Why go to Southampton in 1847?

[Helen Mary]

To update you all I have just received John Job's birth cert.
He was born at 10 Sussex Terrace All Saints ( 16/8/1848) and when registered by Elizabeth (6/9/1848) she was living in Portland Street, All Saints, Southampton. (but no number given) and the father's occupation is listed as servant.

I had a look at the Southampton post office books , I could not find 10 Sussex terrace in the 1847 but in 1849 it was owned by John Stear - Fireman
As to Portland Street  there are too many houses to know which one they worked in but I has a look on google earth and they are  seem to a very nice terrace of houses.
I will keep looking to see if I cn find any more info.

[HughC]

I've just discovered this thread. 
James Beatty from Enniskillen was my GGGfather.

He was surveying the Manchester & Derby railway in 1840, the Norwich and Lowestoft lines in 1842.  Don't know what he was doing in Leicester in 1841, but his occupation looks to me like ingenieur.

He was chief engineer for the Southampton & Dorchester railway from 1845.

We have a copy of his will at the family home, but I don't remember him leaving anything to any employees.  In any case, by the time he was surveying the New Brunswick railway in 1852 his home was in Camden Town, London, where he probably had a different set of domestic servants.

[Helen Mary]

Thanks WeeHugh for the information.