What was a 'doriboy'?

[SharonKef]

I'm not sure if I've read this correctly - maybe not as I can't find anything when I've tried a general internet search.

In the 1891 Wales Census RG12; 4451; 99; page 53 it looks like 15 year old Florance Horgan was employed as a 'doriboy' in a coalmine.

What would his job have been?

[Peter Goodey]

Lawrence Morgan, surely.

Doorboy - opens and closes the doors which control ventilation to allow tubs to pass along the haulage road.

[notanotherminer]

Hi Sharonkef

I would agree with Peter's interpretation but I too am wondering if you've got the right person. The family in the reference are John and Joana (sic) Morgan and their children. The doorboy in question would seem to be one E Lawrence Morgan and was enumerated as "son"

If the ancestor for whom you were looking was a Florance Horgan are you quite sure you're not looking at an incorrect census?

[SharonKef]

Thanks for that. I might have known it would be user error.

I'm pretty confident about Florance and his appearance in the 1891 census though the peculiar name does seem to have caused some confusion. I found his birth in Free BMD for (Oct-Dec) 1875, Pembroke, Vol 11a, p853

He's also in the 1881 Wales census with all the right siblings - RG11; 5410; 48; p10 where, yet again, the odd name caused some confusion (he seems to have been originally marked down as a girl)
It appears to be a family name (father John originally came from Ireland so maybe it's more common there). Florance's brother Patrick had a son in 1897 who he named Florance James.

I believe the 'Lawrence' and 'Morgan' in the 1891 census is an error in transcription since, again, all the relevant siblings are in place and all places of birth are correct. By now widowed father John had also re-married Johanna O'Shea so it all seems to add up.
Famous last words ...

Anyway, thanks again

[Squaredancer]

I have a male Florance or Florence among my rellies, born in the 1880s in Wales – bet he hated being called that ‘cos he always seemed to use his middle name!