Genealogy Chat

plz see below...

I think I have the correct death cert of my g.grandfather all except for his occupation.Everything else adds up.1872. On the 1871 census he was down as 'Home filer' but on his death cert, he is a 'chain maker' Do you think it could be the same profession? He lived and died in Walsall Staffs. Gerri.

Gerri I don't know what either of those jobs entailed, but I do know from my family that often chaps changed occupation. I have a rellie who is a fisherman on one census, a railway labourer on another and an ag lab on his death cert. I have another ancestor who was a footman, butler, ran a lodging house, worked as a beadle, assistant underseer of the poor, a vestry messenger & coroner's officer. How common is this chap's name and does the informant's name help at all? nell

Just found that a filer made files, so presumably a home filer either made files to use at home, or worked from home? Either way, working with metal, as a chain maker would do. nell

Gooling 'Home filer' didn't bring up any relevant hits, but I should have thought that a filer would be working with metal. Did he die really young, or does he have an occupation in 1861?

Nell I hardly dare put who's hubby he was on here...LOL so will whisper it.....(he was FLIPPIN MATILDAS MIDDLE HUBBY!) John Poole 1833-1873 She also married brothers...George and John Horton. The informant on his death cert was a Mary Ann Sanders. I have since found out Marys maiden name was......wait for it......HORTON! I cant get away from this flippin woman! lol Thanks for your ideas Gerri x

When I was a kiddie, to make extra money mum used to file down metal at home - often us kids got involved too. I wouldnt be surprised if this chap did some home filing of metal chains?

Thanks Heather. Thats gotta be him hasnt it? well, I feel sure it is now. Poor fella died of smallpox. 2 months before they opened the new isolation Hospital :-(( How lucky we are nowadays! (just wish he had reg: his flipin kids!) ho hum... Gerri x

If the smallpox took him quick he probably got off lightly. Loads of my Mum's ancestors were file cutters and most died young. They got 'grinders lung' from breathing in all the metal shards. Their lungs would bleed or get infected and most died before they were 45. There were a lot of Oxspring widows in Sheffield.

Mum used to have this huge box of metal handles delivered and wed sit there night after night filing the edges of the castings off - gawd it was hard work and your hands got sore and your shoulders ached. I would imagine he was doing something similar.