Unusual Occupation?.....

Tusker · Post by **Tusker** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 1:36 am

My ancestors seem to have been a pretty boring lot. Not an international spy, a crocodile wrestler or a brain surgeon among them. They were all coalminers, grain carters, labourers, fish curers -- oh, and joy of joys, one was a shoemaker! Talk about living life in the fast lane???

What is the most unusual occupation one of YOUR ancestors held?....Anyone claiming "King" or "Queen" will be required to provide written documentation (and maybe a crown & sceptre) as proof.....

Tusker

JimM · Post by **JimM** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 11:12 am

Hi Tusker
I have one who was a "cow feeder" ....... just a wild guess but I'm thinking he wouldn't have appeared in the 1790's edition of "Who's Who"
Another one was a "land measurer"... whatever that was

Jim

rdem · Post by **rdem** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 2:35 pm

Mostly coalminers, estate labourers or carter. One old boy did a stint as a gunner in the Royal Artillery in the war of 1812, at Halifax, Nova Scotia..
However, one old dear had me looking twice when she had an occupation as a "sewer"
I kept reading it as pronounced "soo-er" I finally realized it was "sow-er"
duh!

I also have a friend who's ancestor was cow feeder in Campsie.

Tusker · Post by **Tusker** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 2:39 pm

Hi JimM -- I wonder if the Cow Feeder had to serve a 5-year apprenticeship? And if he said, "'Sno' mah joab!" when asked to water the cows?

Land measurer, eh? "Yes, sir. For today's Special I can measure you out a nice 5 acres with a woodlot, and a wee burn running through it...."

There has to be hundreds of unusual occupations which are no longer in existence today......

Post by **AndrewP** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 3:34 pm

On a census page shared by one family of my lot is a "Railway Evangelist". I believe that this was a guy who stood on a soap-box at a railway station spreading the word of the Bible. (At first I had wondered if he was praising the railway company to the listening public).

All the best,

Andrew Paterson

Tusker · Post by **Tusker** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 4:11 pm

"Railway Evangelist"? Oh, that's a stoatter! I wish he was mine. I'm absolutely green with envy......

I can just picture him on his wee soapbox, holding forth," Oh ye of the 5:25 to Kirkcaldy. Ye shall know the wrath of the ticket-collector if ye don't have your ticket ready. And know ye also that ye shall not covet thy neighbour's seat, nor read they neighbour's newspaper over his shoulder -- and big parcels must be placed upon the overhead rack lest they create animosity among thy fellow travellers...."

JimM · Post by **JimM** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 4:18 pm

Tusker wrote:Hi JimM -- I wonder if the Cow Feeder had to serve a 5-year apprenticeship? And if he said, "'Sno' mah joab!" when asked to water the cows?

Hi Tusker
I have him down as a "Bovine nourishment-administration operative"

Jim

Tusker · Post by **Tusker** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 4:49 pm

JimM wrote:Hi Tusker
I have him down as a "Bovine nourishment-administration operative"

Jim

JimM -- You've obviously inherited his capacity to indulge in the difussion of bovine nourishment byproducts.

hudggy · Post by **hudggy** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 10:09 pm

Found one realative in England late 1800s a Knocker upper just sounds strange.
Another fought at Waterloo and along the Spanish Penisular also at the Battle of New Orleans and against the French in Canada,

Tusker · Post by **Tusker** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 10:54 pm

hudggy wrote:Found one realative in England late 1800s a Knocker upper just sounds strange.
Another fought at Waterloo and along the Spanish Penisular also at the Battle of New Orleans and against the French in Canada,

"Knocker upper"? -- I'd heard of this, but I didn't realise it was a full-time occupation....As for the warrior -- he sounds like the inspiration for George McDonald Fraser's "Flashman" novels...

TalkingScot.com

Unusual Occupation?.....

Unusual Occupation?.....

Unusual Occupation?

Unusual Occupation?

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