Mystery occupations. Can anyone explain what they were?

[Mobo]

 

Could be that grocers sn could be Grocer's Son and grocer li could be Grocer Licenced

 

[emilysiobhan]

Regarding Pauls Witch well hole maker....there is a watch jewel hole maker also on the 1881 census.....could this have turned into a witch well?

 Herbert ASTON      Son            Male      14      Coventry, Warwick, England      Watch Jewel Hole Maker (Apprentice)
Public Records Office Reference     RG11
    Piece / Folio     3068 / 95
    Page Number     25

Actually theres quite a few ..particularly in Coventry with also a few in London.
Was Coventry a big watch making place in 1881??

Otherwise there are quite a few button hole makers..are there any strange buttons called a witch well??

Best Regards,

Emily

[Paul E]

Thank you for clearing that one up Emily!

Wonder if he was responsible for making the hole or making the jewel?

best wishes

Paul

[Berlin-Bob]

I tried googling  watch jewell hole maker but got too many hits,
so I then tried watch "jewell hole" maker
and got two hits:

1) ... Coventry, Warwickshire, England Note: Timerick||David||married||50||jewell hole
maker||. ... England Note: Timerick||Samuel||married||30||watch finisher||Coventry ...

.... but with a dead link, and

2)
This would seem to be his family on the 1901 Census index living in Leyton....

Joseph Hough: [b.c. 1853, London St Lukes] Jewell Hole Marker
Florence Hough: [b.c. 1860, London Bermondsey]
Henrietta Hough: [b.c. 1878, Essex Leyton] Jewel Hole Maker

at http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/HOUGH/2003-11/1070143337

Still doesn't explain what they did !!  Probably need a watchmaker's site for that.

[Berlin-Bob]

Oooops ---- I tried spelling it right this time  (  )

            watch "jewel hole" maker

Got lots of hits including this one: http://www.watches-lexic.ch/pages/eng/tec/exp3.htm  with a full explanation of jewel holes and pictures to go with it.   --- all to do with shock absorbers and things !!

Fascinating reading ---- if you are interested. 

And if not, it's nice to know that the information is always there, if you can find it   

[Paul E]

WOW that's technical, Bob!  Detailed is not the word.  Thanks for the link!

Paul

[Shanko]

Have found an ancestor with an occupation of Confectioner BUT also has next to it Slue Keeper. What in the dobbledocks is a Slue Keeper?

 
Shanko

[casalguidi]

Hi Shanko

Could it be sluice keeper?  Did they live near a canal/waterway/lock?  If so, they may have been responsible for opening and closing the sluice gates when required.

Casalguidi

[Berlin-Bob]

First stop, Google;  found a reference: " ...as fish in pond or slue get loose  ... "

which made me think of drains, or a canal or sluice ...

and while I was thinking about it, Casalguidi posted her entry !