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Farm bailiff?

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  • Farm bailiff?

    Does anyone know exactly what the duties of a farm bailiff would have entailed in the mid 19th century? Would he have to be able to read and write?

    I have a man who was an illiterate farm labourer in 1864 (signed his daughter's birth cert with 'x his mark') who was possibly a farm bailiff by the time his son married in 1876, if I have the right one.
    Co-ordinator for PoW project Southern Region 08
    Researching:- Wieland, Habbes, Saettele, Bowinkelmann, Freckenhauser, Dilger in Germany
    Kincaid, Warner, Hitchman, Collie, Curtis, Pocock, Stanley, Nixey, McDonald in London, Berks, Bucks, Oxon and West Midlands
    Drake, Beals, Pritchard in Kent
    Devine in Ireland

  • #2
    Farm bailiff today usually means manager.
    In the past, it often equated with hind or foreman, who took orders from the farmer and passed these on to the other workers - he himself was chief workman.

    My ancestry were mainly in rural areas and I have several ag labs in my tree who were recorded as bailiff - they weren't always able to sign their marriage lines, and probably couldn't reckon. but they would have been honest, trustworthy and reliable, good at their job and good at getting on with their colleagues.

    Jay
    Last edited by Janet in Yorkshire; 15-02-15, 16:30.
    Janet in Yorkshire



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

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    • #3
      Don't assume he couldn't write, just because he made his mark. People were much more obedient back then and if the registrar said "make your mark" then he wouldn't argue and say "I can write my name".

      Also, I suspect, but cannot prove, that many "ordinary" people concealed their literacy from their betters, who quite often did not approve of the lower orders being able to read and write!

      OC

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      • #4
        On the other hand he may have 'bigged himself up' on his son's marriage certificate. Quite a common practice too.
        Anne

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