Author Topic: Occupation abbreviation L (or I) M  (Read 2832 times)

Offline Molly Atkin

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Occupation abbreviation L (or I) M
« on: Wednesday 18 August 10 09:27 BST (UK) »
Hello
Can anyone help explain the occupation abbreviation L (or could be I) M which appears in the 1841 census records for Seaham Harbour, Durham? There's lots of men who this appears against so it must be a common occupation but it's not an abbreviation I've come across before.
Thanks in anticipation
Molly

Offline stanmapstone

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Re: Occupation abbreviation L (or I) M
« Reply #1 on: Wednesday 18 August 10 09:31 BST (UK) »
Can you give a reference or name so that the page can be seen?
Just to add 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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Offline Molly Atkin

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Re: Occupation abbreviation L (or I) M
« Reply #2 on: Wednesday 18 August 10 17:30 BST (UK) »
Hi Stan

The source information (and I hope this is what you need) is 1841 HO107; Piece 311; Book: 5; Civil Parish: Dalton Le Dale; County: Durham; Enumeration District: 6; Folio: 36; Page: 30. Ancestor name is Thomas Bell b abt 1781.

Cheers

Molly

Offline stanmapstone

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Re: Occupation abbreviation L (or I) M
« Reply #3 on: Wednesday 18 August 10 19:29 BST (UK) »
Hi Molly,
I am baffled  :( I have looked at the entries from page 1, and the enumerator has L M opposite males and females of all ages from one year old upwards  ??? so I don't know what it means.

Stan
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Offline danuslave

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Re: Occupation abbreviation L (or I) M
« Reply #4 on: Wednesday 18 August 10 20:33 BST (UK) »
I think it's only opposite certain people (mostly male).  The curly brackets seem to be used to indicate members of the same family.

I also think it could be U not M and there's also an occasional  S  U

Possibly  Labourer Unemployed and Servant Unemployed??

Linda
MOXHAM/MOXAM - Wiltshire & Surrey
SKEATS - Surrey
BRETT - Kent & County Durham
and
SWINBANK - anywhere

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Offline Molly Atkin

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Re: Occupation abbreviation L (or I) M
« Reply #5 on: Thursday 19 August 10 07:55 BST (UK) »
Thanks for having a look - I've never come across this before so I'm not sure what to make of it.

Regards
Molly

Offline Gadget

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Re: Occupation abbreviation L (or I) M
« Reply #6 on: Thursday 19 August 10 08:24 BST (UK) »
Hi

I've had a good look through that ED (6) and the previous big one (5), which is in the same hand.  I think that it is an S M - S looks like the same form as in shoemaker, etc. Although some of the early ones look a bit L-ish  ::) Also pretty sure it is an M and both letters are similar to the MS (male servant)  It's not an L for Labourer as he writes labourer with a small l (lab). 

In the previous ED (5)* , there are quite a few neatly written 'seaman'. Could he have got fed up of writing this out and abbreviated it to S M.

Alternatively - maybe sail maker  ???


Gadget

* 5 rather than 5a because 5a is all vessels anyway!
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Offline Gadget

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Re: Occupation abbreviation L (or I) M
« Reply #7 on: Thursday 19 August 10 08:44 BST (UK) »
It is very odd - they seem to be S in some instances and then Ls - I'm more perplexed now  ::)

Added - anything to do with coal mining - what were their jobs in 1851?
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Offline stanmapstone

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Re: Occupation abbreviation L (or I) M
« Reply #8 on: Thursday 19 August 10 09:09 BST (UK) »
I have tried to find some in 1851, but it is tedious, going through person by person to try and find them.

Stan
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