Occupation

[frostbarter]

On a marriage certificate I have, the father's occupation is given as Collector, has anybody got any idea what this would be?

Barbara

[Uncle John]

Collector of Taxes or rent collector perhaps. Have you found him on any census?

[Olde Crone Holden]

Probably collecting premiums for an insurance company, or a burial club, or a rent collector...anything involved with collecting money really.

OC

[frostbarter]

No I haven't found him on any census the marriage was in October 1841 so only know that his name was William Johnson and that he was a Collector.
His daughter is my gt.grandmother, I cant find her on the 1841 census either, I think the census was taken before she married, but no luck.

Barbara

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Barbara, could you give us details of his daughter? When and where was she born and who did she marry?

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

What about a farming bailiff? Could he be described as a collector? (straw clutching!)

[Olde Crone Holden]

No, he could not, Merry! A farm bailiff wasn't a Collector, he was a Farm Bailiff!

*stares witheringly at Merry*

OC

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

That's a shame coz he's in the right place (*uses crystal ball*) and so is a possible for his daughter in 1841.

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

I thought he might collect the rents?

[Olde Crone Holden]

*wonders why Merry has not withered*

Well, I suppose he could be the same man. A farm bailiff might collect farm rents, but I am sure he would call himself a farm bailiff rather than a collector (unless the enumerator was cutting him down to size, of course)

OC

[keldon]

A search on the 1881 census reveals 9239 occupations including the word Collector. Although 40 years on from your marriage, I think this indicates the many types of Collector that are possible.
This is a random sample:

Collector Local Board Health
Book Collector
Collector *? Church
Poor Rate Collector
Market Toll Collector
Toll Collector
Railway Ticket Collector
Toll Collector
Water Rate Collector
Accountant Collector
Collector
Collector of Rents and Debts
Insurance Collector
Insurance Collector
Collector of Rates
Collector (another hand wrote Clerk)

[Janet in Yorkshire]

I have a couple of "collectors".

Having done a bit more digging in additional census etc, it seems that one worked for an insurance company ( eqivalent of the man from the Pru.)

The other worked for a charity - however, I have not been able to find out which particular charity. His father in law was enumerated as a "collector" in 1841, in 1871 my man was recorded as "collector to a charitable institute" and in 1881 as "secretary to a charitable institute."

The 1841 chap was well educated (Ackworth School) and most of his extended family were either owners of bakery businesses, or employed as bank clerks, solicitor's clerks etc. The clerical lot were "genteel poor," above manual work, but no money to start their own business or acquire professional status.

[frostbarter]

Thank you for all your replies, I only manage to get on computer evening times so sorry I took so long to answer them.

My 2 x gt grandmother was Jane Louisa Johnson born c 1823 in Braintree Essex, she married Henry Thomas Golding on the 18th October 1841 in The Parish Church Witham Essex , I have them in all census after their marriage apart from 1861. On the marriage certificate she is 18. The witness are James Cranmer and James Dace, I don't know of any connection with these witnesses. Jane's father is William Johnson Collector.

Thanks again,

Barbara

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

James Dace is the parish clerk :(

[frostbarter]

That is strange, do you think that maybe she was under age or something and the family possibly did not know of the wedding and James Dace stood in as a witness.

Barbara

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

I don't think it's strange. In some parishes the parish clerk (or some other church official) was a witness at virtually every marriage!

[frostbarter]

I didn't realise that Merry.

Barbara