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General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: Lloydy on Tuesday 20 March 07 12:17 GMT (UK)
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I have today received my GG Grandparents marriage certificate from Welshpool Record Office, Powys, and it only took 4 days to get here!!!
My Welsh tree has been inundated with lots of Ag Labs, Weavers, Spinners or Miners, but here's the exciting bit ;D
My GG Grandmother's father is shown on the certificate as being a FRENCH POLISHER!!!!!!!!
I'm so pleased ;D ;D ;D
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I've got a bottom polisher !!!
My fathers occupation when he was apprenticed to a shoemaker ... the bottom of new bespoke leather shoes were highly polished ... and that was his task ! (Must have been dangerous on slippy pavements, to have a polished bottom !)
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It's just nice to come across something different for a change :D
I find Ag Labs and Weavers rather boring :-\
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How posh to have a french polisher!
My best is a whipper in!
Linda
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I thought it sounded a bit posh, so now I'm on the hunt to see what I can find out about him.
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Ooh, I know just how you feel, Lloydy. My tree is busting with Ag Labs and I recently struck gold with a "Bath Chair Proprietor" in Eastbourne. Pleased as Punch, I was!!!
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I have my share of weavers and Ag Labs, but also have a Band Sawyer, a Silver chaser, coal miners and a couple of coast guards, would love something really unusual like your French Polisher but will be happy to find a few of the brick walls even if they are Ag Labs lol
Best wishes
Mo
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My GG Grandfather and some of his sons were French polishers. It really can't be posh at all if it's in my tree! :P
I've searched on google about it before. There are several sites showing how to do it, giving an idea about how it was done back then.
Andrew
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I'm afraid it's not very posh at all. The people buying the furnature might have been posh. It is just a highly glossy finish to tables and things. My ancestor was a French Polisher and he lived in a very poor area of London.
I have a family of rope-makers and found a very good description and diagrams in "The Book of trades or library of useful arts" written in 1818. My ancestor died from being hit on the head by a tar barrell which was needed for the rope making.
My best one is the soldier who lost part of his foot in the West Indies.
Sylviaann
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I'm afraid it's not very posh at all
No, I guessed it wasn't, but the name sounded posher than an Ag Lab or Weaver ;D ;D ;D
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I used to think French polisher's were, in fact, French ... but they weren't !
(Well, some might have been ...)
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Apart from the usual cattle rustlers and sheep thieves (Border Reivers!) I've also come across Tea-dealers, and a Dancing Teacher (in the 1861 census!? :o) )
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I was quit excited finding a publican and a poice constable! All the rest are ag labs and miners. Oh, there was a dairy maid, but I suppose that comes under ag lab.
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Yesterday I discovered my Ag Lab and land owner/farmer, had a change of occupation.
1841 he's a grazier
1851 he's a farmer of 109 acres employing 4 labs
1861 he's a farmer of 187 acres with 3 farm servants
then in 1871 aged 59 he becomes landlord of a public house.
in 1881 he's a retired publican
then bizarrely in 1891 he's 79-years old and listed as Ag lab? ???
What a demotion. Mind you the pub's still there and its beautiful.
http://www.leicestershirevillages.com/medbourne/
Its my first publican.
Michelle ;D
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One of my more unusual one's was a Music Hall Attendent, he was illegitmate though :o does that count ;D
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My convict ancestor was a french polisher & upholsterer. He was transported for "pawning illegally" involving a ladies writing desk and some picture frames. (My mother's response: "Even our convict had good taste")
Luckily being a french polisher identifed him in many records and proved the connection to his descendants when his immediate family had hushed up his convict origins. Apart from his baptism in 1810 I know nothing about his parents or forebears. Ah you win some! Gazania
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I've just found out that my great granddad was a "car conductor" in 1911. I didn't even know cars could play. ;D ;D ;D
Michelle ;)
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Coming from Liverpool, most of my rellies are dock labourers or shipwrights. I have no ag labs. lol.
I do have a male hairdresser, a brass moulder and lots of stone masons.
Red ;D
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Following on from Redcop's barber rellie I have a Peruke maker (yes that's what I thought) apparently he made those mens wigs you see in Jane Austen novels.But how about a marine store dealer ....in Birmingham.
Jim
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It's good to read all the occupations.......a Peruke maker certainly sounds very grand!
Jan
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They were made from human hair sold to him by the needy.It all had to be cut,washed,sown in,curled and then baked before being powdered.I'd rather sell matches.
Jim