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occupations

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wendynette

wendynette Report 9 Oct 2007 20:01

I have "Block Cutter" on a birth certificate in 1843. What did a block cutter do ? Or can anyone tell me where I can look.
Thanks
Wendy

Penny

Penny Report 9 Oct 2007 20:05

Block Cutter / Blocker either

Made wooden blocks for hat making,

Laid the blocks for laying of a ship's keel in shipbuilding ,

cut designs into wooden blocks for printing fabrics

or Quarryman, whose job was to cut stone into useable blocks

Does the 1851 census help you to work it out?

Chris in Sussex

Chris in Sussex Report 9 Oct 2007 20:08

From http://rmhh.co.uk/occup/index.html

Block Cutter/Blocker

1) Made wooden blocks for hat making

2) Laid the blocks for laying of a ship's keel in shipbuilding

3) Cut designs into wooden blocks for printing fabrics

4) Quarryman, whose job was to cut stone into useable blocks

Chris

Researching:
Avatar...My darling Dad. 1931-2019 'Take nothing on its looks, take everything on evidence. There is no better rule' Charles Dickens, Great Expectations. 'A brickwall is a problem that you haven't solved yet' Dave Annal http://media.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php/brick-walls-and-lost-ancestors/

wendynette

wendynette Report 9 Oct 2007 20:10

I have no trace of him of the 1851 census. But 1841 census he was a block cutter in Cumberland. All his children were born around Burnley - so maybe in the fabric line.
Thanks for the info
Wendy

Ozibird

Ozibird Report 9 Oct 2007 21:51

Wendy, if you google there are a lot of 'old occupations' sites, particularly specialist areas like the railway or mining.

However I find this an excellent one.

http://rmhh.co.uk/occup/index.html

Ozi.

Mark_of_Four_(Counties)

Mark_of_Four_(Counties) Report 10 Oct 2007 10:13

I saw the thread title and my immediate thought was "block and tackle".

The blocks (pulley mechanism) were carved out of a single hunk of wood, by hand, and were required in huge quantities, to keep our Navy and merchant shipping running smoothly. (They wore out fast and needed changing like you do with tyres on your car).

I can't say how they would be regarded, in terms of skill level, compared to some other woodcrafting jobs and the overall emphasis may have been on sheer output, to cope with the demand, rather than quality, but the overall importance of the job (as a team) would tend to put them among the 'indispensable' class of workers.

Tough work but otherwise quite a secure occupation.

Ropemakers and block cutters living in close proximity should come as no suprise in the towns which are still famous as major naval dockyards today (Chatham, Portsmouth, etc.).

But, obviously, if your zone of interest is not coastal and local OS maps are peppered with "Quarry (dis)" markings, then you can draw your own conclusions about the likely meaning.


M