To enable you to find out about how your ancestors lived and worked, this section of the Reference Library contains a large collection of resources about a variety of occupations.

General

• FTF Big Book of Genealogyincludes definitions for occupations.

• Index of Old Occupations
• Another list of occupations
• Old Occupation Names
• Victorian Occupations
• Nostalgic Memories of 20th Century British Life
• Accountancy Ancestors, Who was who in accountancy for 1874-1965

• Woolworths History
• The History of Marks and Spencer
• Boots digital archive

FTF Online Magazine:

• May 2008 ~ A Nation of Shopkeepers
• September 2008 ~ Education
• October 2008 ~ Brewers and Brewing
• May 2009 ~ Money, Money, Money

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Women at work

• Women's Work
• Ancient Women Warriors

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Industrial Revolution

• Armley Mills Leeds Industrial Museum
• Grace's Guide to British Industrial History
• The History of The Industrial Revolution

FTF Online Magazine:

• March 2009 ~ Industrial Revolution: Transportation
• April 2009 ~ Industrial Revolution: Mining

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Work and Trade Associations / Unions

• Trade Union Ancestors

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​Craftsmen - Various

• The Blacksmiths Index (includes related trades)
• Society of Brushmakers
• British and Irish Clock & Watch Makers
• The Steam Engine Makers Database
• Database of Organists, Organ Builders Composers of Organ Music
• Musicians
• UK Piano Page: makers, tuners & teachers
• The Wheelwright & His Craft
• Kidwelly Tin Plate Workers
• Glossary of Occupations in the Pottery industry
• Database of over 1500 Stoke-on-Trent Potters

• FTF Online Magazine: June 2008 ~ Wheelwrights and Smiths

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Domestic Service

• The Victorian Dictionary
• The Lost Cousins website has added the facility to add the servants in a household

Further reading:

• The Victorian Domestic Servant - Trevor May
• The Victorian House - Judith Flanders

• FTF Online Magazine: March 2008 ~ Domestic Service

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Food and Drink Related

• A History of Bread Making and Milling
• JB Sumner's Brewing History Resources
• Brewery History Online
• Sugar Refiners and Sugar Bakers
• The Millers & Millwrights Database
• Vintage cookery books

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Glass & Bottlemaking

• Glassmaking and Glassmakers
• History of Glassblowing
• History of Glassmaking in London
• History of Glassmaking
• Glass & Bottlemaking: Occupations

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Printers and Allied Trades

• Wikipedia: The Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers
• The Scottish Book Trade - includes printers, bookbinders and stationers
• The Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers

• FTF Online Magazine: August 2008 ~ Printing and Publishing

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Shoemakers

• Norwich Boot & Shoe Industry
• Shoe Making Terms Explained
• Victorian London-Boot and Shoe Makers

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​Textiles

• Kidderminster's Carpet Heritage
• Textiles and Cotton Mills in Lancashire and Manchester
• Lace-Making in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire
• The Cotton Trade and Mill workers
• Ruddington Framework Knitters Museum
• The Cotton Industry
• Silk Weaving in Foleshill, Coventry
• Gloucestershire woollen industry
• Wigston Framework Knitters Museum

• FTF Online Magazine: February 2009 ~ Industrial Revolution: Textiles

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Public Service Occupations

• The Parish Clerk Index
• The British Postal Museum & Archive

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Bank of England Archive & Museum

• Bank of England Archive

If you find any relatives that worked at the Bank of England, a visit to their archive is highly recommended, and the archivists are so very helpful. I started off with a father and two sons there, and after my visit, I came away with the father's father, another two sons, 2 son in-laws, and a father-in-law.

You first look at the salary ledgers to give you an 'election' date into the bank, that date allows you to go to what amounts to the Governors 'appraisal books' which give date of birth, family relationships, religion, schooling, past employment, political or club memberships, attributes and weaknesses. They are carried out annually and note promotions and demotions, and the general performance of the employee. Then back to the salary books for date of 'quitting' retirement and death together with the pension value and any purchased investments, and sometimes the will itself.

It is by appointment only, cameras allowed - they will only photocopy 2 or 3 pages. It's a remarkable place.

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Survey Of Deaths 1839

In a report obtained from Bethnal Green, London, where manufactory is chiefly domestic, it appears that in 1839 of 1268 deaths amongst the labouring classes no less than 782 (or 1 in 14) under the age of 5 died at their own residences. Only 1 in 15 of the deaths occurred between 5 and 10, the age when employment commences. The proportion of the deaths which occurred between 10 and 15, the period in which full employment usually takes place, is 1 in 60 only. In the district, the average age of deaths was as follows, in the several classes, from a population of 62,018.

No.of deaths ~ Class of population ~ Average age at death
101 Gentry, professionals and families 45 years
273 Tradesmen and families 26 years
1268 Mechanics, servants, labourers & families 16 years

Comparison with the Borough of Leeds:
79 Gentry, professionals & families 44 years
824 Tradesmens, farmers & families 27 years
3395 Operatives, labourers & families 19 years

Comparison with Liverpool:
137 Gentry, professional person 35 years
1738 Tradesmen & families 22 years
5597 Labourers, mechanics, servants 15 years

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Back to General History Section

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