Multi-tasking ancestors

[LizzieL]

I have often come across a person having two occupations listed on the same census, but frequently they are connected
e.g farmer and butcher - presumably raises the livestock, slaughters them and sells the meat.
also farmer combined with miller would probably grow grain as well as milling his own and other peoples crops.

Beer house keepers often had a side line, presumably they couldn't support the family on a single occupation.

But today I came across an unconnected combination on the 1871 census: Photographer and shoemaker. (Adam Duncan age 32 born Scotland living in Lancashire.) Apart from it being quite early to be a professional photographer, the two professions seem completely unconnected.

Has anyone else come across such an odd mix?

[youngtug]

1870's is not realy early for a photographer. Seems like he was not the only one to diversify into photography. http://www.photohistory-sussex.co.uk/Hailshamphotgrs.htm
I do have coal merchant and chicken farmer, farmer and baker, Inn keeper and music seller and also cattle dealer and baker in my tree, amongst others

[Treetotal]

I have a "Druggist and Commision Agent" in 1871 And in 1891 a female listed as a "Herbalist and Medium"....I've never come across this before.
Carol

[iluleah]

Insurance agent, 'Braver's' Traveller and Photographer is about the only one which doesn't seem to fit together......... (I think 'Braver' was really a 'Brewer')

[Ayashi]

I have one ancestor who, to my eternal confusion, appears to have married as a weaver (his father's trade), and has children variously as a butcher (his brother's occupation) or a labourer. Of course, the obvious conclusion is "probably more than one man!" except I've only found the one birth, the one marriage and the one death... Still scratching my head over that one.

[Rosinish]

married as a weaver (his father's trade), and has children variously as a butcher (his brother's occupation) or a labourer. Of course, the obvious conclusion is "probably more than one man!" except I've only found the one birth, the one marriage and the one death... Still scratching my head over that one.

Ayashi,

That made me laugh 

It makes you wonder when people do have the 'wrong' person with different occupations, why they don't double check as it's an obvious thing to look for although as in your case it's different but sometimes when people come across similar names of married couples etc. in same areas they often miss/dismiss the occupation & concentrate on working out why people with same names have discrepancies with their ages as well as their occupations?

I do have one 'on hold' can't remember the details but it was to do with his occupation!

Annie

[youngtug]

People did, and do change their occupations, annoying though it is, I have a person who went from ag, lab, to coal miner and ended up a watchmaker on succesive census but for the purpose of this thread I listed people who where noted to have dual occupations on the one census, except the one on the 1939 register.

[clairec666]

The only "multitasking" relative I can find is a publican/butcher, which I guess isn't particularly unusual. His pub was called the Shoulder of Mutton.

I've found loads of people who've changed occupations - particularly railway-related jobs having started out as a farm labourer. A reflection of the economy at the time, I suppose.

[Ayashi]

Ayashi,

That made me laugh 
[...]

Annie

My only real theory at this point is that the brother died a couple of years after my ancestor's marriage and perhaps my ancestor inherited the butcher's shop. Of course, that doesn't help with the labouring part. So far the changing occupations are the ONLY thing suggestive of more than one man. That said, even one thing bothers the heck out of me.