PART 8
LOCAL INDUSTRIES

Before the Industrial Revolution, most people belonged to the 'labouring class'; they could be divided into skilled and unskilled.  With skilled people, there was little difference between the master craftsman, who owned his own business, and the journeyman, who sold his services to an employer.  The unskilled worker, however, had no trade and no security.  Skilled persons were paid more, but even so, were poorly paid relative to the cost of living.  Wages were often paid in kind by providing food for the workers.

With the mention of food, we should remember that around 1700 AD the poor and working people lived mainly on cereals - rye, oats and barley - and on bread.  The usual beverage was ale.

The Industrial Revolution, which was not an overnight event as many would think, but a gradual process occurring between 1750-1850, brought about many changes.  Work which had previously been done in the home gave way to factory-style working, while hand working was progressively superseded by machine work.

Examples of this type of change in the parish were the establishing of Minkley's Brewery on Fox Road, which replaced home brewing, and the introduction of steam power for agricultural work.

Before the industrial change, there was little documentary information on the various occupations in the parish; the main ones would be concerned with agriculture, quarrying and subsequently coal mining.  Each of these subjects has been allotted a separate chapter.

There were, however, occasional references in documents such as inventories and tax returns, which give an insight into occupations of the period.  These included: blacksmiths, farriers, charcoal burners, doctors, herbalists, keepers, millers, servants, shoemakers, spirit merchants and stone workers.

By contrast, the ten-yearly census returns from 1841 to 1881 give a detailed picture of working life in the parish.  During this period no fewer than 226 forms of employment are listed: the number of persons employed in each provide some interesting pointers to the changing industrial scene.

The rise and subsequent decline in agriculture is clearly shown, as is the construction of the railway during the 1870's and also the development of the coalfield towards the end of the century.  Many well-established names in the parish are readily discernible and the variety of occupations with which they were involved, typically:

Ellis - engine driver, joiner, wheelwright, woodman

Rawson - engineer/driver, glazier, plumber, coach painter

Stubbings - blacksmith, grocer, sawyer, shoemaker, magnesia boiler

Webster - blacksmith, butcher

One of the oldest occupations - that of farrier - is still carried on today.  On the road to Whitwell Common, two brothers, apprenticed in blacksmith and farrier work, have been established there since 1976.  They are widely respected for the quality of their work and have won the 'All England Championship' at the Royal Show and at the Yorkshire Show.  Their work embraces the shoeing of various breeds of horse including shires, hunters, eventers, competition and working horses.  In addition to the main forge, they operate a mobile forge, which is in use every week.

A list of occupations for the 19th century is included at the end of this chapter.  Trends and changes over the period of the five censuses are clearly shown.  However as with all statistics, the numbers must be treated with discretion, since errors may occur for various reasons - illegible writing, mistakes by the enumerator and the fact that some workers had two and sometimes three occupations e.g. Thomas Rotherham in 1881 was listed in three places as 'Draper', 'Tailor' and 'Postmaster'.

Study the list and draw your own conclusions - notice how the population peaks in 1871, during the railway construction, and declines ten years later, probably as the navvies moved away.  Many similar deductions can be made by evaluating occupations and numbers.

Study the list and draw your own conclusions - notice how the population peaks in 1871, during the railway construction, and declines ten years later, probably as the navvies moved away.  Many similar deductions can be made by evaluating occupations and numbers.

 

Occupation                41                51                61                71                81

 

Agric. Machine cleaner                                                    1

Ag. Lab.                  100                106                180                76                27

Apprentice                9                14                3                21                5

Annuitant                 3                              9                5

Apothecary                                                             1

Blacksmith                7                13                10                14                12

                labourer                                                                   1

Butcher                   3                7                4                10                7

                servant                                                                    1

Beer dealer                                                             1

Beer house keeper                 1

Baker                       1

Banker's clerk                                                                         1

Barmaid                                                   1

Barrister                                                                                  1

Boot/shoe maker                     1                                              1

Bonnet maker                          1

Boot binder                                                              1

Brewer                                                                                    2

Brick labourer                                                                          1

Brickmaker                                              2                4

Bricklayer                                                3                9                6

Builder                                     1                1

Builder's clerk                                          1

Builder's lab.                                            3

Butler                                       1                1

Carpenter                                1                8                7                4

                lab.                                                          2

Cabinet maker                                                         1

Carman                                                                    1

Casterator                               1

Carrier                                                                     1

Carter                                                      24                1                3

Charcoal burner                                                      1                1

Charwoman                            3                                              9

Chelsea pensioner                  1

Chemist's warehouse

                woman                                                                    1

Choirmaster                                                             1

Cigar dealer                             1

Civil engineer                                                           1                2

Clerk                        3                              1                3

Coachman                                               1                1                1

Coach painter                                                                          1

Coal higler                                                                               1

Coal porter                                              1

Coal labourer                                                                           1

Coal miner                                                                               79

Coal mine worker                                                                    1

Collier                                      2                                              7

Colliery weighman                                                                   1

Coll. Eng. driver                                                                       1

Cook                                        1                1                1                1

Cordwainer                3                8                12                14                7

Cottager                                  4                2                1                1

Cotton spinner                                         1

Cow boy                                                 1

Cowman                                                                                  1

Curate                                     1                                              1

Dairymaid                                                                12

Day boy                                   5                                              1

 

 

Totals                     128                182                273                178         192

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Occupation                41                51                61                71                81

Brought forward                128                182                273                178         192

Dealer in spirits                1                1

Deputy at colliery                                                                    1

Domestic servant                                                    45                32

Draper                                     1                2                1                1

Dressmaker                             10                15                18                22

Driver (coalmine)                                                                     1

Dyer                                                        1

Engine cleaner                                                                        1

Engine fitter                                                                             1

Engine man driver                                                                   1

Engine driver                                           1                3

Engineer driver                                                                        1

Errand boy                              1

Errand man                              1

Excavator                                                                                3

Excise officer                2

Farmer                     56                45                49                40                39

Farmer's son                           22                18                10                17

                wife                                         5                22                17

                daughter                  17                9                20                8

Farm lab.                                 44                6                4                29

Farm servant                           74                12                54                33

Farm boy                                 1                4                7

Farm bailiff                              1                2                1                2

Farm (works on a)                                                  5

Farrier                                     1

Footman                                  1

Foreman (ag. lab)                                                                    2

Foreman (gen. lab)                                                                  2

Fireman (mag. works)                                                    1

Female servant                53

Gamekeeper                1                3                6                5                2

Game watchman                                     2

Gardener                 2                2                9                4                5

Garden lab.                                             4                3                1

Gas engineer                                                          1

Gas fitter                                                                 1

Gas maker                                                                               1

Gas stoker                                                                              1

General dealer                                                        1                2

General lab.                4                                                              27

General servant                      60                16                9                19

General practitioner                                                                1

Gentleman                                                                               1

Gents' servant                                                                        1

Glazier                                     1                1                2

Governess                              1                              1                1

Greenwich pensioner                                1                1

Grocer                     1                4                4                5                6

                assistant                                                                 1

Groom                     3                9                10                5                8

Harness maker                        1                2                3                1

Hawker                                                                   1                1

Higler                       1                1

Horse breaker                                         1

Horse driver                                                            1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Totals                     252                484                450                448         491

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Occupation                41                51                61                71                81

Brought forward                252                484                450                448         491

Hosier                                      1

House carpenter                                                     2

Housekeeper                4                10                12                9                16

Housemaid                                              3                              2

House servant                        13                21

Independent                13                            3

                (from houses)                   1

Inland rev. officer                    1

Innkeeper                                3                1                1                5

Iron moulder                                                                            1

Joiner                      1                1                8                21                19

Joiners lab.                                              1                1                1

Labourer                 3                6                              108                57

Lab at magnesia works                                                      3

Lace maker                                                             1

Lady's maid                                                             1                1

Land agent                                              3                1                1

Land surveyor                1                2                              1                2

Landed proprietor                   1

Laundress                                               2                1                2

Laundrymaid                                                           1

Letter carrier                           1

Licensed victualler                                                  1

Machine owner                                                                       1

Maltster                                                   2

Magnesia boiler                                                                       2

Male servant                71

Mason's labourer                    1                2                22                6

Mechanic (fitter)                                                      1

Medical assistant                                                                    1

Miller                        1                5                7                4                4

Milliner                                                                                     1

Miner                                                                       14

Moulder                                   2                              1

Needlewoman                                         3                              1

Night watchman                      4                                              1

Nurse                                                      1                1                2

Nurse girl                                                 1

Nursemaid                                                               1                3

Nurseryman                                                                            1

Painter                                     1                1                10                8

Parish clerk                                                                             1

Pauper                                     10                            2                1

Pensioner                                                                                1

Pit fireman                                                                               1

Plasterer                                                                  3                1

Platelayer                                                                                3

Plumber                   1                                              2

Police constable                                      1                1                1

Postman/master                                      1                3                2

Proprietor of houses                    1

Publican                   2                5                7                9                3

Pub. servant                                            1

Pupil teacher                                                                           2

Quarry lab.                                              1                2                5

Quarryman                              1                              32                6

Railway contractor                                                 1

- excavator                                                             4

- labourer                                                                64

- porter                                                    2

 

 

 

 

Totals                     349                555                533                778        655

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Occupation                41                51                61                71                81

Brought forward                349                555                533                778         655

Railway servant                                                                      1

                signalman                                                                2

                stationmaster                                                          1

Rector                     1                              1                1                1

Retired                                     1                4                8                8

Road labourer                                                                         1

Saddler                    1                              2                              2

Sawyer                   7                4                8                5                4

- labourer                                                                                2

Scholar                                    250                474                307        362

School monitor                                                                        2

Schoolteacher                3                5                4                9                6

Seamstress                                             1                              2

Seedsman                                                                               1

Shepherd                                3                1                1                10

Shoemaker                7                6                1                1                3

Shoeing smith                                                                          1

Shopkeeper                3                              1                1                3

Soldier (discharged)                                                           1

Spirit merchant                                        1

Stableman                                               3

Stationer                                  1

Stone cutter                            1

Stone sawyer                                                                         2

Stone dresser                         1

Stone getter                            1                1

Stonemason                10                17                35                112                44

Stockiner                 1

Stocking seamer                                                                     1

Stoker                                                                      1

Straw bonnet maker      2                1                1                1

Superintendent of lakes                                                        1

Surgeon                  2                2                1                3

Tailor                       7                7                6                8                7

Tea dealer                                                               1

Threshing machine owner                                     1

Toll collector                                            1                1                1

Tollgate keeper                1                4                                              1

Turnpike road lab.                   1                2                1                2

Valuer                     1

Watchmaker                                                            1

Washerwoman                                                       1

Watchman                                                                               1

Weaver                                                   2                1

Wheelwright                6                10                4                9                6

Whitesmith                               1                1                2

Wholesale ale and

                porter dealer                      1

Wood haft hewer                                    1

Woodman                1                6                5                3                2

Wood foreman                                                        1

Wood turner                2                1

Unemployed                                                            2                14

No occupation                                                                         1

Not employed                                                                          3

Unspecified                750                484                392                700        675

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Totals                     1154                1368                1482                1962      1826