Genealogy Chat

James Clayden 1891 census born 1858 in Bishop stortford herts, I cannot make out what it says under his occupation, can anyone here work it out please?

Terrible handwriting, but I think it's probably the same as his occupation on the 1901 census: 'number maker on G E Railway'.

Thanks Mary, worst writing ive seen yet lol Oh and grats on world cup 0)

Blimey, a weird one. Looks like Number caller on Gas something????? What was he on earlier/later census?

hiya, number ? on G R? railway, is what i can make out, whether that helps or not, i'm not sure Julie

In 1901 it says 'number taker on G E Rly'. I guess that would be the Great Eastern Railway? I don't know what a number taker is though - maybe a tallyman? Anne Ooooo, just Googled it and there seems to be quite a few references to number takers!!!!

You're right, it's number taker, not maker, and this is what they did: 'Another type of clerk was a number taker. These were employed to record the numbers of privately-owned or foreign wagons using a railway company's goods yard. The information was sent to the Railway Clearing House, a central body that handled information regarding railways.' http://a-day-in-the-life.powys.org.uk/eng/trans/et_breclerk.php

hiya, just checked on other census, and i would go with 1901, as same occupation, as in 1881 he is railway labourer, Number Maker on G E railway, which as was said would probably be great eastern, I would think that he made the actual number plates for loco's, is what it says to me anyway Julie

That 'day in the life site' is a nice little site, comparing conditions in 1891 with the present day.

Awesome, thank you guys, thank you so much!

Have just looked at the thread, not the censuses. The definition of number taker makes a lot of sense. There were thousands of 'private owner' wagons around, right up to nationalisation and beyond. Somehow the cost of moving them round had to be charged to the owner, and that was part of the function of the Railway Clearing House. They inhabited a large building at Kings Cross in London. A similarly vital but thankless task was sorting out and counting the chads from tram and bus tickets when the conductors handed in their ticket machines. Every combination of ticket value and operating company in an area was a different colour.