Strange sounding occupations!

[RobinC]

I was looking at occupations that my ancestors have had and came across a Richard Stratford (1839 1900) who is listed as being a "Cocoa nut film weaver" on the 1871 and 1881 UK censuses.

Has anyone heard of this particular occupation?

Also, have any of your ancestors got strange sounding occupations?

[Jan1954]

Not heard of that, but could it be a coconut fibre weaver? This would be done to produce coir matting.

[Mutley]

Jan is correct. 1881 has him as a Weaver of Coco Nut Fibre in Fulham.

It seems there was a United Coconut Fibre Mat and Matting Weavers Trade Association.

[RobinC]

Thank you for clearing that up, I was a bit confused why coconuts would be made into film!!

I've also seen a few others that I can't make out because of the writing, they don't make it easy at times!

[RobinC]

Another one here: "Trinity Pilot" was the occupation given by Charles Huntley at the baptisms of his last two children, his occupation at the baptisms of his first 6 children was "Master Mariner" if that gives any clues?

[Coromandel]

"Trinity Pilot" was the occupation given by Charles Huntley at the baptisms of his last two children

a pilot licensed by Trinity House:

'Pilots were licensed, not employed, by the Corporation of Trinity House. When a pilot first applied to be licensed, he had to have British nationality, have several years' experience as a watch-keeping officer of a ship, hold a foreign-going Master Mariner's certificate (or Naval certificate of service) and be under 35. Each pilot had to renew his licence yearly when his general health, eyesight and knowledge of local waters were tested.'

From 'Records of the Corporation of Trinity House' (LMA information leaflet no. 51)

See also this article by Alfred Collins on 'River and harbour pilotage in the UK':

http://www.
mariners-l.co.uk/UKPilots.html

[terrysfamily]

For Trinity Pilot definition see here

http://www.
mariners-l.co.uk/UKPilots.html

If you google Charles Huntley Trinity Pilot, google books finds several mentions of Charles Huntley from around the 1850/60’s

Don’t know if this Charles Huntley is your’s

This Charles Huntley would have been around 40 years old in 1860

Those Marked N. are licensed for the North Channel from London Bridge to Orfordness
Those Marked with S. are licensed for the South Channel from London Bridge to the Downs
Those Marked +. Are licensed to pilot Vessels of a larger Draught of water than 15 feet.

1858 - N.S.+. Huntley, Charles
1859 - N.S.+. Huntley, Charles
1860 - N.S.+. Huntley, Charles
1861 - N.S.+. Huntley, Charles

- Beaten to it.

[RobinC]

Charles Huntley was born in 1820 and was a master mariner at the time of the birth of his son William Robert in 1854 but was a trinity pilot by the time of the birth of his next son Thomas Patterson in 1857. So he was employed as a trinity pilot sometime between his 44th and 47th birthday.

[Peter Goodey]

I don't think the terms were mutually exclusive, see the explanation in message #6. I would advise consulting the sources listed in the LMA leaflet that Coromandel provided a link to.

[Coromandel]

The weirdest occupation I've come across on a census has to be dolls' eye maker, perhaps closely followed by squirrel tail boa maker.