Genealogy Chat

If a man is called a 'Gentleman' either on census entry, marriage certificate, or in this particular case, on a birth entry, would that denote he had money / property / land ? Would it mean he didn't have to work because he had money etc?

In this instance, it is a birth record in 1822 saying father's occupation as Gentleman.

So what did this mean ?

Thanks for any help

The dictionary definition is :

1. A man regarded as having qualitities of refinement associated with a good family.

2. A man who is cultured, courteous and well-educated.

3. A polite name for a man.

4.The personal servant of a gentleman (gentleman's gentleman).

5. (British History) A man of gentle birth who is entitled to bear arms, ranking above a yeoman in social position.

6. (formerly) A euphemistic word for a smuggler.

It would mean that he didn't have to work (as he had some other source of income).

Taken from an "old occupations" site:-

Gentleman: Gentry; Aristocrat, whose income came from his land.

Kath. x

Take with a pinch of salt. I have a certificate, father occupation says 'gentleman', he was however a coachman/groom who got one of the other servants pregnant.

Andy

As with Andrew my 2x great grandfather was a coach builder for several census returns but later in life was shown as Gentleman In this instance I would assume that he had saved enough money to enable him to retire and live in some relative comfort. He did not have to end his life in the dreaded workhouse.

Thank you for those varied responses ! Seems, as with lots in connection with FH research, take with a pinch of salt, don't believe all you hear / read, open to interpretation !

Suppose more needs to be known about him to determine what sort of 'Gentleman' he was.

Not knowing his (the father) date of birth, or where he was born, I haven't been able to find him on any census return to find more out about him.

I agree that "gentleman" should always be taken with a large pinch of salt unless you are sure the person had independent means. My 3 x gt grandfather was an actor but appears on his daughter's marriage cert. as a gentleman. As he died within an hour or so of coming off stage one day he never became a retired man of leisure. Maybe his daughter thought "gentleman" sounded more dignified than "actor".

A "Gentlemans Gentleman" was a Valet. However that phrase would apply in Victorian and later times. In the 1820's when your relation was so described, he would be a "person of independent means" propertied and suitably wealthy.

Education and good maners were/are optional. ;-)