Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History Ancestors' Unusual Occupations

I recently did a Birkenhead census look-up for another member and one of the inhabitants was recorded as being a “Hotting Boy” (try googling that!) in the iron trade. A reasonable suggestion is that he was possibly the lad that heated up the rivets in a shipyard etc.

I have a great aunt who was a “Cart Owner/Night Soil Collector” in Birkenhead – emptying cesspits and privies for a living!

It set me to wondering what other unusual and long-forgotten occupations other members might have come across in their family history research.

I came across this a while ago and just found it again, might be helpful for future reference. I don't think its complete by any means.

http://rmhh.co.uk/occup/

Good link, Bert. Thanks.

Unfortunately nothing really windswept and interesting amongst my lot, mainly Blacksmiths, agricultural labourers and dock labourers, though one of my great grandfathers was an Optician, not sure how qualified one would have to be in 1851 and another relative was a Mathematical instrument maker, what ever that was, maybe rules.

Just last night I came across someone who was a 'Holder Up'. Thought he might have been a highwayman or something but turns out it's to do with boiler-making!

My Uncle George was a riveter, now we have a squad, Riveter, hotting lad and holder up.

...think they used to have different grades of riveters and riveting didn't they bert, depending on whether or not the rivets would remain visible or not?

Like anything else there would have been good and bad riveters, the very nature of the rivet and what it does would be hard to hide, certainly on heavy plate, like on ships and boilers, perhaps on thin sheet work thats not under to much stress it might be possible to grind down and hide.

wikiofftopic

at times in the shipyard a riverting squad would consist of a 4th person. He was the catcher. There where lots of squads in the north yard had a catcher when I started serving my time.

One of my family is shown on the 1911 census as a Stationary Fireman. Can anyone tell me what that job entailed?
Thanks.

i found that one of mine was a ''scavanger''looked it up and it meant he was a street cleaner!!

Stationary Engine Driver Operated steam factory engine, used for all processes, usually linked by a system of shafts, pulleys and belts

The above is a description of a Stationary engine driver,my guess is the engine would have had to be fed coal to heat the water to produce the steam (boiler), The fireman put the coal in, like a fireman or stoker on other steam engines.

I think “Fireman” is used to mean the man responsible for keeping the fire going in a boiler – in other words, a Stoker (Fireman was the term for the Stoker on the old steam trains). A “Stationary Fireman” would stoke a steam engine which was used for pumping water or sewage, or driving machinery in an industrial environment such as a factory, mill or mine.

Just noticed Bert beat me to it!

If that was my fault gypsyjune then I apologise, but the only 'banter' related to the occupations being discussed and generated further contributions to the thread.