Occupation help please

[Just Gillian]

From a Canadian census.

The first word is clearly shingle. I would have guessed sawyer for the second, except for the fact that the first letter is very different from the S of shingle.

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

I read it as shingle sawyer before reading what you had posted. I don't think the S is different - just smaller

[Just Gillian]

Thanks Merry.

[Olde Crone Holden]

Shingle sawyer.

(From the desk of OC, Transylvanian office)

[Just Gillian]

lol OC - You saw Betty's post then? I was tempted to put in a plug for FTF but didn't want to "out" you!:D

Thanks for the sawyer confirmation.

[Olde Crone Holden]

Yes, bemused though - I think she has the wrong person, I don't know a SINGLE THING about Irish research!

OC

[Just Gillian]

I was a little surprised too - I thought maybe it was all before my time!

I wonder if we'll get a rush of new members now all desperate for some of your Irish help.:D

[Wakey Dave]

Don't I recall something about LAWYERS hanging out their shingle (nameplate) to attract business?

[Olde Crone Holden]

Dave

Yes, but how confusing!

Lawyer and Sawyer are the most confused professions as far as new researchers go. They always think they have a Lawyer, when he is definitely a sawyer.

The word Lawyer wasn't used in 19th century England and I don't recall ever seeing it on a census return.

OC

[Just Gillian]

Thanks Dave.

I don't know when the term Lawyer would have come into use in Canada and will look into it. But I think members of this family were more likely to be involved in occupations involving manual labour. I'll have to find him on the 1901 to see if that sheds any light.

[Phoenix]

When my Canadian cousin came over, she asked how often I got my roof replaced

In Canada, the wooden roofs only last about 10 years, apparently. So there probably would be a lot of shingle sawing done!

[Just Gillian]

What a tedious job it must have been!

According to wikipedia, shingles are laid side by side, not overlapping. I wonder how waterproof the roofs were?

[Heather Positive Thinker]

Shingle Sawyer - Tends machine that saws wooden blocks into shingles: Places block in machine carriage and adjusts carriage to ensure that shingles are of specified thickness. Starts machine that moves carriage back and forth to feed block into rotating saw to cut shingles. Catches shingles as they fall from saw, grades shingles according to knots, rot, or other defects, and trims off defects with power saw. Sorts trimmed shingles according to grade and tosses shingles into specified containers.

[Uncle John]

(From the desk of OC, Transylvanian office)

How is the dear Count? Are you related, perchance?

[Uncle John]

What a tedious job it must have been!

According to wikipedia, shingles are laid side by side, not overlapping. I wonder how waterproof the roofs were?

They are quite long so the top-to-bottom overlap is more than with slates.

[Just Gillian]

Thanks Heather.

Uncle John - I was thinking of side by side gates we have made over the years. In spite of sealing all surfaces several times before construction, there has been a certain amount of movement in the wood. I presume nowadays shingles, which are not often made of wood now, are underlined with something waterproof but, in the nineteenth century similar materials wouldn't have been available.

(A subject close to my heart as the flashing on our bedroom bay window roof has moved yet again in the wind. I now keep a semi-permanent sellotape outline on the carpet so that I know exactly where the drip bucket has to go. And it's summer!)