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Some Special Interests => Occupation Interests => Topic started by: DS on Wednesday 17 May 06 14:19 BST (UK)

Title: What was a Leichner Engineer ?
Post by: DS on Wednesday 17 May 06 14:19 BST (UK)
Hi.

On the 1881 census there are two members of a family (one male and one female) described as Assistant Leichner Engineer. They lived in Moss Side, Manchester at that time.

Can anyone, please, enleichner, sorry, enlighten me as to what this occupation entailed ?

DS

Title: Re: What was a Leichner Engineer ?
Post by: Bryan. on Wednesday 17 May 06 22:39 BST (UK)
Hi

On Googling Leichner...it is a stage make up, began in 1878 by Ludwig Leichner.

 ???   ???   ???
Bryan.
Title: Re: What was a Leichner Engineer ?
Post by: DS on Thursday 18 May 06 11:51 BST (UK)
Thanks Bryan for that information.

So the job title could possibly be an early name for a make up artist in a theatre (say) or it might just refer to someone who worked in a factory that produced the Leichner products ?

On the “Google” link it does not say on the English pages where Ludwig Leichner started his business in 1878 but it does indicate that the company registered its name in England in 1929.

There is ,however, a link to a German web page  http://www.leichner-kosmetik.de/index.htm?http://www.leichner-kosmetik.de/xaranshop_28.htm  and this appears to give a lot of information about him.

Sadly, neither I nor my computer can translate this page but we can pick out certain words like Berlin and Paris. We cannot find any reference, though, to Moss Side.

This may suggest that there was not a factory producing Leichner products in that area (or, indeed, anywhere in England).  In which case, the more likely job description seems to be related to using the products rather than making them.

Unless anyone can fault my logic, I will proceed for now on this assumption.

DS

Title: Re: What was a Leichner Engineer ?
Post by: Tati on Thursday 18 May 06 11:57 BST (UK)
Hi DS,

Have you had a look at the actual image? Your 2 are the only persons in the whole of England and Wales to have this occupation, as you may have noticed. I couldn't tell what the image actually says, but I somehow think 'Leichner' is a transcriber's guess  ::)

Tanja  :) 
Title: Re: What was a Leichner Engineer ?
Post by: Gardener on Thursday 18 May 06 12:36 BST (UK)
I'm with Tanja on this one. These are the children of an Independent Minister and the siblings are medical student, governess, analytical chemist. Some how make-up doesn't quite fit in there for me  :)
Title: Re: What was a Leichner Engineer ?
Post by: DS on Thursday 18 May 06 12:53 BST (UK)
Thanks Gardener.

Having now looked at the original image I agree that it is very difficult to decipher the word that the transcriber guesses to be "Leichner".

Whatever it is, there do not appear to have been many of them around at the time of the census.

On the same lines, does the top entry really say "Independent Minister" ?

That is not what the transcriber guessed for that one (he/she went for "Interest of Money"). I thought my handwriting was bad ...

Thanks for getting involved

DS



Title: Re: What was a Leichner Engineer ?
Post by: Gardener on Thursday 18 May 06 13:45 BST (UK)
Thanks Gardener.

On the same lines, does the top entry really say "Independent Minister" ?

That is not what the transcriber guessed for that one (he/she went for "Interest of Money"). I thought my handwriting was bad ...



Don't shoot the transcriber  :) I looked back at the '71 and '61 to see what the father did. I think that is what it said there.
Title: Re: What was a Leichner Engineer ?
Post by: Jones the Search on Thursday 18 May 06 13:46 BST (UK)
Could you post a copy on here ??? Or give the names and dates of the people involved, so that more of us can help.
                  Patricia  :)
Title: Re: What was a Leichner Engineer ?
Post by: Tati on Thursday 18 May 06 13:53 BST (UK)
Hi Patricia,

It's the Parkinson family
RG11/3940 114 81
Henry W Parkinson age 27 born Rochdale Lancashire and living at 203 Lloyd Street Moss Side

Tanja  :) 
Title: Re: What was a Leichner Engineer ?
Post by: Gardener on Thursday 18 May 06 13:59 BST (UK)
Okeydokey.


1871
Castleton,Rochdale
176 Milurow(?) Road,Hope Terrace

Henry W Parkinson,head,m,45,independant minister,Russia
Jane ditto,wife,m,44,Henwesswell, Suffolk
Emily ditto,dau,u,16,Rochdale,Lancs
Edith H ditto,dau,u,15,ditto
Arthur W ditto,son,9,scholar,ditto
Basil J ditto,son,5,ditto,ditto
Cyril G ditto,son,2,ditto
Sarah A Beach,serv,21,domestic servant,Long Buckley, Northhamtonshire

RG10/4115-91

Title: Re: What was a Leichner Engineer ?
Post by: Arranroots on Thursday 18 May 06 14:04 BST (UK)
It is Jane who is living on interest of money in 1881: head widow.

What do you make of the addendum by Edith's age?

mil   (short for milliner?)

or maybe nil ??

I think it is the latter - indicating that the engineer should be noted next to her brother, but that she was not employed

A  ;)

Title: Re: What was a Leichner Engineer ?
Post by: Gardener on Thursday 18 May 06 14:14 BST (UK)
Think you are most likely right Arranroots.
I did wonder if the funny word was meant to be Zeichner and that he was a sort of technical draughtsman but I couldn't find anything to support that either (or these folk in 1891).
Title: Re: What was a Leichner Engineer ?
Post by: Arranroots on Thursday 18 May 06 14:55 BST (UK)
There were 57 engineers in Moss Side and none of their occupations looks remotely like LEICHNER.

I have surmised that the statistician couldn't read it either, as the occupation is circled in pencil.  This only happens with one other engineer - and I can't read that one either!!  ;D

Closest similar occupations: printer (ends in -er) or mechanical

There are all sorts of employers locally, including canal engineers, locomotive engineers, engineers in the mills... you name it.

...or they could be making make-up... ;D

Any idea what became of Henry - I can't find him in later censuses either!?

A  ;)
Title: Re: What was a Leichner Engineer ?
Post by: Jones the Search on Thursday 18 May 06 15:29 BST (UK)
Its a LACHNER ENGINEER
These where machines that  where used in turning and molding wood.
I knew when I saw this post yesterday the "name " sort of rang a bell. My Dad was an engineer and I recall seeing one being used. It's a bit like a Jig saw that cuts out molded shapes.
       Patricia  ;)
Title: Re: What was a Leichner Engineer ?
Post by: Gardener on Thursday 18 May 06 16:39 BST (UK)
Thank goodness someone knows!  ;D I was facing a sleepless night  :-[
Title: Re: What was a Leichner Engineer ?
Post by: DS on Thursday 18 May 06 17:15 BST (UK)
Thanks to everyone who joined in the quest to find an answer for me. 

I have never seen so many stars all together in one place.

DS
Title: Re: What was a Leichner Engineer ?
Post by: Jones the Search on Thursday 18 May 06 17:18 BST (UK)
Thats a pleasure. 8)
Could you do something for me now?
Please could you help me and go to
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,156255.msg725721.html#msg725721
and leave a message of support even if your research does not involve Ireland.
Thank you
Patricia
Title: Re: What was a Leichner Engineer ?
Post by: DS on Friday 19 May 06 00:06 BST (UK)
Its a LACHNER ENGINEER
These where machines that  where used in turning and molding wood.
I knew when I saw this post yesterday the "name " sort of rang a bell. My Dad was an engineer and I recall seeing one being used. It's a bit like a Jig saw that cuts out molded shapes.
       Patricia  ;)

If anyone is still interested ?

This site seems to show what might be a modern version of such a sawing machine with some Lachner parts.

http://www.mueller-minden.de/maschinen2/gebrauch_anz.php?m=139&l=d

DS