1911 Wales Census

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Profile	Posted by	Options	Post Date
Member Since: April 2010 Posts: 55 Send Message	pelo	Report	2 Aug 2011 11:27
	Glen, I have several coal mining families in my tree & those with big families needed more rooms. My grandfather said they used to sleep 4 to a room (10 ch'n) - father & 4 sons down the mine, 3 girls working outside the home as servants & the youngest helping at home as well as learning their lessons. All the ch'n were educated to a reasonable standard so they could better themselves. The servant may have been a young person as a boarder or exchanged for one of their own children to learn a trade. They often lived in the home of their employer.
	Researching: Thompson, Marsh, Adie, French, Aitken, Butcher. Price
Member Since: January 2003 Posts: 556 Send Message	Adeline	Report	2 Aug 2011 10:02
Member Since: January 2003 Posts: 556 Send Message	I can't see any problem with a coal miner having good handwriting. Education became compulsory in England and Wales up to the age of 10 in 1880 and free in 1891. A house with four rooms would be the old " two up two down" - not unusual in industrial areas. In earlier censuses I've come across distant family members in a household being described as servants.
Member Since: January 2005 Posts: 65 Send Message	Glen	Report	2 Aug 2011 08:22
Member Since: January 2005 Posts: 65 Send Message	Would it be unusual for a coal miner to have good handwriting and live in a house with 4 rooms and a servant?