Genealogy Chat

I know on here somewhere there was once a thread for unusual jobs, thought someone would like to know what my grandfather did Manual Laborer in Manure Works (Scavenger) thats what it says!! Anyone any ideas what he was scavenging for??(Keep it clean)!! He also had 2 lodgers doing the same job,and they all came from Ireland, this was 1881, was that when the famine in Ireland took place does anyone know? Cant think of any other reasong to 'emigrate' to do that work. maureen

Hi Maureen I just Googled! Have a look here, quite interesting www.integra.org.uk/facts/history.html

Fairly sure the famine was about 1848 ish without googling. Yukky job though! Anne

Scavengers who collected dog poo , known as 'pure', could get a good price for it from tanners, who used it in curing leather.

One of the finner jobs in life for our old relles, was collecting animal wast for the munitions industry as it was an importent part of Gun powder. the people who did the job were at the lower end of a work gang all in the buisness of supply and demand. There were other uses for it as well, as the reply above has side. But a good deal of it whent to Gun powder.

Thanks everyone. Looked up and printed out the web-site you sent Sammie, very interesting, made me feel guilty for the odd bottle i throw in the bin rather than the recycle stuff!! Also made me think how 'educated' we are all getting because of our interest in the 'family tree thing' I hated history at school!! maureen