Genealogy Chat

I've just come across my first female ag lab - thought I was mistaken but on 1871 & 1881 she's down as one - and she's aged 55 and 65 at the time! Normally says ag labs wife if anything at all against my married rellies. And with this same family I found the chap living with his wife and mother in law on one census getting the maiden name of his wife. On the next one he was living next door to his sister and brother in law so I found out his sisters married name. Then on the next one, he's living next door to his sister and her 2 grandchildren giving me his nieces married name and her children - what a star! Hope you're following me - I'm drunk! LOL Debby

There were lots of female agricultural labourers, some in their 60's and 70's. They were made of sterner stuff than these days!!! Kath. x

Hi Debby Lucky you (being drunk, I mean, not your first female ag lab, although that's pretty good too!). I never really thought about women having jobs like that until I watched that 'Lost World of Mitchell & Kenyon' and they showed the women that worked on the pits and actually wore trousers which was frowned upon back then! Most of my female rellies who have an occupation at all are needlewomen or dressmakers which I always thought was very sweet and sedate till someone pointed out that dressmaker could actually be code for prostitute! Lou

Excuse me!! I was an ag lab for 2 years until I got pregnant!!! (I'm not drunk, merely tipsy!) then the constant trips to the 'edge of the field' for a pee - this was Essex - no hedges to hide behind) became an embarrasment!! lol Women who lived in the country and not in service were usually agl abs until they had children, then ag labs after the menopause LOL It's just the luck of the draw if you find them on the census! If they were 10 and a scholar on the 1871 census, by the time the 1881 census came along they were probably having children and classed as ag lab's wife. What an amenable ancestor you had!! lol maggie

I have a female relly who was a brick maker labourer in 1851, Im nearly drunk.....

I haven't had a drink since September 2003 (I kid you not!) and even in my sober state am now convinced that my dressmaking 3 x grandmother was a hooker! She was widowed at 31, had a child exactly 9 months after her husband's death (hmmm!) and never remarried. She just had lots of 'boarders' and moved house a lot. Oh no...just had a thought, wonder if husband George died on the job!

you never know lou, I'm sure he died a happy man LOL

That's one death cert on the 'Must Get' list!

Teri, I wonder if she was built like the proverbial brick sh8te house lol (that's the posh way of saying it lol) maggie

The mind boggles! I'm pmsl at the idea of Maggie having to keep running off for a pee every half an hour! And don't you just love those census returns where the occupation is listed as WIFE!

My gt gt gt grandmother Mary Mealing was described as a labourer along with her husband John, in the newspaper reports about her son's trial for murder (acquitted on grounds of insanity). It doesn't mention it on any of her census entries or on her marriage cert. nell

Half an hour Lou!!!!! You try lifting spuds when you're pregnant - 10 minutes more like LOL maggie

Nell Just found one of mine in Brixton Prison for both the 1871 and 1881....would love to know what he did! Maggie Hadn't thought of that so think you did very well to hang on for 10 mins! I sat at a desk for most of my pregnancies and still couldn't manage longer than 20!

I did see a female ag lab on a census transcribed and her occupation was actually written in red which really stood out,but never found any others Kazzie

LOL Maggie I dread to think! but if the other photos of the female rellies I've got are anything to go by, I wouldn't like to meet her in a dark alley!!

I'd love to have seen photos of some of mine! There's a family story about my ggrandmother Eliza. I know she was Irish (and that's as much as I know...not brave enough to venture into Irish BMD's yet!) and the story goes that she was about 6ft 3' with bright red hair and a temper to match. One night she and ggrandad were on their way home when she spotted a fight outside a pub. She strode over, grabbed the guy who had started it, tipped him upside down and dipped his head into a mop bucket, yelling at him that he obviously needed to cool off! I'd love to have met her actually!

Nell, what is she described as on the census and marriage certificate? The newspaper report was probably nearer the truth. Teri, Not only was I an ag lab, I was also a 'fishwife' (gutter of fish) in my youth. These women (fishwives) were as tough as nails up front, very difficult to get 'in to', but the most gorgeous people underneath - and I was English ( a Sooth moother) working with Shetland and Aberdeen women. Mind you, their husband's knew their place!! (I'm an administrator now lol) maggie

LOL Lou apparently my hubbys gg grandma was a bit of a bruiser- - married 4 times and all of them terrifed of her!!!

At the risk of totally hijacking Debby's thread (she seems to have left us - sorry Debby!), that's just reminded me of something I was asked last week. I had lunch with an old Uni friend who's mum is researching their family tree. Once I'd finished pmsl laughing at her 'shock' at finding that all her ancestors were Mormons (they must be cos she'd found them on the Latter Day Saints site, all listed!), she asked me if I could borrow a time machine and go back for one day and have a conversation with one of my ancestors, who would it be? It can be anyone, doesn't have to be direct line, the only rule was that it has to be someone you have verified as being yours. Not sure I could choose!

Oh Lou, At the moment cos I've got some new info, (thank you again Debbie) it would be either my gran (died 1984) or my grandad (died 1941). My gran was a fantastic 'teller of tales' and has led me a merry dance. I sorted the basics by ignoring what she had told my dad and brother. Debbie has now verified my basics. Actually my gran was a lovely eccentric lady and I'd love to talk to her as adult to adult - without having to believe her 'tales'. Mind you, I'd also like to talk to my dad again cos he was reticent about his childhood. maggie