Occupation query - COMPLETED THANKS

[km1971]

You need to check other w's. I think it is Cow with a twirl at the end.

Ken

[Rena]

Where does the family live?  It looks like OAR HARPOONER to me -

[lookingforold]

HO107; Piece 85; Book: 19; Civil Parish: St Andrew The Less; County: Cambridgeshire

the only one I cant read on the page! 

I am seeing it as on HO107; 85/5/page 4

[Greensleeves]

Hi all and thanks for the input!  To give you a bit of background,   I am currently taking part in Jenquest's scavenger hunt (Common Room) and we are trying to locate the Howell family in Cambridge (St Andrew The Less).  The family members all appear to be Joiners, Carpenters or Shoemakers, but this chap doesn't seem to have an occupation akin to any of those, and may not be one of the focus family.   I can't think he would be doing much harpooning on the Cam (but it does conjure up a lovely picture!) though a Cow Keeper would not be impossible.

Am most grateful to you all for your thoughts,
Regards,
Greensleeves

[Rena]

It's quite difficult surfing for information about Cambridgeshire because of the thousands of search results eminating from Cambridge Book Publishing  .

I looked on Genuki and noted there was money in sheep but as we all know from the Oxford & Cambridge boat race there's also a river running through the town and pre WWI rivers used to be extremely busy thoroughfares.  I've only ever heard of rowlocks to keep the oars in place.

I'm from a seaport which used to send out the fleet to catch whales for their blubber.  When a whale was sighted, a rowing boat was launched from the mother ship, this 'rowing' boat had a man with a harpoon gun at the bows.

[Geoff-E]

Re Harpooner ... once you have removed the two letter y's and the tick that the enumerator has added after the occupation, the word doesn't seem to be long enough.

[macintosh]

I think the first letter of the second word is H  look at the H of his surname, both the same? maybe the second word of his occupation is Helper, the loop of the Y impacts on the end of the word making it appear longer that in it is.

James

[Rena]

I downloaded the jpeg and turned it into a negative - even if you take away the things you mention; the down loop from the line above, etc., and also discount the writing that has bled through from the other side of the page there's evidence that there's more letters to the word "Keeper" or "Harpoon"

[Greensleeves]

I am most grateful to you all for your thoughts on this.  I'm still a bit bemused as to his occupation, but combining some of your suggestions, I think - whatever the truth of the matter -  in my mind he will forever be a 'Cow Harpoonist'....