Genealogy Chat

Despite your persuasive arguments, I'm still inclined toward "storekeeper." While there are some "S" differences, there doesn't seem to be a definite comparison to the "H" either. Another problem is that there doesn't seem to be enough characters for "housekeeper." If the first letter is "H" that leaves what appears to be o-?-e-keeper. "House" is five letters, but it appears there are only four.
But it really doesn't make a lot of difference. I was hoping there really was an occupation of "stonekeeper" because it sounds so cool.
Thanks for your input.
Dave

I think that the enumerator has just squashed together the "s" and the "e" in the word Housekeeper, but I guess none of us can ever be certain - although if it was my relative I would definitely be recording her as Assistant Housekeeper.

Kath. x

Kath-not the enumerator's fault this time as it's DIY!
Just that back flourish on the last straight bar of the "h" and I agree-letters squashed together.

Reading back...I had a good laugh at PigletsPals's comment about "pet rocks". LOL!!!!!

Maureenx
(I know I promised,but heck.........)

Well after reading this thread curiosity got the better of me and I had to look at the original of the 1911. I zoomed in and I am sure it is Assistant Housekeeper with the s and the e close together. Baring in mind that her mother is 79 it is feasible that Florence assisted her mother in the running of the house etc

Wendy x

The girls are right. The trick of checking other words with the same letter is a good one. It's housekeeper.

I have found that an image becomes more readable if you manipulate it a bit, turn it into negative and enlarge.

Problem is ladies, some people just don't want to be helped, which is a shame. For what it's worth, I agree entirely too, definately housekeeper.

Not having access to the 1911 census I can't comment, but I thought I'd check Ancestry 1901 for stonekeeper's. There are dozens of them. The one I liked best was "Retired stonekeeper (wood)". :)

Just got an e-mail from a friend who found Florence in a 1910 Lincolnshire directory. She's listed as a "stonekeeper." A reference librarian I consulted says a stonekeeper's job was to maintain stone fences on farms. And two independent transcriptions translate the entry as "stonekeeper." If it walks like a duck....
Dave

Well done David and my apologies

Wendy x

Well, you could be right, so my apologies too. But the 1910 directory could have been transcribed from the census.

Anyway, she was a worker, that's all we can say.

Doesn't seem likely that an entry in a 1910 directory could have been transcribed from the 1911 census.

not doubting any of your deductions, but no one seems to have mentioned the possibility of flour milling,( highly unlikely, of course, but) they use large-ish flat round stones in a flour mill......when grinding the wheat.......

Bob

I didn't say it was transcribed from the 1911 census, but it might have been. Only saying what my interpretation of the 1911 was, which is housekeeper. But I can also see the arguments for Stonekeeper.

Good luck in deciding which it was.

"I didn't say it was transcribed from the 1911 census, but it might have been."

Hi Madmeg :) I think David's point was that the 1910 directory was a year before the 1911 census was taken so the 1910 directory couldn't have been transcribed from that - not unless they had a timemachine ; ) (sorry i've been watching Doctor Who on iplayer ;) )

Whether it's Stonekeeper, Housekeeper or Storekeeper; to criticise the transcriber re Sanderson is IMO unfair.

I've been involved in transcribing the 1841 census and believe me it isn't easy, but at least each book was written by the same hand therefore possible to compare letter formation, the 1911 returns were filled out by the householders', some of whom would have been semi - literate.

I am a retired Librarian, and you'd be surprised at some of the tosh I heard from colleagues being spouted to customers. Librarians are the same as any other professionals, they know somethings, but not everything.

My opinion for what it may be worth! I do not think the job title is 'Housekeeper'; if you compare the 'H' in Hugh to the start letter of her occupation it doesn't resemble it at all, my belief is her occupation was either 'Stonekeeper' or 'Storekeeper' and considering the family were Farmers I'd opt for 'Stonekeeper, but I do not think it's conclusive.

I hold my hands up and say I have no idea where the 1910 directory could have got its info from, but it could have been from the 1911 census if it were not published till after that, being the latest source of info.

Or maybe I'm talking rubbish.

Looking at the image I notice that all the small t's on the page have very long horizontal strokes whereas the t of stonekeeper/storekeeper has only a tiny one. (PS have since noticed that the t of daughter is an exception).

Another point is why aren't there more stonekeepers in the censuses if it is an actual occupation rather than one of the functions of a labourer? The majority of the ones that there are seem to be in Scotland.

Further to the idea of the 1911 census, was it not kept confidential until this year? How could it have been the source of data in a 1910 directory?

Hi Meg, I may be wrong but I don't think that would have been the case. The 1910 directory presumably would have been compiled & published before the 1911 census was even taken?