Genealogy Chat

I come from a long line of good honest agricultural labourers and farmers with farms both large and small. I like having them in my tree. I think that they were occupations to be proud of, at least they worked hard at worth while jobs that were useful and productive. My husband has lots of wealthy silversmiths and goldsmiths in his family. Sadly the wealth didn't filter down the centuries. Ebay sells quite a few bits of their work though. Louise

lol Jenny - my rellie had a Berlin Shop!! Snap! And....You have a parish clerk and I have a registrar!! Blimey Katarzyna, a spy........ How sad that he was never able to tell all his secrets....but maybe it's better you don't know?!! Sarah

I have loads of ag labs too and the wives, children (even toddlers) were all straw plaiters. Imagine the fingers of those tots after plaiting straw all day! Kate:)

Hi Sarah, I have my fair shair of ag labs but also a parish clerk maybe thats where this fascination with BMD comes from!! His son was Vicar of Escomb. The Vicars son married a spirit merchants daughter bet the vicar didn't approve unless he got cheap red wine! and his son was a Ship owner & ship builder. I have a Stage Act Professional and my fair share of butchers,post office owners and one that puzzled me for a while a Berlin Repositor. (wool shop & textiles if you're as uninformed as me!) I love this aspect of family history. Best wishes Jenny

Loads of ag labs, shoemakers or cordwainers, hawkers, apprentices in workhouses,oystercatchers, innkeepers, soldiers and sailors, I love them all. Last century the families branched out into numerous professsions and trades...... and Sarah I do have a spy!! My uncle was in the navy during the war and afterwards worked in Naval intelligence, we never used to see him for months on end but would bring me stamps from all over the world, mostly communist countries. Ofcourse he would never tell us anything but it was sad he died of throat cancer before his 30 years of the official secrecy act was up, what stories he could have told us. Especially me, a John le Carre fan. Must have been all the Players Navy Cut fags and the rum that did for him K :)

I love my ag labs! There was an ode on here for them and I thought it was brilliant! I have also been quite impressed with some of the others - saddlers, woollen cloth manufacturers, office clerks for Inland Revenue, teachers etc. And then of course the ones who left this country altogether -that amazed me - I just never expected that I don't know why. Fascinating hobby! Debby

Just found this one on the 1861 Census Charles Dickens abt 1812 Portsmouth, Hampshire, England Head St Marylebone Middlesex Occupation: Novelist and from 1891. Wilde, Oscar abt 1856 Ireland Head Chelsea London , cant quite make out the Occupation through. :)

Lots of plumbers, stonemasons, coalminers and more than my fair share of ag labs, BUT I do have a 7xgreat aunt who managed to marry a famous musician who worked at Buckingham Palace. He evidently wrote the music for Queen Victoria's coronation.

Had one who on his marriage cert claimed that his father was a veterinary surgeon. However, this was evidently rather embellished, as when I finally located the father on the census, he was a blacksmith! Well I guess that at least he worked with animals!

No VIPs but plenty of Ag Labs was so happy the other day to find a new job description - Vermin Killer.

As if we could forget Old Crone!! My hubby's rellie was ''Urinal Cleaner for the Parish'' in 1881 in St Pancras. Now, there's a job to aim for lol Sarah

I'm very relieved that my 19th century ancestors were, almost to a man, ag labs. After all, tis me who has a Beaver Blower amongst my ancestors.

I've got plenty of Coal Miners, and a few woollen weavers. One ancestor was a parish clerk, churchwarden, constable, and overseer of highways. My wife has a carter, probably a white van driver in today's parlance, and lays claim to being descended from Sir Lewis Baggott, who apparently served his country at the Field of the Cloth of Gold in France, 1513.

Apparently I have an ancestor who was king of Dyfed in the 11th century, but it's downhill from there - sailors, miners, bakers, cobblers... The Queen Mum appears on the 1901 census, aged about 6 months.

Occupation - The Sovereign ! Very Good :)

Oh I rather like that! Victoria R abt 1820 Kensington, Middlesex, England Head Whippingham Hampshire Albert abt 1820 Coburg British Subject, Germany Husband Whippingham Hampshire Sarah

quite easy to find Victoria in 1861, by searching for Albert. To find Albert, don't bother with a name, age or place, just say Husband for Relationship to Head of Household

Royals are on the census, which is just as well if one of your rellies was an under-parlour maid or some such for them. I've found Florence Nightingale before now. Just go to www.familysearch.org and put in a famous Victorian who was still alive. nell

There's this rather unfortunate transcript on the 1861: His Royal Highness Punie Alfred abt 1844 England Midshipman Vessels Royal Navy Sarah

I have seen the real Queen Victoria on one of the census returns, but can't find her at the mo....... Don't think this is her!: Victoria Jun, Queen abt ?? Westgate Northumberland It's actually a pub that has been enumerated by mistake! Sarah