Amy Johnson Crow introduced the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge on her No Story Too Small blog in 2014. This year she continued the challenge, but also added a weekly theme. This week, the theme is Working for a Living: September 7 is Labor Day in the United States. Write about an ancestor and his or her occupation.
Rather than focusing on one ancestor, I’ve decided to look at all my ancestors, to see what occupations they have had
Dad (Ivon Walter Whimpey 1923-2009) started his working life in a prestige lingerie store. He then worked as a fitter and turner, and then a welder/boilermaker.
Mum (Edith Jean Marr 1922-1990) worked in the family dressmaking business as a machinist before marrying dad, and then performed home duties
For my female ancestors, their occupations have all been listed as “home duties”, or “married woman” (where listed at all), so for the rest, I’m just looking at my male ancestors.
My dad’s father John Ernest Whimpey (1884-1960) was a grocer’s assistant and then a grocer
My mum’s father Wilfred Palmer Marr (1892-1955) was a fitter, farmer, and labourer
Joseph Whimpey (1848-1919) was a contractor (mail contractor)
Alexander Alexander Harley (1866-1939) was a French polisher, and then a dairy farmer
Henry Palmer Marr (1859-1944) was a railway ganger
Harry Docwra (1866-1934) was a farmer.
Joseph Whimpey (1819-1902) was a bootmaker/shoemaker
Henry Sharp (1826-1892) was a dyer’s labourer when in England, and became a farmer after coming to Australia
Robert Harley (1817-1891) was listed as a carpenter on the 1851 Scotland census, but an agricultural labourer on his immigration record in 1852. He was listed as a carpenter at Emerald Hill on the 1856 Electoral roll, and from 1868 to 1875 he worked as a farmer at Hesket/Rochford. He then moved back to Melbourne by 1880, and worked as a produce dealer. His death certificate listed him as a farmer.
Thomas Henry Russell (1844-1892) was a teacher, and then a journalist
James Marr (1827-1899) was a heckle maker on the 1841 Scotland census. At the time of his marriage he was listed as a flax dresser, and on his daughter’s burial entry he was listed as a heckler. On his immigration record in 1849, he was listed as a gardener. After arriving in Australia, he worked as a farmer.
William John Reeves (1829-1888) was listed as a plasterer on his immigration record. His death certificate shows he was a miner.
Alfred Docwra (1824-1903) was listed as an agricultural labourer on his immigration record. After arriving in Australia he worked as a gardener and farmer.
George Oliver (1846-1930) was listed as a farmer on his daughter’s birth certificate in 1877, and his death certificate listed him as a gentleman. The directories from 1891 to 1900 show he was a hop grower.
William Whimpey (1789-1870) served in the military during the Napoleonic Wars, and then worked as a day labourer. He was listed as a miner on his son Isaac’s marriage certificate
John Price. According to his daughter’s marriage certificate, he was a farmer.
William Sharp (1795-1866) was a tailor.
Mark Oldroyd (1791-1868) was listed on the 1841 census as a linen weaver. He was listed as a retired cloth weaver on the 1861 census, and as a farmer and gardener on his death certificate
John Harley (1797-1864) was a labourer and farmer.
John Dandie (1800-1841) was a carpenter
Garrett Joh Russell (1817-1877) was a Clerk in Holy Orders (Episcopalian).
Thomas Doyle (1815-1886) was a teacher (school teacher/school master)
John Marr (1790-1851) was a shoemaker
David Richardson (1806-?) was a baker
William Reeves (1803-1877) was a labourer
William Gill (1790-1847?) was a miner
Tempest Sell (1787-1861) was listed on his children’s baptism records and the 1851 census record as a veterinary surgeon. The 1841 census lists him as a publican.
Joseph Scott (1797-1846) was a labourer and waggoner.
Frederick Oliver (1824-1855) was a shoemaker
William Edward Ball (1825-1893) was listed as a storeman on his daughter Elizabeth’s birth certificate (1856). Her marriage certificate listed him as a mariner. At the time of his death, his occupation was carter.
I then set up a spreadsheet that listed the occupation(s) of each ancestor, and then grouped together similar occupations.
| Ancestor | Occupation | Occupation group |
| Dad | Lingerie | cloth making |
| Dad | Fitter & turner | Fitter & turner |
| Dad | Welder/boilermaker | Welder/boilermaker |
| Mum | Machinist | cloth making |
| John | Grocer’s assistant, grocer | Shop keeping |
| Wilfred | Fitter & turner | Fitter & turner |
| Wilfred | Farmer | Farmer, gardener, agricultural labourer |
| Wilfred | Labourer | Labourer/contracting |
| Joseph | Contractor, mail contractor | Labourer/contracting |
| Alexander | French polisher | French polisher |
| Alexander | Dairy farmer | Farmer, gardener, agricultural labourer |
| Henry | railway ganger | Railway employee |
| Harry | farmer | Farmer, gardener, agricultural labourer |
| Joseph | bootmaker/shoemaker | Bootmaker/shoemaker |
| Henry | dyer’s labourer | cloth making |
| Henry | farmer | Farmer, gardener, agricultural labourer |
| Robert | carpenter | carpenter |
| Robert | agricultural labourer | Farmer, gardener, agricultural labourer |
| Robert | Produce dealer | Shop keeping |
| Henry | teacher | teacher |
| Henry | journalist | journalist |
| James | heckle maker/heckler/flax dresser | cloth making |
| James | Gardener, farmer | Farmer, gardener, agricultural labourer |
| William | plasterer | plasterer |
| William | miner | miner |
| Alfred | agricultural labourer, gardener, farmer | Farmer, gardener, agricultural labourer |
| George | farmer, hop grower | Farmer, gardener, agricultural labourer |
| William | military | military |
| William | day labourer | Labourer/contracting |
| William | miner | miner |
| John | farmer | Farmer, gardener, agricultural labourer |
| William | tailor | cloth making |
| Mark | linen weaver, cloth weaver | cloth making |
| Mark | farmer, gardener | Farmer, gardener, agricultural labourer |
| John | Labourer | Labourer/contracting |
| John | farmer | Farmer, gardener, agricultural labourer |
| John | carpenter | carpenter |
| Garrett | Clerk in holy orders | Minister |
| Thomas | teacher | teacher |
| John | shoemaker | Bootmaker/shoemaker |
| David | baker | Baker |
| William | Labourer | Labourer/contracting |
| William | miner | miner |
| Tempest | veterinary surgeon | veterinary surgeon |
| Tempest | publican | Shop keeping |
| Joseph | Labourer | Labourer/contracting |
| Joseph | waggoner | waggoner/carter |
| Frederick | shoemaker | Bootmaker/shoemaker |
| William | storeman | Shop keeping |
| William | mariner | mariner |
| William | carter | waggoner/carter |
From this, I found the most common types of occupations:
| Farmer, gardener, agricultural labourer | 11 |
| Cloth making | 6 |
| Labourer/contracting | 6 |
| Shop keeping (grocer, publican, storeman) | 4 |
| Bootmaker/shoemaker | 3 |
| Miner | 3 |
| Carpenter | 2 |
| Fitter & turner | 2 |
| Teacher | 2 |
| waggoner/carter | 2 |
| Baker | 1 |
| French polisher | 1 |
| Journalist | 1 |
| Mariner | 1 |
| Military | 1 |
| Minister | 1 |
| plasterer | 1 |
| Railway employee | 1 |
| veterinary surgeon | 1 |
| Welder/boilermaker | 1 |
