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Author Topic: Job description - 1851  (Read 1061 times)

Offline sandra63

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Job description - 1851
« on: Friday 28 September 12 22:36 BST (UK) »
My 3x great grandfathers job in the 1851 census has been listed as "Illuminating Optician". I have tried searching to ascertain exactly what this involved but haven't been very successful.  Does anyone out there have any ideas that you can throw my way.

Many thanks
Sandra

Offline polly88

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Re: Job description - 1851
« Reply #1 on: Saturday 29 September 12 04:53 BST (UK) »
Sorry can't help Sandra.  It sounds like something to do with opticians, I don't know when glasses first appeared but I wonder what early opticians were called?  Maybe illuminating opticians?  I did a search but could only find this site, to do with pre-cameras - magic lanterns.  Good luck in your search.

http://www.collectorsweekly.com/photographs/magic-lantern
Begley - St Helens & Liverpool & somewhere in Ireland.
Foster - Liverpool & Yorkshire (Ripon & Leeds)
Pendleton - Huyton & Liverpool
Milnes - Leeds & Ripon
Banister - Preston
Wales - Liverpool & Cumberland
Ireland - Prescot
McDonough - Liverpool
Quirk - Liverpool
Hunt - St Helens
Tickle - St Helens

Offline 3sillydogs

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Re: Job description - 1851
« Reply #2 on: Saturday 29 September 12 08:20 BST (UK) »
Hi,

Some suggestions are that illuminating opticians specialised in gas lighting
Paylet, Pallatt, Morris (Russia, UK) Burke, Hillery, Page, Rumsey, Stevens, Tyne/Thynne(UK)  Landman, van Rooyen, Tyne, Stevens, Rumsey, Visagie, Nell (South Africa)

Offline stanmapstone

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Re: Job description - 1851
« Reply #3 on: Saturday 29 September 12 08:57 BST (UK) »
See http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/ENG-LANCS-WOOLTON-MUCH/2006-09/1159095874 which mentions a Joseph Perks (The 1851 census return describes him as an "Illuminating optician")

Stan
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Offline sandra63

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Re: Job description - 1851
« Reply #4 on: Saturday 29 September 12 11:31 BST (UK) »
Thank you all for your contributions, interesting that Joseph is in the Liverpool census of West Derby because that is where my 3x GG was living at the time.  With this information I can delve further.

Best regards
Sandra

Offline Nick29

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Re: Job description - 1851
« Reply #5 on: Saturday 29 September 12 12:43 BST (UK) »
I think it may have involved looking into the eye with the aid of an external light, which is now routine in a modern opticians.  Previously, opticians would have specialised in the effects of lenses on the eyes.
RIP 1949-10th January 2013

Best Wishes,  Nick.

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