Some common lines of work in the family tree, with links to related articles. Plus a bunch of links for useful resources on particular jobs, with a general round-up at the end of the page.
Article Contents
Agriculture
The ubiquitous agricultural labourer (often abbreviated to ‘ag lab’) is in the family tree across the board. And also plenty of domestic gardeners, largely in Norfolk.
The text of The Village Labourer 1760-1832 is available to read online or download at the Internet Archive (no need to buy the book!).
British Agricultural History Society.
Many of those who emigrated to Canada and USA (mainly Manitoba and Nebraska) became farmers.
In Nebraska, Dale Flowerday was an academic agronomist, gaining a PhD but also providing practical insights – see Making the news makes family history. In Norfolk, Jack Boddy was farm manager and a trade union activist, becoming General Secretary of the National Union of Agricultural Workers in 1978.
Museum of English Rural Life has agricultural trade unionism records and other relevant material.
The Cullum family branched out into fruit growing: A fruitful life for a Norfolk accountant.
Mining
Not just in the Welsh valleys digging coal (Tonypandy/Rhondda, other South Wales), but prior to that in Somerset – Radstock Museum for more on mining there.
The Gluyes family moved from the tin mines of Cornwall, following their decline in 1860s/70. See Cornish Mining info on Poldark Mine site or search for ‘Cornish tin mines‘ on Google.
It seems that Rees Hughes, hubbie of 3 x great aunt Elizabeth Griffiths, mined for gold in New Zealand. His brother Thomas had more success.
Mining history sites:
- The database of UK mining accidents and deaths (1878-1951) from Coal Mining History Resource Centre is now on Ancestry. CMHRC website is available on the Internet Archive.
- Links page from Durham Mining Museum.
- Mining the Seams – accident compensation database, Warwickshire and Derbyshire.
- Welsh coal mines, for info on collieries across Wales.
- South Wales Miners Library at Swansea University and its South Wales Coalfield Collection (material is not online).
- Welsh Mines Society More about metal mines, but also covers slate and coal.
- Digging up the Past – photo archive from South Wales coalfield.
- Coalfield Web Materials – south Wales social, political and cultural life.
- AditNow – mine exploration and history.
- National Assn of Mining History Organisations.
- Scottish Mining.
- National Coal Mining Museum (Wakefield). Big Pit National Coal Museum (Wales). National Mining Museum Scotland.
- Disability and Industrial Society There could be articles and other resources of interest from this academic look at industrial injuries and diseases in three British coalfields between 1780 and 1948.
The Griffiths wing of the family also were coal miners (amongst other things), in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The Annual Reports of Mine Inspectors for that area are available online – large files but give a fascinating insight into the level of incidents and fatalities. (Wilkes-Barre is in the Third Anthracite District at 1890 – boundaries may move.) Also see Recognised anthracite miner of Pennsylvania.
Levi Watkins was a pit Fireman. From Rootsweb forum post: “A man whose duty it is to examine with a safety lamp the underground workings and ways, to ascertain if gas exist, to see to doors, bratticing, stoppings etc., being in good order, and generally to ascertain that the ventilation of the mine is efficient.” The term Fireman came from the time when the job was much more dangerous, firing off gas to clear it from the workings.
Professional and creative
Clerks, Accountants, Lawyers, Political
Most notably William J Cullum as accountant at Maconochies.
Edmund Pike (who married cousin Katie Jane Watts) was a friendly society clerk, his father Octavius a Workhouse Masters clerk.
Banking: Edwin Jeary in Nebraska, also a lawyer and politician. Jim Flowerday also in Nebraska (Lincoln). Frederick Cullum (son of William J), bank clerk with the National Bank of Scotland London office.
Clark Jeary, son of Edwin, attorney-at-law and politician.
Plenty of other clerks recorded in the census – ledger and merchants clerks mainly dealing with money, solicitors clerks more on legal matters?
Jack Boddy and wife Merle in Norfolk were in local politics, and see Agriculture, above, too.
Religious
Missionaries, preachers etc.
From Welsh valleys
- Scott line: William Charles Scott, pentecostal minister in Stoke-on-Trent. Also Spencer Edward May and wife Daisy nee Scott, pentecostal missionaries/Assemblies of God – see The return and disappearance of the missionary Mays. For other Scott pentecostal connections on Cutlock & Co see ‘A fraud of a husband‘ (towards the bottom of the article) re Phyllis and Emma.
- Osborne line: Albert Gregory (1896 – 1970) minister at Methodist chapel Bush Houses/Clydach Road, Tonypandy, as well as a coalminer. And see ‘Blaengwynfi and beyond‘ for Osborne pentecostal connections in that area (under The Religious Revival sub-head lower down).
Elsewhere
- William John Cullum, as well as being an accountant as above, was a leader in the Church of Christ chapel at Piltdown, and perhaps involved in the church before the family moved to Sussex.
Teacher
A speciality of the Howes family. But others too.
There’s a British Schools Museum in Hitchin, Herts.
Music
Joseph Gregory, band leader and musical instrument retailer Cardiff/Tonypandy. See More than a musical footnote.
Matthew Sibley (b 1893), music teacher/professional musician.
William Griffiths Davies, of Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania, musician.
Art
See A bunch of artists.
Other
More recent professions: watch/clock repairer, pharmacist.
Retail, household
Decorator
Henry Williams and AAB Howes in Norwich, Jonny Brookstone (also decorators merchant) in Tonypandy.
Electrical
William Walters and Frank Watkins at Thomas Brothers, Llanelli – see The Electrical Connection.
Grocer
Laddiman, Lake, Cullum – Norfolk. Daniel Thomas – Wilkes-Barre.
Stan Scott, Co-operative store assistant, Tonypandy.
Fresh produce
Greengrocer: Owen Evans in Barry, Wales (also fishmonger); Gordon Feek in Cambridgeshire?; Ambrose Briselden in Catford.
Fish and fruit: Taylor family in the Rhondda (fish by train from Fishguard), with connected Trask family later as fruiterers in Weymouth.
Several butchers.
Food and drink
Confectioner, baker in Norwich.
Bakers (presumably due to yeast connection) were also involved in the licensed trade (pubs).
Innkeeper/publicans in Norfolk include John Harper Smith, Arthur and Elizabeth Cutlock, Denmark Dunch, the Lakes. See Not quite teetotal Norwich ancestors. Plus several barmaids and waitresses.
In south Wales valleys, John and Caroline Osborne are club stewards at 1939.
Norfolk Public houses history, Pub History Project Leicester, Lost Pubs Project, Pub History Society. Info on researching Publican, Brewery and Licensed Victuallers Records on Genguide. National Brewery Centre archives.
Tranter/general dealer
Especially Robert Osborne in Somerset in 19th century (and close relatives), also listed as horse dealer. Commercial travellers too. Robert’s father Joseph was a ‘pig jobber’, buying and selling the creatures.
Pawnbroker
Going to see Uncle tells the tale of setting up shop in Cheltenham featuring Jane Quayle nee Smith.
Insurance agent
Levi Watkins in Wales/London, Albert FW Howes in east England/Hull, and others. Insurance clerks: Herbert Howes, Horace Dawson.
Domestic Servant
The job of many of the women before getting married – housemaid, cook etc. One or two also stayed in this line of work, e.g. see Making a Case for the Myhills.
Manufacture
Shoe manufacture
Mainly in Norwich, both as individual makers/repairers and later in the factories – for the latter women particularly.
Smith
Silversmith – Henry Frederick Neal in Norwich (1905-1963). “Of some repute”, he refurbished the silver in Norwich Cathedral after the war. His father Henry (b 1881) was a blacksmith, locksmith, knife maker.
Blacksmith – various, including the Girlings in Kettleburgh; farrier (and licensed victualler) Henry Andrews in Norwich.
Tailor
And ‘tailoress’. Norfolk and Somerset.
Weaver, spinner, etc
Girth Web Weaver and variations, in Somerset.
Silk Mill hand in Norwich and Wilkes-Barre (Pennsylvania).
Lace making in Nottingham and Scranton (Shephard family).
Construction
Carpenter, bricklayer/builder, draughtsman.
Electrical
Electrical engineer and inventor Theophilus Farrall.
Transport, communications
Carter, Horseman or Groom
Mainly Norfolk.
Postal, telephone
Arthur Howes (b 1885) in Norwich/Ipswich and wife Hilda Brock – Getting posted to the Post Office.
George Neobard in Ipswich – sub-post office and baker.
Henry Albert Price – postmaster and grocer, Moreton Corbet, Shrops.
Ernest Andrews postman Norwich, Albert Andrews sorting clerk/telegraphist Norwich.
British Postal Museum and Archive. Also worth keeping an eye on Addressing Health, a three year project from 2020 looking at “Morbidity, Mortality and Occupational Health in the Victorian and Edwardian Post Office”.
Telephone linesman/area manager (Nebraska) Edwin James Flowerday. (Son Wayne studied electrical engineering, and worked for Boeing.)
Joseph Sibley in Chicago.
O’Briens – Charles b 1864 (printer/compositor), Charles Frederick b 1887 (printer/linotype operator) and Charles Theophilus b 1912 (typographer/journalist).
Useful link: Scottish Printing Archival Trust.
Railway, canals
The family tree has various signalmen, firemen, electricians, porters, labourers, cleaners and clerks. Perhaps an engine driver or two.
Useful links:
- Railways Archive has info on accidents, and more.
- The Railway Archive, now with a focus on the Great Central Railway, has a section on navvies.
- The collaborative Railway Work, Life and Death project is “making it easier to find out about railway worker accidents in Britain and Ireland in the later 19th and early 20th century”.
- Railway and Canal Historical Society.
- Boat Families of Leeds and Liverpool Canal – records of people who may come from much wider area e.g. West Midlands.
- Canal and River Trust – English canal history. Also see Canal Museum’s British history and other pages.
Maritime
John Harper Smith b 1792, master mariner as well as publican and coal dealer. See Entirely to the Water from Birth, which also includes others from that family branch with maritime connections – a harbour master, sail maker, shipwright etc. as well as watermen, sailors.
Stanley Cullum b 1904, ships engineer, worked his way up to Chief Engineer on the Aragon (and commodore of the line). See All at sea with a new cousin.
Clifford Taylor, sauce cook on Queen Mary (and other ships).
Beasor family worked in Deptford dockyards, Thomas William (b 1861) also had a spell at sea. Edward Wallace Goodridge briefly ship’s cook.
William Cummins (b 1835, related to the Shephard family) worked his way up from tide waiter (customs on board vessels in port) in Portsea to Chief Collector of Customs in Essex. Father reputed to be a mariner.
Useful links:
- Accounts of life at sea from Scarborough’s Maritime Heritage Centre.
- Crew List Index Project for data on merchant seafarers on British registered ships for the years 1861 to 1913. Crew name index is available at findmypast.
- Crew Lists of the British Merchant Navy – 1915 from National Maritime Museum.
- The Last Fisherman Standing Celebrating fishing heritage in Worthing and along the South Coast.
- Coastguards of Yesteryear is dedicated to coastguards who lived and worked around the Irish coastline between the 18th and early 20th centuries.
- Two for Wales: Swansea Mariners, Welsh Mariners.
- Scottish Maritime Museum.
- Maritime History Archive from Memorial University of Newfoundland – major collection of British records.
Canal and Rivers Trust archive records. Boat Families covers Leeds-Liverpool Canal & associated waterways.
Other Work
For female relations: Infirmary/Asylum/Workhouse nurse or attendant, Dressmaker/Seamstress.
A few soldiers (e.g. George Henry Crundwell, Thomas Mallett).
Several policemen (Norwich and London e.g William Balls, Cyril Watts).
Police History Society, Essex Police Museum, Gloucestershire Police Archives, Herts Past Policing, Greater Manchester Police Museum, West Midlands Police Museum, Worcestershire Police History, British Transport Police History Group, Police Roll of Honour.
A distant connection to professional boxer Tommy Farr.
Also noted: one chimney sweep, and a ‘stock and share broker’ in Leeds.
Working Links
- Index of Old Occupations (Hall Genealogy).
- Dictionary of Occupational Terms digital edition, originally published in 1927.
- Rootschat Occupation Interests board.
- Occupations reference index on Genuki.
- GenGuide has a number of pages giving tips on researching different types of occupations.
- Family Tree Researcher index.
- On the Internet Archive: The book of English trades and useful arts (1827).
- An Industrious Past blog from Archives and Records Council Wales on business archives may have the occasional interesting piece.
- British industrial history on Graces Guide.
- Historical trade and local directories of England and Wales – Special Collection at University of Leicester. Also available via Ancestry.
- Military history sites etc. are listed on Specialist websites page.
- District Nursing Heritage A celebration of the history of district nurses.
- The Mills Archive – mills, milling and the millers themselves.
- Sugar refiners and sugar bakers.
- Photographers of Great Britain and Ireland 1840 to 1940 on Carte de Visite.
- Archive of The Stage magazine has moved to British Newspaper Archive. Started publishing 1880, for those who trod the boards.
Organised labour
- Modern Records Centre at University of Warwick has various trade union archives.
- The Union Makes Us Strong: TUC History Online, with links to Winning Equal Pay and The Workers’ War. The TUC Library Collections at London Metropolitan University include union journals.
- Trade Union Ancestors.
- Working Class Movement Library has a large section on working lives and workers’ organisations.
- Chartist Ancestors.
Related on Cutlock and Co
- Expanding the retail experience Or: shop counter intelligence
- More than a musical footnote Joe Gregory, popular accordionist and band leader
- Not quite teetotal Norwich ancestors A pub for every day of the year
- Squeals of delight The wheeling dealing Osbornes
- The changing face of work Electric job generation
- Pitching for a job Work is unclear, but wedding photo sorted
- Going to see Uncle An everyday tale of pawnbroker folk
- A proud pit fireman A hundred year old certificate
- Remembering the price of coal
- Putting all the Levis in order Another tale of Welsh miners in America
- Cycling in, and out of, the family story Changing transport, and work, options
- Word-Smithing from Smyrna or Lyrical lines from Lydia {2}.
- No flight of fancy Taking to the air in WW1
- Notable names Prominent family connections
- Entirely to the Water from Birth The nautical Harper Smiths
- A bunch of artists
- My type of relation Or: A fine Boddy of a man
- American as candy corn
- Double trouble
- A Farr distant cousin
- The electrical connection Welsh bright sparks
- Exploring family history on a Kindle
- A recognised anthracite miner of Pennsylvania
- Uncle William comes into focus No longer in a pickle with the Cullums
- Getting posted to the post office
- All at sea with a new cousin
- Following four brothers from Somerset – Merriott to Australia, and NZ
- Photos of great great uncle Sam, farmhand
- Uncle Ernest the pharmacist
- Theophilus Farrall shipping agent and electrical inventor
- A fruitful life for a Norfolk accountant
- The show must go on … the railway
Have something to add?