Genealogy Chat

Worth checking for a Will? If he could live without working he may have left some dosh?

ta heather so basically when i am looking to find him an an early census it could say anything for his occupation as when his son got married he may have retired!!! i have a feeling he may have been older than his wife as he must have died when his wife was still youngish, which fits with the old retired gentleman idea. cheers k

I harboured thoughts of a country gentleman farmer when I had this on a marriage cert - the dad was actually a retired licensee. I think Phoenix said it was used on one of hers when the guy was just unemployed.

ta reg my dad was an engineering pattern maker, and lots of other ancestors were joiners, shipwrights and mechanics so it seems to run in the family. I do suspect that a cabinet meker was a skilled worker, sorry just got one on me today and feeling flipant. k

A cabinet maker was a skilled trade, which required a lengthy appenticeship................ Reg

thanks helen and merry you've also made me chuckle ( and a well needed chuckle it was) , prehaps I will become ' a provider of intelletual ability in the dimensions of physcial science'. ta v much k

I think Gentleman was often used for someone who had retired. I know one of mine was a retired chemist. I also have a couple who called themselves Yeoman on earlier census's and then became gentlemen. I think they were fairly well off but not titled and owned property rather than rented it.

Sounds posh. Relatives often 'upgraded' their dad's occupations. I have several ag labs who became farmers or gardeners and a milk carrier who became a provisions merchant, though he was dead and not likely to disagree! nell

In theory it meant he lived off his income from investments. This might mean a lot of money or a modest amount. However, it was commonplace for people to upgrade the info at marriages etc, so sometimes people got very carried away! My g-grandfather was a gentleman on his dau's marriage cert. He was actually a retired librarian and I suppose did have a private income if you include the rent from a few lodgers!! Merry

ta karen, he doesn't sound posh though if his kids were a weaver and cabinet maker (which i suppose means he made cupboards). his wife was a house keeper n 1861 census, but no mention of him. And can't fint him at all on any records as yet!!. k

Hi I just googled old occupations and it said: Gentleman Gentry; Aristocrat, whose income came from his land

hi there I got a marriage cert through which named the occupation of father as 'gentleman' What does that mean? his sons were :cabinet maker, and weaver so it doesn't sound like he ws of the 'upper class' so does gentleman means he didn't have a job? cheers karen