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Some Special Interests => Occupation Interests => Topic started by: obsessedorwhat on Sunday 29 May 11 23:22 BST (UK)

Title: Puddler! A What?!
Post by: obsessedorwhat on Sunday 29 May 11 23:22 BST (UK)

One of our ancestors was a Puddler - does anyone know what this is! Was.

Thank you for any help
 :D
Title: Re: Puddler! A What?!
Post by: c-side on Sunday 29 May 11 23:30 BST (UK)
Found on genuki

PUDDLER
[1] A person who worked clay into puddle.
[2] A person who worked with puddle to make things water tight e.g. canal walls.
[3] A person who worked in puddling iron.


Christine
Title: Re: Puddler! A What?!
Post by: groom on Sunday 29 May 11 23:37 BST (UK)
These are useful sites for old occupations

http://www.census1891.com/occupations-w.htm

http://rmhh.co.uk/occup/index.html
Title: Re: Puddler! A What?!
Post by: obsessedorwhat on Sunday 29 May 11 23:46 BST (UK)
Christine, Groom

many thanks indeed for that info.  Now off to research the art of puddling.


 ;)
 
Title: Re: Puddler! A What?!
Post by: stanmapstone on Monday 30 May 11 09:01 BST (UK)
In the 'Dictionary of Occupational Terms' there is a separate category for Puddler with 10 entries.
Part of the entry for an Iron Puddler is; worked on an Iron Furnace charging it with pig iron and turning the pig iron into wrought iron by puddling, that is charging the hearth with iron oxide powder and stirring it into the molten pig iron with a rabble, or fork at the furnace end until the iron slowly became purer. Repairs worn parts of lining of furnace by ramming in mixture of slag and iron oxide, which fuses and fills up cracks when furnace is in use.

Stan
Title: Re: Puddler! A What?!
Post by: maggbill on Monday 30 May 11 09:26 BST (UK)
A common occupation in large UK cities e.g. Glasgow - In middle to late 1800's, they had a risk of living rarely till 50 years of age - an incredibly harsh and dangerous occupation! 
Title: Re: Puddler! A What?!
Post by: Skoosh on Monday 30 May 11 10:38 BST (UK)
Magbill is correct, very hard work but comparitively well paid!     Skoosh.
Title: Re: Puddler! A What?!
Post by: maggbill on Monday 30 May 11 10:49 BST (UK)
Skoosh,
Possibly became a fairly well paid job - in the 1900's, but the particular relative I am thinking of in my tree, really had a hard time - huge family, living in the "Garngad" slum area of Glasgow, - dying age only 46 or so... think their life was a bad combination of occupational hazards, bad housing, health facilities, industrial pollution,..... Boy, oh boy - we are lucky eh?
Maggs
Title: Re: Puddler! A What?!
Post by: Skoosh on Monday 30 May 11 15:29 BST (UK)
Snap Maggs, I had rellies who were Puddlers came up to Glasgow from England, they went native in a generation, lived in the Toonheid, probably worked at Blochairn.    Skoosh.