded me of an ancestor who was a chemist (pharmacist). His wife died and he turned to drink. Have a picture of him as a rat catcher.

[Treetotal]

Carol

You’ve just reminded me of an ancestor who was a chemist (pharmacist). His wife died and he turned to drink. Have a picture of him as a rat catcher.

I would love to see it 
Carol

[DianaCanada]

Just looking at one of my OH's ancestral couples in Guelph, Ontario in 1891 - one of their sons was a "butcher to kill" and another was a piano key maker. 

[chiddicks]

Sagger maker’s bottom knocker!
In the pottery industry.
Viktoria.

There are some wonderful and amusing occupations here, but have to say that a Sagger Maker's bottom knocker is priceless 

[Viktoria]

Something to do with when unfired pots are put in the kiln,a sort of support I think and the bottom had to be removed to free the pots when fired .
It was on TV years ago, “What’s My Line?”
About early 1960’s.
Viktoria , you wouldn’t forget something like that would you 

[Ellenmai]

My husbands Great Uncle was a Bottom Maker, he moulded the bottoms for saggers in the pottery industry in Stoke.   My distant relative was a Horse Marine but nothing to do with the Royal Marines sadly, he used his legs to propel the barges through tunnels on the canals, when horses couldn't be used.

[Brie]

I don't know why but one that always brings a smile to my face is "custard powder manufacturer". It just sounds such a happy occupation.

[Viktoria]

Oh that is straight out of a Goon Show script!

Like the graving dock they had in the middle of the Sahara ,where according to Bluebottle ,the winds were “ Light to variable”.
Said dock financed by The First  National Bank of Jerusalem”  ———-Neddie’s aside —————————“ No mean feat in itself!”

I can hear it  now:- “ The  exploding Custard Powder”.
Well not the actual explosion but the script , they had an exploding Christmas Pudding ,so exploding Custard Powder compliments that.

I am laughing already ,so if a yellow van pulls up it might be The Custard
Express or Custard’s last stand!

I don’t know what I am talking about .
Time  for a cuppa.

Viktoria.

[andrewalston]

I can hear it  now:- “ The  exploding Custard Powder”.
Well not the actual explosion but the script , they had an exploding Christmas Pudding ,so exploding Custard Powder compliments that.

Surprisingly, custard powder IS actually explosive. It's light enough to allow plenty of air between grains. Apply an ignition source and it burns very quickly. Lots of other powders, such as cement, do similar. Somebody once proposed running an internal combustion engine on powdered coal, but then found that the ash was very abrasive. How much a gallon is custard powder?

Mr. Bird invented his eponymous custard powder because his wife had an allergy to eggs, which I used to think was a recently invented ailment.