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Some Special Interests => Occupation Interests => Topic started by: floggle toggle on Tuesday 11 February 20 07:37 GMT (UK)

Title: Carpet Beater
Post by: floggle toggle on Tuesday 11 February 20 07:37 GMT (UK)
Hello

has anyone any idea what a Carpet Beater was?

The only reference on RC was: https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=663428.msg5088580#msg5088580
I found this on the will of James J (Johnson) McKellow died 5.12.1904 South Melbourne Australia. It looks to me on the original and the transcriber at Ancestry as Carpet Beater, this seems to be an "odd" occupation, but then the first powered cleaning machine was so cumbersome it was carried around on a horse-drawn wagon.

Title: Re: Carpet Beater
Post by: KGarrad on Tuesday 11 February 20 08:10 GMT (UK)
Carpetbeater is on the Alphabetical List of Occupations and Industries, 16th US Census 1940.
Also ditto 15th Census 1930.

So obviously it was someone employed to beat the dust out of rugs and carpets.
May have been needed for a big house?
Title: Re: Carpet Beater
Post by: chempat on Tuesday 11 February 20 08:38 GMT (UK)
Tried to do a shrinklink to a better site, but would not shrink it, so this is a different version

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015008703111&view=1up&seq=2

Search carpet beater.

Wonder if it was part of the manufacture process?

Now trying to work out what (99) was.
Title: Re: Carpet Beater
Post by: maddys52 on Tuesday 11 February 20 08:48 GMT (UK)
There are lots of advertisements for and mentions of carpet beaters on trove:
https://trove.nla.gov.au/

Modified to add:
An example:
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8402479
(amongst "lighter kinds of works" like bill distribution, carpet beating and window cleaning)

Title: Re: Carpet Beater
Post by: KGarrad on Tuesday 11 February 20 08:51 GMT (UK)
1940 US Census: http://www.rootschat.com/links/01p15/

1930 US Census: http://www.rootschat.com/links/01p16/
Title: Re: Carpet Beater
Post by: chempat on Tuesday 11 February 20 08:53 GMT (UK)
In 1844 England, a French polisher and carpet beater became insolvent.  Doing both jobs but neither paid enough, presumably.
Title: Re: Carpet Beater
Post by: maddys52 on Tuesday 11 February 20 08:57 GMT (UK)
"J J McKellow and Co, Steam City Carpet Cleaning Works
Carpets Beaten, Cleaned, Altered and Re-Laid ..."

Advocate, 23 Feb 1901
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article170603820
Title: Re: Carpet Beater
Post by: floggle toggle on Tuesday 11 February 20 09:07 GMT (UK)
Thank you everyone.
I also found these which might be of interest: https://www.hatads.org.uk/catalogue/record/f0c5d52e-d712-4970-b233-6242d5cc5814
And insurance for these people: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=9EQKAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA1769&lpg=PA1769&dq=STEAM+CARPET+BEATING+1904&source=bl&ots=CtJNkxTijg&sig=ACfU3U1ieflwx3moCDM950UUs8LIBvnT8A&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwizsuOwkMnnAhXbh1wKHXVwDG8Q6AEwFXoECAoQAQ#v=onepage&q=STEAM%20CARPET%20BEATING%201904&f=false