Genealogy Chat

Found this to seem really odd. On ancestry,1861 census shows a MYLES SUMNER brn Leyland 1795 a farmer living with Mary Amberg born 1782 which makes her 79 and described as servant and on original document as housekeeper. Seems really strange that someone of this age and especially in 1861 when people were older for their yrs than nowadays would be a servant at 79 , or could it be that for some unknown reason our Mr Sumner was telling a little lie. Any ideas out there ? :-S

Well, I have Ag Labs about that age and older, so I see no reason why servants should not be that age, too :)

Not many had a pension in those days so plenty of people had to work until the day they died

Roy

Unless they had managed to put something by or relatives that could assist then the alternative was the workhouse.

Mind you 'housekeeper' could cover a multitude of 'sins' ;-)

Chris

just to show Myles age was right

Baptisms: 20 Feb 1795 St Andrews, Leyland, Lancashire, England
Miles Sumner - son of Miles Sumner & Hester
Abode: Farington
Register: Baptisms 1774 - 1795, Page 84, Entry 9
Source: LDS Film 93951

is the name definitely Amberg on the original?

I can't find a death for that name

????

Marriage: 2 Aug 1803 St Andrew, Leyland, Lancashire, England
John Almond - (X), Farmer of Leyland
Mary Sumner - (X), Spinster of Parish of Croston
Witness: Evan Couteny?; Henry Bretherton
Married by Licence by: Thomas Rebanks Curate of Heapey
Register: Marriages 1793 - 1812, Page 166, Entry 666
Source: LDS Film 93952

Nothing unusual in that - people had to eat, and have a roof over their heads

Life expectancy for pensioners was at least ten years in Victorian Britain in rural areas - there was the dreadful loss of mothers in childbirth and a huge number died as babies/toddlers - but thereafter they usually had good sanitation, access to vegetables, no lack of exercise and limited access to fats. The main reason that life expectancy at birth was no more than say 40 was because so many died as babies, which brought down the averages dramatically. I don't think that modern medicine had much impact on pensioners' life expectancy until fairly recently.

Absolutely.

One of my ancestors was a Coal Miner, still digging coal underground when he was 78! He eventually died in 1921 aged 88

Also, in the 1800's, the term "Servant" was often used to describe any person who was simply in the household employ.

So sorry to everyone that relied for not getting back to you sooner, I have a very busy life so sometimes its days or even weeks before I my computer off again. Didnt realise that people worked to a ripe old age in those days but it all makes sense considering there were no pensions. Thank You all .