Unusual Occupation?.....

[apanderson]

Yes, I would have thought so too, but I've never heard or seen any other Taskers apart from this one man.

Is/was it a term used quite often?

Anne

[apanderson]

Thanks Tom,

I had a wee look at this link too. I'm going to save this one in my favourites just in case I get some more weird and wonderful words to look up!

Anne

[Tracey]

On that site it has Tasker as Reaper - Reap, in the dictionary - Cut and gather (a harvest) so i suppose same thing just the long way round !

But at least we know now.......................

[DavidWW]

How did you confirm this Hudggy - the short answer - as I am looking at someone who had a son in France and a daughter in Portugal and was a soldier about the right time ?

Mallog

Presumably via the army records held at The National Archives at Kew.

Enter your ancestor's name as "John AND Smith" (capitals essential on the AND) at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/search.asp
to see what WO hits there are. If he's there email TNA to ask for the cost for photocopies of the papers under the reference given.

There'll be more than that in other WO series, e.g. pensions and muster rolls, but you'll have to use a professional researcher to find those as TNA won't carry out research on your behalf.

David
whose several g uncle served from Corunna to Waterloo.

[mallog]

David

Thanks to one of your earlier posts I have already done that and have one likely candidate - right name, regiment and time period. WO 97 513/94 What is the info in that file likely to give? (Am I asking stupid questions again? )

Don't mean to hijack this discussion

Mallog

[DavidWW]

David

Thanks to one of your earlier posts I have already done that and have one likely candidate - right name, regiment and time period. WO 97 513/94 What is the info in that file likely to give? (Am I asking stupid questions again? )

Don't mean to hijack this discussion

Mallog

Mallog

It all depends on his discharge year and the regiment. At worst a one page discharge certificate giving outline details of where he served and maybe where he enlisted, plus, possibly, info on next of kin, and a physical description (to stop others from turning up and claiming his pension). There's unlikely to be info on medals, as the first campaign medal for ordinary sojers wasn't until the Waterloo medal, issued a couple of decades after the battle.

For possible pension, muster roll and other records you'll need to visit Kew yourself, or engage an expert researcher - I can pass on a name if you're interested .......

David

[jd0110748]

recently on a marriage cert, father ot the bride, in 1865, has an occupation of stamper in post office.

[fmackay]

Have just viewed a death certificate in Orkney where father of deceased is listed as an acrobat!

[AnneM]

Recently found an m.c. for a great granny of a colleague who was listed as a japanner. I believe that's someone who applies enamel or varnish to furniture. Colleague was very pleased with that.

Anne

[Rockford]

The best one I've found is my 3rd great grandfather who at the 1851 Census was living in Clerkenwell, and was described as a Dry Gas Meter Maker. He had been born in Edinburgh in 1825 to a family of tin smiths.

The other one that impressed me was my 4th great grandfather who was described on his son's death certificate as a Hedger. he had been born in 1799 so would have been caught up in the agricultural revolution when enclosed farms became the norm. His job was to plant and maintain the hedgerows.

I've also got one of my great grandfather's brothers in the 1930 US Census working as a Separater in a Battery Factory - no idea what he may have been separating!!

I think they all show the social changes in the times in which they lived. It's this that makes finding out about them so interesting.

Brian