Photograph: Nancy Rica Schiff. Image: Daily Mail (click for more photos)
In 1801, Britain’s first census was begun. A subsequent survey, conducted in 1881, asked residents to declare their “rank, profession or occupation.” Here are some of the more puzzling responses, as preserved by the London Genealogical Society and Jeff Kacirk of Sellers Publishing, Inc:
- Colorist of artificial fish
- Knight of the Thimble
- Disinfector of railways
- Examiner of underclothing
- Invisible net maker
- Electric bath attendant
- Proprietor of midgets
- Fifty-two years an imbecile
- Knocker-up of workpeople
- Maker of sand views
- Gymnast to house painter
- Turnip shepherd
- Emasculator
- Sampler of drugs
- Fatuous pauper
- Drowner
- Fish-bender
- Goldfish-catcher
- Cow-banger
- Running about
- Grape-dryer
- Beef twister
- Random waller
If you’re on the lookout for some more obscure modern-day equivalents, check out this Daily Mail post on Nancy Rica Schiff’s photographs of people with odd jobs. Also, check out Sarah Vernon’s post on Knocker-Uppers.
Now, where is a good turnip shepherd when you need one…
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I have a Turnip Shepherd ancestor, I love the title so much that I often use as a job title myself! 😉
Lol – that’s an awesome title alright 😀
This post tickled me. I was just thinking that the title emasculator has not disappeared – I can think of the few of them right now!
Lol – wonder what you might call them now, though 🙂
Seems to me that they had fun with this sort of thing back in 1881. I can picture a group of writers getting together to come up with zany answers to that question. 🙂
Ha ha – yes, that sure explains it 😀
Hilarious, Nicolas, thanks for my morning smile.
Leslie
So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
As a genealogists, I’m fascinated with work titles. They were so interesting back then. I have a book specifically to define old professions. It’s called “The Many Names of Country People – An Historical Dictionary from the Twelfth Century Onward” by John. T. Schlebecker.
It doesn’t list cow banger, but it does have several ‘cow’ professions, including ‘cow leech’: healer, animal physician. Treats diseases and injuries of cattle, and specializes in the care of bovine animals. Veterinarian. 1700s to 19th century, inclusive.
Out of curiosity, I had to google Knight of the Thimble. It was a tailor. Funny stuff.
The most shocking fact in all of this is Britain’s first census wasn’t taken until
1801. We have several census records in Canada before that time and we were founded by the British. Perhaps it was because Britain wanted a tally on what that had in the New County.
Thanks for sharing.
Interesting info about Canadian census! Didn’t know that.
Looks like ‘Knight of the thimble’ means what you’d suspect–a tailor.
What, no Monty Python sketch?
I had a good chuckle. I suppose you get used to any job and become matter-of-fact about it. 😀 Interesting and illuminating read. Thanks.
Intimacy breeds contempt, as the Bard might have put it 🙂
And we wonder why people think we’re ‘eccentric’? LOL Thanks for raising a big smile Nick 😉
Gotta love you Brits 😀
I think I remember years back there was a British census where enough people put ‘Jedi’ down for their religion. So it was made official or something. Hope somebody added ‘Sith’ by now because fair is fair.
Absolutely. There is that balance thing to take into account.
Like Sarah, I am familiar with the job of ‘knocker-up.’ When I was a small boy in London, during the 1950s, this was still very common. Factory and Docks workers would employ someone for a pittance, to make sure that they were not late for work. If they showed up late, they would not be allowed to work that day, and would lose the pay too.
I used to ask my parents, “Who wakes up the knocker-up?”
In 1970s London, I knew many people who might well have given the reply ‘Sampler of drugs.’
Best wishes, Pete.
Lol – somehow, I don’t think that’s what your parents answered you 😀
Wonderful. I fancy the occupation of ‘Running About’! As with your previous commentator, I knew about knocker-uppers. You might enjoy this post about them on my history blog: https://firstnighthistory.wordpress.com/2016/02/27/the-knocker-up-of-baldock/.
Thank you so much for the link 😀
Ah – the good old days! Now we are stuck with straight fish and beef, not to mention a plague of rogue turnips.
Ha ha – now I’m all nostalgic 😀
I think I have the same calendar as you, Nick! I loved this piece. I do actually know what a knocker-up of workpeople is (useful facts are not my thing, but useless, now, that’s a different story) – their job was to wake people up for factory jobs etc by knocking on their doors…
What I had in mind was definitely naughtier – and more fun…
Yeah. Sorry about that. I live to dirge, remember.
I don’t know, I rather enjoyed our evening out. Even the incomprehensible guy at the pub 🙂
Even I hadn’t met his like before, and I thought I’d seen it all in that place. Thank goodness you never found out I hired actors to stage the whole thing.
Well, that sure does explain a lot 😀
Lol this post had me in hysterics. I wonder what on earth a knight of the thimble is??? Or what a knocker-up of work people does – some of these sound really disturbing 😀
Lol – yes, it’s like something out of a Monty Python sketch 😀