Puddler! A What?!

[obsessedorwhat]

One of our ancestors was a Puddler - does anyone know what this is! Was.

Thank you for any help
 

[c-side]

Found on genuki

PUDDLER
[1] A person who worked clay into puddle.
[2] A person who worked with puddle to make things water tight e.g. canal walls.
[3] A person who worked in puddling iron.


Christine

[groom]

These are useful sites for old occupations

http://www.census1891.com/occupations-w.htm

http://rmhh.co.uk/occup/index.html

[obsessedorwhat]

Christine, Groom

many thanks indeed for that info.  Now off to research the art of puddling.


 
 

[stanmapstone]

In the 'Dictionary of Occupational Terms' there is a separate category for Puddler with 10 entries.
Part of the entry for an Iron Puddler is; worked on an Iron Furnace charging it with pig iron and turning the pig iron into wrought iron by puddling, that is charging the hearth with iron oxide powder and stirring it into the molten pig iron with a rabble, or fork at the furnace end until the iron slowly became purer. Repairs worn parts of lining of furnace by ramming in mixture of slag and iron oxide, which fuses and fills up cracks when furnace is in use.

Stan

[maggbill]

A common occupation in large UK cities e.g. Glasgow - In middle to late 1800's, they had a risk of living rarely till 50 years of age - an incredibly harsh and dangerous occupation! 

[Skoosh]

Magbill is correct, very hard work but comparitively well paid!     Skoosh.

[maggbill]

Skoosh,
Possibly became a fairly well paid job - in the 1900's, but the particular relative I am thinking of in my tree, really had a hard time - huge family, living in the "Garngad" slum area of Glasgow, - dying age only 46 or so... think their life was a bad combination of occupational hazards, bad housing, health facilities, industrial pollution,..... Boy, oh boy - we are lucky eh?
Maggs

[Skoosh]

Snap Maggs, I had rellies who were Puddlers came up to Glasgow from England, they went native in a generation, lived in the Toonheid, probably worked at Blochairn.    Skoosh.