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Census 1861 - occupation

PostPosted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 11:03 am
by snoopysue
On a 1861 census entry I've found that one family is down as working as a "Potter At Iron Works Employing 3 Men And 6 Boys". This census doesn't state whether the people were employers or employees, and on the 1851 census he's an iron roller, 1871 he's a roller (image unclear, but could be iron roller), 1881 stocktaker at ironworks (unemployed).
My question is is it likely that he was employing the 3 men and 6 boys, or would he have been one of them?

Re: Census 1861 - occupation

PostPosted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 11:57 am
by Antie Em
snoopysue wrote:On a 1861 census entry I've found that one family is down as working as a "Potter At Iron Works Employing 3 Men And 6 Boys". This census doesn't state whether the people were employers or employees, and on the 1851 census he's an iron roller, 1871 he's a roller (image unclear, but could be iron roller), 1881 stocktaker at ironworks (unemployed).
My question is is it likely that he was employing the 3 men and 6 boys, or would he have been one of them?


I think he would have been an employer, otherwise I don't think it would have said how many people were working there. He could have hit hard time, or perhaps been injured before 1871.

Re: Census 1861 - occupation

PostPosted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 12:16 pm
by gardener
I would take the opposite view :lol:
"Potter at" doesn't suggest that he was the owner. Have you tried looking back and forth a bit to see how neighbours were recorded?

Re: Census 1861 - occupation

PostPosted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 12:37 pm
by snoopysue
In 1861 his neighbours were commercial clerk, railway gate keeper, boiler smith, dress maker, cartsman: in 1871 neighbours were clerk, iron moulder, enginners wife, bricklayer.
That doesn't suggest to me anything other than employee.

I think he may have had plans to better himself. The family moved from Tipton to Yorkshire, and his children must have been reasonably educated - one became a presbytarian minister, a daughter was a music teacher, and another started a music business that employed loads of family members and when he died he left the equivalent of £2 million!

Re: Census 1861 - occupation

PostPosted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 2:27 pm
by SRD
I think I'm right in thinking that potters were used as pattern makers in foundrys (still are, as are carpenters), whether a pattern maker would own a foundry business would depend on the product. I know an antique restorer who has his own foundry to produce the metal fittings for furniture that are no longer available so I don't see why a small specialist pattern maker may well have started up a business to provide specialist products for, for instance, the pottery industry (think of the hinges on the lids of Toby jugs and German beer steins).