"Masterbleachersdaughter".....

[Malcolm]

Ms Paterson was described as a "masterbleachersdaughter" at the time of her marriage to James Morris in 1864.
Was it typical for a woman to be described in this way for this or any other profession and do you think she actually worked as a bleacher?

Malcolm Morris

[AndrewP]

Many censuses show women at home as having such "occupations" as Farmer's Wife, Farmer's Daughter and the like. This same "occupation" listing was presumably equally applied to marriage certificates. So your Master Bleacher's Daughter may never have gone near bleach herself, just that her father was a master of this trade.

All the best,

Andrew Paterson

[Malcolm]

Thank you Andrew. That's very interesting. You would have thought though that at twenty fours years of age she would have a job she could call her own.

[Pat Bostock]

Hi,

I have a 16 year old girl, who has applied for Poor Relief, in 1868 - she has had to return from a Bleachfield where she was working.

Can you please explain what a Bleachfield worker would be doing?

Kind regards,
Pat Bostock.

[DavidWW]

Ms Paterson was described as a "masterbleachersdaughter" at the time of her marriage to James Morris in 1864.
Was it typical for a woman to be described in this way for this or any other profession and do you think she actually worked as a bleacher?

Malcolm Morris

Many census entries describe the wife as "Wife of <whatever occupation> of the spouse", and, similarly, a daughter as "Daughter of <whatever occupation> of the parent". ........

David

[Pat Bostock]

Hi,

Thanks for your reply. This girl was definitely a Bleachfield Worker - her father was a sailor, & her mother was in poor circumstances. She was away working in a Bleachfield, and had come home with a sore throat & a cold - she was admitted to the Asylum.

Kind regards,
Pat Bostock.

[Russell]

Hi Pat

Flax was a common fibre grown, spun and woven into linen. In its raw state it is not a very bonny colour but bleach it in the sun or chemically once it has been spun and/or woven and it becomes the soft white we associate with lovely linen.

Wool on the otherhand has to be washed to remove the natural Lanolin in it before it is spun and woven into varying degrees of wool fabric. The quality of the finished fabric depends on the fineness of each wool fibre, how straight it is and most important, how long it is. Length gives strength
Spinning gives added strength too. Wool would be dyed after spinning but bleaching it.... Think of the results to your own wooly jumpers!!!
Sometimes wool would be washed but not de-greased then knitted into fishermens socks where the natural oils were protective.

Cotton could be bleached but top quality stuff didn't need it. The only problem was teasing it out so it could be spun and it needed machines to make the best job of that.

Bleachfields often were just that! open areas where woven fabrics could be spread out in the sun (In Scotland!!!)

There must be something wrong with me when I can wax lyrical about thread!!!

Russell

[Pat Bostock]

Hi Russell,

Thank you so much for such a thorough & interesting reply regarding Bleachfields. I am learning so much.

Kind regards,
Pat Bostock.