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  • Occupation changes?

    How likely is it a soldier in 1780 would transition to a weaver post discharge (by 1786, or return to previous occupation), then into a game keeper by 1800?

  • #2
    I have no expertise - but my head would say - Was he brought up in the countryside? There must be far less gamekeepers than weavers so might be chance that he was given the opportunity, even being a soldier? got talking to an officer - they would be from big country estates?

    I do feel maybe he would have to be under a game keeper first - rather than go from one to another - there must be some skills required with animals & birds.
    Carolyn
    Family Tree site

    Researching: Luggs, Freeman - Cornwall; Dayman, Hobbs, Heard - Devon; Wilson, Miles - Northants; Brett, Everett, Clark, Allum - Herts/Essex
    Also interested in Proctor, Woodruff

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    • #3
      Gamekeepers also had an important role in combating poachers. Often there were armed encounters at night. His army experience would come in handy for that. In my old village I researched a man who served 8 years as a soldier and then became a gamekeeper.
      Phil
      historyhouse.co.uk
      Essex - family and local history.

      Comment


      • #4
        Between the dates you have given both Hargreave’s spinning Jenny and Arkwright’s carding machine meant the there were great increases in mechanised textile mills. To coin a phrase, “dark and satanic” they most certainly were and working conditions were dreadful. The prices of hand made cloth fell through the floor between then and the end of the century. The work for hand loom weavers would be scarce. If your man had been a hand loom weaver and/or a country lad, he may not have fancied being stuck in an unhealthy textile mill.
        As kelvin has mentioned, his army experience would have held him in good stead for a job as a gamekeeper. He may we’ll have found employment as such on the estate of his former commanding officer or been recommended to another landowner as a good man for the job.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by GallowayLass View Post
          Between the dates you have given both Hargreave’s spinning Jenny and Arkwright’s carding machine meant the there were great increases in mechanised textile mills.
          +1
          from Wikipedia:
          "Richard Guest in 1823 made a comparison of the productivity of power and handloom weavers:
          A very good Hand Weaver, a man twenty-five or thirty years of age, will weave two pieces of nine-eighths shirting per week, each twenty-four yards long, and containing one hundred and five shoots of weft in an inch, the reed of the cloth being a forty-four, Bolton count, and the warp and weft forty hanks to the pound, A Steam Loom Weaver, fifteen years of age, will in the same time weave seven similar pieces"

          The mechanization just put hand weavers out of the picture.

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          • #6
            I have my ancestor in the durham militia in 1779/80 marrying in whitehaven cumberland, then a child born at berwick upon tweed, northumberland.

            then a child at barnard castle in 1783 (no occupation on record).

            then i believe he was in darlington, durham with 3 children 1786-1791 where the occupation is weaver.

            then from c.1800 till his death in 1836, he was a game keeper for the earl of zetland. He was buried in upleatham, yorkshire.

            his obituary stated he was a game keeper for the earl for 36 yrs. And his will confirmed two children i had suspected, and there are baptisms for them and another child dead in infancy at darlington, but occupation is weaver.

            so i know the beginning and end is correct, but not sure about the middle. Unless he was a weaver prior to joining the militia? I believe he grew up at barnard castle, as this town seems to be the source of this surname in yorkshire (the only other group seems to be warwick), but i have no proof of origin.

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            • #7
              So, searching the FS catalog for Barnard Castle seems to turn up a bunch of resources, Dunno if it is your place, nor if you've seen them, nor...
              but here it is
              https://www.familysearch.org/search/...words%3Acastle

              I was hoping there might be estate records - does anyone know if they might exist?

              FS seems to have gamekeepers' registers of deputations for several counties, but not Durham - do they exist for Durham?

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              • #8
                Its the 'weaver' one that looks a bit suspect but it seems to tie in. Darlington not being a textile centre he might have been doing something simple to make living at the time. The vicar asks at the baptism for occupation and he says weaver, but not what he was weaving. Where was you man born? Was he local to the estate where he became a gamekeeper?
                Anne

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                • #9
                  "Weaver" could also have included those who manufactured jute thread into hessian sacks, which were widely used nationwide for transporting items such as grain, dried foodstuff and other goods.It's a loose weave material and so something that could have been produced by solo craftsmen in rural areas.

                  A retired sailor in my small village was enumerated as a sack-maker, an occupation he carried out into the early 1900's working from home, making new sacks and repairing others. So jute thread must have been readily available for the repair work. During my childhood, hessian sacks were readily available and in regular use on farms, and also around the village - the equivalent of today's carrier bags/binbags etc.

                  I agree with Anne, the weaving could have been a stop-gap occupation to put food on the table.

                  Jay
                  Janet in Yorkshire



                  Genealogists never die - they just swap places in the family tree

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                  • #10
                    not that it helps, I wonder if there are any records from the estate? Looks like Yorks archives have them, according to NA, guess not digitised.
                    Carolyn
                    Family Tree site

                    Researching: Luggs, Freeman - Cornwall; Dayman, Hobbs, Heard - Devon; Wilson, Miles - Northants; Brett, Everett, Clark, Allum - Herts/Essex
                    Also interested in Proctor, Woodruff

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by cbcarolyn View Post
                      not that it helps, I wonder if there are any records from the estate? Looks like Yorks archives have them, according to NA, guess not digitised.
                      Which of the several "Yorks" archives would that be? As his address was given upthread as Upleatham, I'm guessing it would be the North Yorkshire archives at Northallerton????

                      Janet in Yorkshire



                      Genealogists never die - they just swap places in the family tree

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                      • #12
                        I only did a quick google - and ended up here
                        The official archive of the UK government. Our vision is to lead and transform information management, guarantee the survival of today's information for tomorrow and bring history to life for everyone.


                        The old estate houses seem to have loads of records - I was thinking it would be lovely for them to be available.
                        Carolyn
                        Family Tree site

                        Researching: Luggs, Freeman - Cornwall; Dayman, Hobbs, Heard - Devon; Wilson, Miles - Northants; Brett, Everett, Clark, Allum - Herts/Essex
                        Also interested in Proctor, Woodruff

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          The militia was a part-time force, so its possible he may have been a milita man AND a weaver. What was his name?

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by teasie View Post
                            The militia was a part-time force, so its possible he may have been a milita man AND a weaver. What was his name?
                            I think I've found him - William Westwick?

                            Some info here about the Durham Militia Muster Lists, which confirms they were in Berwick in 1781 and Barnard Castle c1783: http://www.ramsdale.org/militia.htm#Durham

                            Also worth noting the following:
                            "Those men who enlisted in the Militias served for 3 years in the period 1757 to 1786, and five years thereafter. In peacetime they lived at home but spent 2 to 3 weeks each year at camp in training. However, during the 7 Years War, the War of American Independence, and the Napoleonic Wars, most of the Militias were embodied on permanent duty, usually elsewhere than in the county where they were raised."

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              cbcarolyn That would be the North Yorkshire record office at Northallerton.

                              Some of the surviving estates around me still retain reams of centuries of paperwork and are a real treasure trove to those who discover ancestors who worked on that specific estate.
                              Janet in Yorkshire



                              Genealogists never die - they just swap places in the family tree

                              Comment


                              • #16
                                Originally posted by Janet in Yorkshire View Post
                                cbcarolyn That would be the North Yorkshire record office at Northallerton.

                                Some of the surviving estates around me still retain reams of centuries of paperwork and are a real treasure trove to those who discover ancestors who worked on that specific estate.
                                I've heard the same from a professional genealogist talking about research in Scotland. He was talking from personal experience of visiting an estate and persuading the current occupant to haul out the dusty old books.

                                Comment


                                • #17
                                  Originally posted by teasie View Post

                                  I think I've found him - William Westwick?

                                  Some info here about the Durham Militia Muster Lists, which confirms they were in Berwick in 1781 and Barnard Castle c1783: http://www.ramsdale.org/militia.htm#Durham

                                  Also worth noting the following:
                                  "Those men who enlisted in the Militias served for 3 years in the period 1757 to 1786, and five years thereafter. In peacetime they lived at home but spent 2 to 3 weeks each year at camp in training. However, during the 7 Years War, the War of American Independence, and the Napoleonic Wars, most of the Militias were embodied on permanent duty, usually elsewhere than in the county where they were raised."
                                  Correct. Not sure about full dates he signed up, but seems to tie in. Wonder if the militia had any surviving records that say where he was from or his job?

                                  Comment


                                  • #18
                                    Found this guide recently might help, there are some unindexed records that you can get for free atm

                                    1. Why use this guide? This guide will help you find records containing details of officers and ordinary soldiers who served with the Militia between 1522 and 1907. The Militia was a part-time voluntary force organised by county. Modern militias were created by the Militia Act of 1757. They became the Special Reserve in 1908. […]
                                    Carolyn
                                    Family Tree site

                                    Researching: Luggs, Freeman - Cornwall; Dayman, Hobbs, Heard - Devon; Wilson, Miles - Northants; Brett, Everett, Clark, Allum - Herts/Essex
                                    Also interested in Proctor, Woodruff

                                    Comment


                                    • #19
                                      Thank you carolyn. Couldn't see anything for him by name on the NA. But might have to pursue the records at a durham archives.

                                      Comment


                                      • #20
                                        there are complete registers not indexed, seems to be a case of wading through. There are military microfilmed and converted to PDF can be bought for free atm, others you still have to go kew. You need to search for regiment. I am no expert just been searching for Julie for grenadier guards. Have to say many many more records for officers.
                                        Carolyn
                                        Family Tree site

                                        Researching: Luggs, Freeman - Cornwall; Dayman, Hobbs, Heard - Devon; Wilson, Miles - Northants; Brett, Everett, Clark, Allum - Herts/Essex
                                        Also interested in Proctor, Woodruff

                                        Comment

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