Social Status Late Regency/Early Victorian

[Mowsehowse]

Perhaps wrongly, I always assume things were worse the further back one goes, rather than better.

My late Father in Law, born in the early 1920's, started his working life as a clerk at a bank. He used to tell us of how they would sit, in very dim light, (candles obviously during Regency times,) using dip pens to enter the figures into ledgers. They were not allowed to go home until they had balanced to the exact 1/4d.

I can imagine clerks spent most of their working lives being perished during cold weather, as when sitting still all day, one does feel the cold terribly.

[Maiden Stone]

I can imagine clerks spent most of their working lives being perished during cold weather, as when sitting still all day, one does feel the cold terribly.

That reminds me of a clerk wearing fingerless gloves in a film or tv version of "Christmas Carol" or another Dickens' novel.

[saw119]

I can imagine clerks spent most of their working lives being perished during cold weather, as when sitting still all day, one does feel the cold terribly.

That reminds me of a clerk wearing fingerless gloves in a film or tv version of "Christmas Carol" or another Dickens' novel.

In that respect Dickens has alot to answer for!

[Maiden Stone]

In that respect Dickens has alot to answer for!

He sure does. I recall being frightened by certain scenes or characters in tv and film versions of "Great Expectations" and "The Old Curiosity Shop".

[Viktoria]

In that respect Dickens has alot to answer for!

He sure does. I recall being frightened by certain scenes or characters in tv and film versions of "Great Expectations" and "The Old Curiosity Shop".

Ooo yes,when Magwitch the escaped convict comes from behind a tombstone
when Pip is visiting his mother’s grave,had nightmares for years,Great Expectations.
Also a film with Ingrid Bergman and I think Michael Wilding,”Under Capricorn”, a shrunken headis played at the bottom of the bed, inbetween the sheets,I slept with my knees drawn up for years.
Viktoria.

[saw119]

Thread necromancy here but this subject still consumes me. It's recently been rekindled and I've been obsessed with it these past few days. I wish I could pin my clerk down as well. I assembled a list of his stated occupations from census, marriage and baptism records and this is what resulted:
1840 Book Keeper
1844 Delivery Clerk
1846 Carriers Clerk
1849 Public Clerk
1851 Railway Clerk
1857 Carriers foreman
1859 Railway Clerk
1861 Public Clerk
1871 Commercial clerk
Some of these are compatible with each other but some aren't and it has me tearing my hair out at times. I just want to know everything about this man's life and I simply cannot. I've come to the conclusion, based on advice from the NRM, that he worked for the LNWR based at Euston station from 1850-1860 ISH but that Carriers Foreman in 1857 is a bit of a curveball. I can reconcile it if I squint hard enough. I just really wanted a space to offload my thoughts.

[PurdeyB]

The term clerk covers a multitude of sins. In the 20th century clerk was used in railway and local government terminology to cover a variety of administrative roles below management grades.

A railway clerk at Euston could well have worked on commercial freight. In the days before HGVs, goods would be carried to major stations then transported on from there. He could well have switched between a clerical role in the railway freight offices to one with an onward carrier.

[saw119]

The term clerk covers a multitude of sins. In the 20th century clerk was used in railway and local government terminology to cover a variety of administrative roles below management grades.

A railway clerk at Euston could well have worked on commercial freight. In the days before HGVs, goods would be carried to major stations then transported on from there. He could well have switched between a clerical role in the railway freight offices to one with an onward carrier.

That's a good, and interesting, thought. I'm glad you suggested it.