Pig Dealer

[ninatoo]

Hi all,

I have been told that when the phrase 'Pig Dealer" or "Pig Trader" was listed a a person's occupation on the Scottish census, it meant that the person was dealing with the English, which was frowned upon. Is this correct?

Nina

[AndrewP]

Hi Nina,

I have never heard that definition. I have my doubts about it. I think he was more likely dealing with what was on its way to become bacon.

All the best,

AndrewP

[ninatoo]

I tend to agree Andrew, because he was also listed as a flesher, a butcher and a general dealer on various census returns. I think it may have been a family tale which has somewhat grown over the years. He may well have dealt with the English, and the local people may not have liked that very much, but I haven't seen that definition and I have searched all over the internet! However, the person also told me there was a note on later censuses telling enumerators not to write derogatory remarks on them.

[Hibee]

During the first 100 years of the national census, relationships with England were never better, and trade had never been stronger, so this is plainly nonsense.

There was even a significant movement to do away with the term "Scotland", and replace it with "North Britain" (and England with "South Britain"). The English failed to take up their end of the bargain in any significant numbers, but you can find many letters bound for Scotland during the period, addressed as N.B. rather than Scotland. And there was, of course, Scotland's premier hotel, The North British.

Hibee