Genealogy Chat

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.

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. :)

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

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 :)

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

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:)

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 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

I have found a master Cooper and several other Coopers. Some Butchers and a fisherman. A cab driver a Carman!!! and a brushmaker. Also labourers and ag. Labourers ,Hawkers and a collar ironer!!! Great to imagine them going about their business. I wonder how our ancestors will view our occupations. Job description number cruncher.

I can proudly announce that a look at a census entry has turned up my first ag lab. Can I apply for membership of the Ag Lab Club now? One butcher, several bakers but no candlestick maker yet. My nearest brush with nobility is a ggg-grandfather whose address was The Manor House - but he was the gardener rather than the lord of the manor.

Hardly any ag labourerers so far but I have not been doing it as long as you - Innkeeper,(great grandma) barmaids, her daughters, governess, groom, blacksmith, harnessmaker, shoemaker, coal haulier, mallster, corn merchant, grocer, a few farmers and quite a few doctors and teachers. I had always thought of my mother's family as the middle class one but found my paternal grandmother's family included a G.P. and a surgeon. How on earth did they afford the universiity fees and why did my great grandfather end up as a coalminer. No connections to royalty yet.

1881 (enter 'Queen The' as surname) QUEEN THE Head W Female 61 Queen Of Great Britain & Ireland Leopold PRINCE H R H THE Son U Male 37 London, London, Middlesex, England Prince Beatrice PRINCE H R H THE Daughter U Female 23 Princess Euqenie EX EMPRESS OF THE FRENCH Visitor W Female 43 Ex Empress Alfred PRINCE OF EDINBURGH Grandson Male 6 Prince Maria PRINCESS OF EDINBURGH Grand Daughter Female 5 Princess Victoria PRINCESS OF EDINBURGH Grand Daughter Female 4 Princess Alexandra PRINCESS OF EDINBURGH Grand Daughter Female 2 Princess ... NORTHAMPTON Other W Female 41 Dublin Lady Of The Bedchamber (C S) Christina D'ARCOS Other W Female 39 Dublin Lady In Waiting (C S) Harriet Lepel PHIPPS Other U Female 39 London Chelsea, London, Middlesex, England Maid Of Honour (C S) Evelyn MOORE Other U Female 24 Frittenden, Kent, England Maid Of Honour (C S) Louise Maria KORELE Other U Female 43 Bordeaux, France Lectrice To The Queen (C S) Amalie HEIM Other U Female 27 Alsace, Germany Governess (Teacher) George (Visct Torrington) BYNG Other M Male 68 Chatham, Kent, England Lord In Waiting (C S Offo) Charles Lennox FITZROY Other W Male 59 London Grovenor Place, London, Middlesex, England Lieut General & Equery (C S) Charles Hugh LINDSAY Other W Male 64 Muncaster Castle, Cumberland, England Lieut Col Groom In Waiting (C S) Fleetwood Isham EDWRADS Other M Male 38 Thames Ditton, Surrey, England Capt Groom In Waiting (C S) Franceschini PIETRI Other U Male 45 Corsica Monte Cello (Not A British Subject) Gentleman In Waiting (C S) Hermann SAHL Other Male 49 Darnstadt Not Nturalized, Germany Librian (C B) Plus several more pages on which you will find John BROWN

Yes, like all of you, I have many Ag Labs on my tree. I did have a great-great uncle who was in the Coldstream Guards and fought in the Crimean War. He won a medal for Distinguished Conduct in the Field. At the other end of the scale, I have a convict ancestor who got transported to Australia. My great-great-great grandparents were married by Lord Nelson's father, who was Edmund Nelson, rector of Burnham Thorpe. Other than that, my Dad was a Fireman and his Dad was a hairdresser! Cheers, Lynn

Not been doing this very long as far as I can see the only ag lab that got onto a census was myself and then only just. In 1961 I was a student at agricultural college, by 1971 I had left farming but anyone around in 2067 will find me on the 1966 mini census. All other rellies were either in textiles or engineering. David

Got some ag. labs., miners. But I did find a paper bag maker!!!!!

My husband has a 'cork sorter'.

Sarah, More agric labrs, lol Supposedly Alfred the Great, William Shakespeare, Lady Godiva and Lord Audley! But I have yet to find the connection to all of these. Think I will have to stick with agric labrs, oh and coal miners and frame knitters. June xx

The host of the worst jobs programme is Tony Robinson, he also hosts time team. David

One of my mother's cousins was a famous plant breeder. I have a picture of him showing the queen his cabages. He got the O.B.E. shortly afterwards so she must have been impressed.

I have a 'proffessional vocalist' a'novice' who may or may not have become a nun, and lots of ag labs too... nobody famous yet, I did have a cigar maker (female) it sounded very exotic. keep hunting. Sue