Traveler as occupation on certificate

[liz-bris]

Hello

I have an ancestor whose fathers name is listed as traveler on his birth certificate in 1841 in Devon. So is this really likely to be a profession or is it referring to his being a 'gypsy'? His mother registered the birth and did an x for her signature. She is on census as born in parish.

In the census taken that year, a few months before his birth, his father is listed as (hard to read) either doctor or factor, but both he and an older child are listed as not born in area and of foreign parts. Any ideas where I could go from here?

[Ruskie]

Liz, if you give us some names we'll take a look at the censuses to see what can be gleaned from them - and you're sure to get some opinions on the occupation on the census too.

Traveller could be a gypsy or a travelling salesman.

I would also check other censuses for the family to confirm occupations and places of birth.

[barryd]

The occupation seems more like a "Commerical Traveller" which in itself seems to be archiac now or as Ruskie states - a travelling salesman. I have seen instances of when a member of a family makes a product and another travels and sells it.

[liz-bris]

Thanks for offering to look at it. The census is Devon HO107/303/7

Address Quay Barnstaple The family are Benjamin Russell, wife Charlotte and daughter Mary.

Any opinions on the occupation would be appreciated.

Have not been able to find anything about this family other than birth certificate anywhere.

[liz-bris]

By the 1851 census father Benjamin is not there, nor is the daughter. There is a possible death of the name Benjamin Russell in Bideford for father, and a few possible for child Mary in ten year period.

Just Mother and son Benjamin (born 1841) in Bideford in 1851. 

[Ruskie]

Um, well I can't work out what that occupation might be ....
-octor
At one stage I thought it might be
-ochor
But I see that it would be a 't' as it is similar to others on the page.
But I can't work out what the first letter is - it looks a bit like an 'and' sign.
I can't see anything like it elsewhere on the page/s.

[Ruskie]

I think I'm being distracted by a line through the first letter. Minus the line it looks a bit like a J or an I ... 

Maybe more like a J.  It doesn't look like the I of Innkeeper on the previous page ...

Having said that, it doesn't really look like the Jo of John further up the page.

In the 1851 census, Charlotte's status has a great big line through it. I't hard to say if she's a widr, unmar or Mar ...

[suzard]

Hello


In the census taken that year, a few months before his birth, his father is listed as (hard to read) either doctor or factor, but both he and an older child are listed as not born in area and of foreign parts. Any ideas where I could go from here?

I don't think Benjamin and Mary are b in "Foreign Parts" They both have "N" at the side of their names meaning "not b. in county living in "(i.e. devon)
If they had been born in Foreign parts there would be "F" in end column - or "S" for Scotland I for Ireland . There is a tick in that column - as there is against all of the "N"'s -and further down the page against  some of the yes's. Possibly the ticks are just checking marks

Suz

[liz-bris]

Thanks Suz for looking at that aspect. I couldn't see it properly and wasn't sure.

Re the name of the possible occupation - another occupation I thought of was Rector - a long shot? Anyone think this the first letter is an R?

Thanks Liz