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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: grantleydawn on Sunday 26 December 10 00:04 GMT (UK)
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In this 1841 Census, I can not work out the occupation of Susannah HICKS - "W.M."
In the 1851 & 1861 census she appears as an unmarried housekeeper.
Can anyone help me, please.
Regards
Grantley
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I think it's N, not M#
Wet Nurse?
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Thankyou PaulineJ,
I have looked again and to me it appears to be W.M., based on the way the names of Mary are written on the same sheet.
There is also a 15 year old in the same house with an occupation of W.M.
But you could still be right.
Regards
Grantley
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Hi Grantley
Having studied the handwriting on the page you have provided, I think what we have here is N.M which could stand for nurse monthly, although I have only ever seen them called monthly nurse.
Dale
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Is it an area where there is manufacturing? Could the M stand for 'Maker'?
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Could it be W.M for "With Means"?
Just a thought!
Copperbeech5
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These are the official abbreviations used in the censuses
Ag. Lab. 1841-81 Agricultural labourer
Ap. 1841-61 Apprentice
Army 1841 Members of HM land forces of whatever rank
Cl. 1841-61 Clerk
FS. 1841 Female servant
H.P. 1841 Members of HM armed forces on half-pay
Ind. 1841 Independent - people living on their own means
J. 1841 Journeyman
M. 1841 Manufacturer
m. 1841 Maker - as in 'Shoe m.'
MS 1841 Male servant
Navy 1841 Members of HM naval forces, including marines,
of whatever rank
P. 1841 Pensioners in HM armed forces
Rail Lab. 1851 Railway labourer
Serv. 1861 Servant
Sh. 1841 Shopman
Stan
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Thankyou everyone, for your help with this one.
There appears to be no standard/definite answer, which leaves it to the imagination.
Luckily it isn't critical to my research.
Ta.
Regards
Grantley
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Not sure about the W but perhaps the M is for maid?
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Hi there
I also have an 1841 census form with a few people giving their occupations as 'W M'. They are a mixture of men and women, and none of the suggested answers so far given seems likely. Any more suggestions would be welcome!
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Hi Big Ron,
Can you post your Census image, so we can see your example?
Regards
Grantley
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Hi Grantley
Here is a page with two examples, one male and one female. By way of background, it is a rural village whose main work was farming at this time as well as a declining textile (wool) industry. There were five people altogether with this abbreviation against their names, three male and two female, with ages ranging from 25 to 50. Unfortunately, none of them appeared in the 1851 census, so it is not possible to get more information on their occupations from that source. Any clues very welcome!
Ron
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I am sorry Ron, I can not add anything further.
W M (with means), as an alternative to Ind. (Independent or Own Means) would be acceptable in my case.
My Susannah HICKS was unmarried. Other than that I can add nothing.
Regards
Grantley
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Hi Grantley
The position of the individuals in their various family groups doesn't really support the 'With Means' hypothesis in my case - I suspect it has some specific job-related meaning, but I can't think what! However I am very interested to have discovered that mine is not a unique example which might otherwise have suggested a quirk of the particular enumerator.
Thanks very much for looking at it anyway, and if I do find any more answers I will post them here.
Ron