Ancestor who changed trade - trouble reading words

[deejayEn]

My ancestor George Bloomfield was a carpenter by trade all his life but on the last census records he appears on in 1891 (when he was 75) his trade has changed to what looks like Tea Agent. Is this is what it says or could it be something else? And if it is does anyone know exactly what a tea agent was?
Please see clipping from census below.

[Neale1961]

Yes, it is “tea agent”.
Someone involved in the selling of tea - a middle man position.

[deejayEn]

Thanks. I found the census record a while ago but only just noticed the change of profession. It strikes me as a bold choice of new profession for someone who was a carpenter all thier life.

[Rena]

We only get a tiny keyhole look at life via the census and if we want to expand our knowledge, we have to rely on documentation written by historians years after the event.  The latter only concentrate on the major part of their findings and not the run up.

We don't know about his health, whether his old bones creaked, or he was as fit as a fiddle. I think your ancestor possibly changed his occupation because there was a downturn in trade, probably one of the world's depressions was starting to take effect.

When that happens the only people with money to spend are the rich (if they haven't gone bankrupt) and the middle earners.   As tea was extremely expensive, compared to weak ale, your ancestor possibly made a comfortable living organising the sale of tons of imported tea..

[BumbleB]

As he is aged 75 in 1891, it might be that he was no longer able to work as a Carpenter, and therefore had to find a less strenuous occupation.

[ShaunJ]

It strikes me as a bold choice of new profession for someone who was a carpenter all thier life.

One of my wife's ancestors went from from being a Calvinistic Methodist minister in Wales to work as a professional tea taster in Liverpool, and subsequently became a tea merchant.   

[deejayEn]

Thanks for your replies.