Senior in GW Rly

[ForEverEngland]

I have found an ancestor in the 1901 Irish Census. An English Presbyterian married to an Irish Catholic lady. His employment is listed as 'Senior in G W Rly'. I wonder if anyone could tell me what this job was and why he would be in Dublin.

Thank you.

[olliecat]

Hello ForEverEngland and welcome to the forum.

Is your ancestor William TOPPING, in the 1901 ireland census here? Living at house 3, Barrack St, Ardnanagh, Roscommon. If not, then please ignore everything else in this post.

Looking at the image the writing is rather difficult to read and I wonder if the first word is Senior in the occupation column. It also looks a bit like Service. BTW: I noticed there was a station master living next door.

Checking the 1911 census, the TOPPING family appear to have moved to Northumberland and his occupation has changed to 'coal miner (on bank)'. Checking further back, there are military service records for a William TOPPING born abt 1870 in Coldstream, Berwick. Occupation storekeeper. On his discharge in 1900 his intended place of residence was "Railway Station, Roscommon, Ireland."

As a thought, perhaps others could look at the 1901 census image image and give their opinion as to the occupation.

[Coromandel]

Welcome from me too!

I can't make out the first word in the occupation but the rest is I think M G W Rly, presumably the Midland Great Western Railway of Ireland.

[Coromandel]

Appendix 2 of this guide has a list of railway-related occupations, which may help.

Not on the list, but another possible reading of the mystery word, is Service.

[ForEverEngland]

Thank you all very much for your help. This is my Topping family and it is first time that I have seen the original census record. I agree it looks more like SERVICE. The Northumberland connection is correct.

I came upon this wonderful friendly site just by chance, so glad I did.

[olliecat]

I came upon this wonderful friendly site just by chance, so glad I did.

'Tis nice that you came.

I wonder if anyone could tell me what this job was and why he would be in Dublin.

If you don't have William's military records you will find them on the pay site findmypast. His name is transcribed as TAPPING. His army records show that he signed up to the Coldstream Guards in 1891 and was discharged to the reserves in 1894. He was called up again in 1899 and served until 1900. The records do not specifically mention a posting to Dublin but if he was there between 1891 and 1894 perhaps this is how he came to meet his future wife. Mind you having said all that, his intended place of residence on discharge in 1894 was Gateshead-upon-Tyne. However, it is clear that after his discharge in 1894 he lived in Dublin with his family for a while as their elder children were born there. Then after his second discharge in 1900, the family lived in Roscommon. When did he marry Harriet?

BTW: I think this may be Roscommon (Ardnanagh) railway station...

www.
buildingsofireland.ie/niah/search.jsp?type=record&county=RO&regno=31817045

[Mutley]

Enlarging the words, I think he was saying he was 'in service' on the Great Western Railway.
"Service in GW"

The writing is not good is it?

[Mutley]

The first picture is his occupation
The second is the wife's occupation.
The third is in his education column.



Mind you, Service in GW might mean in the 'Great War' (only kidding)
All contributions gratefully accepted.

[olliecat]

"Service in GW"

If you look at the column where it asks for the sex of each individual, the M looks like a bit like In. So I too think it says...

"Service M. G. W."

The word below could be Rly.

It is also interesting that Ardnanagh Railway Station was built by the Midland Great Western Railway Company.

Edit: I think the education column says 'read write' for William Topping. It's his handwriting to be sure as the same curly flourishes are evident on the 1911 census.

But as the Mutley says - all contributions gratefully accepted.

[euryalus]

The question asked at the start of the thread was "why he would be in Dublin" if he worked for the GWR? In fact, the Great Western had quite a large staffing establishment in Dublin, including office staff, shipping staff and a cartage agency. So he could indeed have been a GWR employee - the complication being, he could equally have been working for the Midland Great Western, which was an entirely different company that ran from Dublin to destinations such as Galway, Sligo and Millingar.