Genealogy Chat

Can anyone help with this? I have an ancestor whose occupation was listed in 1911 as "assistant stonekeeper." A Google search produces several thousand entries about World of Warcraft, but nothing about the real world.
Anyone heard of this?
Thanks.
Dave

Could it possibly be Assistant Storekeeper?

I agree with Jonesey (of course!).
Could you give us his details for 1911,Dave,so that I can look at the original image?

Maureen

Maureen,

It must be one of these 9 as all have had their occupation transcribed as "Assistant Stonekeeper" in the 1911 census.


KIRKPATRICK JAMES M 1878 33 Hartlepool Durham
TRAPNELL FRED M 1892 19 Cardiff Glamorganshire
BURKETT GEORGE EDWIN THOMAS M 1882 29 Camberwell London
BUTTER FLORENCE ISABEL F 1880 31 Glanford Brigg Lincolnshire
HOLMES GEORGE THOMAS M 1844 67 Newcastle upon Tyne Northumberland
RICKETT REUBEN M 1878 33 Lewisham London
TRAPNELL FRED M 1892 19 Cardiff Glamorganshire
ZESSIN GEORGE M 1896 15 West Ham Essex
JOHNSON JOHN JAMES M 1873 38 Gateshead Durham

Jonesy,
You are correct. The entry I'm interested in is Florence Isabel Butter (actual name Butler, transcribed incorrectly.)
She can be found by searching for her father, George Kendall, age 79, in Glanford Brigg.
Any ideas what an assistant stonekeeper did? Thanks for the help.
Dave

My guess is that her occupation has been mistranscribed and that if she has an occupation (Unusual for a married woman with a child in 1911) it is that of Assistant Storekeeper at the farm.

1911:
KENDALL, George Head Married
53 years M 79 1832 Farmer Linc Ashby VIEW
KENDALL, Catherine Wife Married F 73 1838 Lincs Scunthorpe VIEW
BUTTER, Florence Isabel Daughter Married
6 years F 31 1880 Assistant Stonekeeper Lincs Ffrodingham VIEW
BUTTER, Arnold Grandson M 5 1906 Lincs Cosby VIEW
SOMDERSON, Hugh Grandson Single M 19 1892 Farm Labourer Lincs Scunthorpe VIEW
RG number:
RG14 Piece:
20089 Reference:
RG14PN20089 RG78PN1201 RD424 SD2 ED22 SN16B

Registration District:
Glanford Brigg Sub District:
Winterton Enumeration District:
22 Parish:
Bottesford

Address:
Bottesford County:
Lincolnshire

Marriages Jun 1905 (>99%)
Butler George William Glanford B 7a 1822
KENDALL Florence Isabel Glanford B. 7a 1822

1901:

Name: Florence J Kendall
Age: 21
Estimated birth year: abt 1880
Relation: Daughter
Father's name: George Kendall
Mother's name: Catherine Kendall
Gender: Female
Where born: Frodingham, Lincolnshire, England
Civil Parish: Brumby
Ecclesiastical parish: Frodingham St Lawrence
County/Island: Lincolnshire
Country: England
Street address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status:

View image
Registration district: Glanford Brigg
Sub-registration district: Winterton
ED, institution, or vessel: 18
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 167
Household Members:
Name Age
George Kendall 68
Catherine Kendall 62
George A Kendall 33
William S Kendall 21
Arthur J Kendall 25
Florence J Kendall 21
Joseph H Sanderson 9
Frederick Wilkinson 20
Jane Loftus 20

Ah yes. I'm having a problem as I don't think that the first letter of "stone/storekeeper" is actually an "s". Looks more like an "h"?? so Homekeeper or Housekeeper?

Maureen

In the 1901 Census John James Johnson is definitely down as an Assistant Factory Storekeeper.

1881

Thomas B. BUTTERS Head M Male 26 Castlemaine British Subject, Australia Farmer
Hannah BUTTERS Wife M Female 21 Lutton, Lincoln, England
Florence BUTTERS Daur U Female 5 m Lutton, Lincoln, England


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source Information:
Dwelling Daniels Gate
Census Place Lutton, Lincoln, England
Family History Library Film 1341765
Public Records Office Reference RG11
Piece / Folio 3209 / 40
Page Number 12

I'd say the 1911 census definitely says Assistant Housekeeper. It says on the image that her employer is a "Farmer", and the head of the household is a Farmer.

Kath. x

Although Florence described herself as married, she had been abandoned by her husband at some point between 1906 and 1911. It would not be surprising, therefore, that she was working outside her parents' home.

I've found two transcriptions of the 1911 census entry, and both describe her as an assistant stonekeeper, not storekeeper.

The census form most definitely does not say "assistant housekeeper," although "storekeeper" is a possibility.

The surprising thing is that there were nine assistant stonekeepers in England at the time. Could all of them have been transcription errors?

I have come across some indication that the occupation "stonekeeper" has something to do with lighthouses, but I'm skeptical. I'm leaning toward a misinterpretation of storekeeper, because the census form says she was employed on a farm.

Thanks to all.
Dave

An addition: It seems that the transcriber of this entry was somewhat careless. There are at least two other mistakes:
Butler is transcribed as "Butter."
Sanderson is transcribed as "Somderson."
Not surprising that "storekeeper" would be transcribed as "stonekeeper."
Cheers.
Dave

Um,David,have you seen the actual census image,though? The first letter,as I said, does NOT look like an "s". (if you don't have the image,PM me with your e-mail addy and I'll send it to you.)

I see Kath has come to the same conclusion!

Maureen

Edit:Off to bed now

Just a thought off the top of my head but if it is "stonekeeper" would it be anything to do with checking dry stone walling for repairs etc

Bee

Stoneman / Stonewarden - Highway surveyor

Stonepicker - someone who cleared stones from fields prior to sowing crops. Sounds possible if she was on a farm.

To answer Maureen's question, yes, I've seen the original image.
The word does indeed look like "stonekeeper" to me, but "storekeeper" is the more likely explanation, I think.
I've consulted some lists of old occupational titles and "stonekeeper" does not appear in any of them.
Seems to me the transcriber just entered what it seemed to them was on the form, without applying some common sense. "Somderson" is an example. No such name seems to exist anywhere else in England. Lots of Sandersons, though.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record (too late,probably!)....David,have a good look at the words Single,Scunthorpe and Sanderson on that image. The esses look nothing like the first letter of "that word".
I truly think it's supposed to be an "h". Very similar to the "h" in "Hugh".

And I promise that's the last word from me on the subject. grin

Maureen

I agree Maureen. I'd be willing to bet that the occupation is Assistant Housekeeper, but we'll have to let David make up his own mind.

Kath. x

I agree Maureen. I'd be willing to bet that the occupation is Assistant Housekeeper, but we'll have to let David make up his own mind.

Kath. x