What could my g-g-g-g-grandfather have been?? Photo attached

[PrueM]

Hello everyone,
I hope you clever folk can give me some ideas about what profession my 4x-g-grandfather, [Sidney] George INGRAM might have followed?  (We're not sure on the "Sidney" yet)
This is the only picture we have of him, and is obviously a photographic reproduction of an engraving in a book - you can see that it's a line engraving and that there is a seam down the middle where I assume the pages met (if you have any other ideas as to what this mark might be, I'd love to hear from you!)
His accoutrements suggest that he is a learned man, but we can't get further than that.  Two of his sons became schoolteachers, at least one with a University education, so could he have been one too?  What about the clergy?  We have checked the CofE database but as far as we know, his sons were Catholic - assume he wasn't a priest!
Any clues from anyone? 
Would love to hear from you!!
Thanks for having a look
Prue

Sorry, should have said, we think he would have been alive from about 1780 onwards.  Sons born 1811 and 1819.

[Nessie]

Don't think the book is particularly significant. Many photographers used props to give an impression to the viewer.

The line could be seen as a cane of some sort, so maybe he was a schoolmaster.

[PrueM]

Hi Nessie,
I don't think the line is a cane, because where it passes through the book, the two bits of book are out of alignment.  That's why I thought the picture itself was out of a book.
You're right about the book as a prop though, I reckon.  Thanks for taking an interest!
Prue

[Nessie]

Been thinking about the photo whilst I was walking the dog. I had noticed the white piece that was away from the book. But coming back and relooking, there doesn't seem to be any of the book missing.  That looks like a finger on the top of the white piece and it seems in proportion to the rest of the hand. Looking at the left hand there is what looks like a ring on the second finger, although it is well towards the hand if it is a ring and not a mark on the photo. My best guess is that he is a professional man, a teacher or a lawyer.

[Nessie]

Is something missing do you think? Looking at where the line is, there is only a small piece of the photo on the other page. Maybe there was someone else on the photo when it was in a book. Any idea what book it was in? there must have been a reason for his presence in the book.

[PrueM]

Hi Nessie,
Thanks for thinking while walking, that's more than I can manage when I'm out with my dogs !! 
We have no idea what the book was that this picture came from - if it came from a book at all.  The picture as we have it now is on photographic paper so it's obviously a copy  of a print.  I've posted a copy that I photoshopped to join the two pieces together - as you can see now there is just a book and the guy's finger. 
Hmmm....still doesn't really help though does it!

[KeithS]

My vote would be that he's an industrialist, something like a mill owner. Biopic's of local companies would contain pictures of the mill and the principals and were often engravings. he would have been able to afford an education for his sons.

Have you tried looking for the baptism of the sons? Almost certainly the occupation of the father of a child would be recorded.

Have you found his death. If post 1837 certificate would say something like <Mill Owner-Retired>. Might also record his occupation on the church Burial Register. regards. Keith

[Rod In Sussex]

Prue,

where do you think he lived? He was clearly well off from what you have said, so the chances are that there are other records that will refer to him. He may be in one of Piggotts Directories of the 1830s or a Poll Book for example. Once you have a bit more background, then it will be easier to follow up on what he was.

Rod

[PrueM]

Thank you everyone for your help and suggestions so far.  I'm sorry I didn't say where Sidney/George INGRAM was from etc...but really we don't know yet.  Here's what I have:

We have a suspicion that he is the George INGRAM who married Ann ANDREWS in Horton-with-Woodlands, Dorset in 1808. 

We know from the 1841/51 census that his son Joseph Henry INGRAM was born in Woodlands, Dorset in 1811, but haven't come up with any concrete evidence of baptism for Joseph yet.  In all the other census returns, Joseph gives place of birth as Bath, Somerset.  This is where his brother Samuel Frederick was born in 1819.  We have no baptism information for Samuel, either.

Joseph Henry INGRAM's marriage has not yet been found.  We suspect he married in France where his first few children were born.  Thus no parent names in that regard as of yet.

Samuel Frederick INGRAM's marriage certificate in 1850 states that his father George INGRAM was a clerk.  There's no "deceased" after George's name, so I assume he was still alive at that date.

And that, folks, is that.   

Keith, I was interested particularly in your idea that the picture might be from an industrialist's magazine or yearbook - I had not even entertained the idea of him being involved in industry, but of course it is definitely a consideration.  I will have to ask on the relevant county boards for some directory lookups - although what the relevant boards would be I have no idea.  I guess Dorset and Somerset would be good places to start.

If anyone has any more ideas, please hit me with them - I need all the help I can get!!

Many, many thanks to all of you 

Prue