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Could you help decipher these occupations


Guest Touche

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Guest Touche
occupation.bmpThis is from the 1911 census. Can anyone help me work out what these occupations are, particularly the bottom one to do with combs? I think the top one says cutler and 'table knife', but I can't work out the word after 'comb'. Hope you can help, many thanks for looking. Can someone give me good advice on how to upload pictures properly!!
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occupation.bmpThis is from the 1911 census. Can anyone help me work out what these occupations are, particularly the bottom one to do with combs? I think the top one says cutler and 'table knife', but I can't work out the word after 'comb'. Hope you can help, many thanks for looking. Can someone give me good advice on how to upload pictures properly!!

Hi Touche,

sorry can't help with the word.

But here is a link with instructions on

how to upload images, click ... HERE

a 'bmp' (bitmap image) like you have used

wont show up in the post, it's best to convert it to a Jpeg file.

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Hi Touche,

sorry can't help with the word.

But here is a link with instructions on

how to upload images, click ... HERE

a 'bmp' (bitmap image) like you have used

wont show up in the post, it's best to convert it to a Jpeg file.

The only guess I could make would be a scribbled attempt at "Producer" the words in pencil along look like Comb and an abbreviation of "Manufacturer"

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The only other suggestion I can make is to find similar letters in other words that are recognisable. The second letter is an 'r', as in the 2 previous lines, so the first letter looks like 'P', the middle letter looks like a 'd', and 'cer' is clear, so I'll go with Dunsbyowl's suggestion of either a mis-spelling or abbreviated 'Producer'

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'Manfr' is a common abbreviation for manufacturer. Those two words are likely to be by the enumerator, clarifying what the head of household has written (as these forms are the original ones filled in by the occupants themselves).

Have you looked for these people in a directory? If you give us their names we can have a look.

edit: it occurs to me that it could be a variation on comb presser. The pressing of bone, horn, mother-of-pearl etc for combs and also for 'scales' (side plates of pen-knives) was a highly skilled trade. This is an interesting article about the use of these materials, particularly in the Sheffield trades: Horns, Bones, Tusks, Antlers and Hooves

Hugh

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Guest Touche

Comb Presser! Brilliant Hugh! Thank you for the article, I'll print it off to read properly. The other I agree with is a shortened version of Manufacturer so thank you all. The family in question are as follows from the 1911 census:

James Turton, Head, age 37, Cutler (Table Knife)

Lizziebeath, Wife, age 34, No Trade

James Turton, Son, age 16, Comb Presser

Joseph Turton, Son, age 13, School

Harry Turton, Son, age 9, School

Annie Lizzie, Daughter, age 6, School

George Turton, Son, age 3

Ivery Turton, Daughter, 9 Days.

Address: 8/5 (sic) Furnace Hill, Sheffield.

All born in Sheffield.

ps. Two years later, April 12, 1913, James Turton is buried at City Road Cemetary. He died at the Union Hospital, Sheffield, but curiously he is listed as a Hawker instead of Cutler. I wonder what lead to his change of Occupation?

It says he was a 'worker' - did he work for the Cutlery Manufacturer, lose his job and turned to being a Hawker? Perhaps we will never know.

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Guest galena

Comb Presser! Brilliant Hugh! Thank you for the article, I'll print it off to read properly. The other I agree with is a shortened version of Manufacturer so thank you all. The family in question are as follows from the 1911 census:

James Turton, Head, age 37, Cutler (Table Knife)

Lizziebeath, Wife, age 34, No Trade

James Turton, Son, age 16, Comb Presser

Joseph Turton, Son, age 13, School

Harry Turton, Son, age 9, School

Annie Lizzie, Daughter, age 6, School

George Turton, Son, age 3

Ivery Turton, Daughter, 9 Days.

Address: 8/5 (sic) Furnace Hill, Sheffield.

All born in Sheffield.

ps. Two years later, April 12, 1913, James Turton is buried at City Road Cemetary. He died at the Union Hospital, Sheffield, but curiously he is listed as a Hawker instead of Cutler. I wonder what lead to his change of Occupation?

It says he was a 'worker' - did he work for the Cutlery Manufacturer, lose his job and turned to being a Hawker? Perhaps we will never know.

Have you checked both the death certificate and the entry in the Union Hospital Records? This might shed some light on your query.

Galena

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Guest Touche

Have you checked both the death certificate and the entry in the Union Hospital Records? This might shed some light on your query.

Galena

No, I haven't yet, I've had little time to spare recently. Thanks for your idea though, I'll look that one up. Sounds interesting. Thank you Galena.

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Guest Touche

Harry Turtons details from his death certificate:

Died: 6th April 1913, at the Union Hospital.

Age: 37 years.

Address: 8 Court, Furnace Hill, Sheffield.

Occupation: General Hawker.

Cause of Death: Lobar Pneumonia.

Informant: E Turton, Widow of Deceased.

Address: 8 Court, Furnace Hill, Sheffield.

And there we have it...From a cutler to a hawker. Maybe he was just a factory employee and lost his job for some reason. Now, I have to find him on the 1901 Census.....

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Guest Touche

But I've been in one of my rare thinking moods. According to the 1911 census, James Turton gives his age as 37. On his death certificate two years later in 1913, his age is still 37 years! The informant, his Widow of the same address, could she have become muddled in her memory? Any ideas appreciated! Many thanks to you all for reading this.

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Guest babybluejojo

People quite often lied about their ages for the census - that is what my Family History tutor said when I was on her course last term. There are multiple reasons why people have done it and sometimes there is no reason at all.

I personally would take the correct age from the Death Cert myself but the choice is yours...... lol

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