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View Full Version : 1841 occupation abbreviation - help, please!



pottoka
26-08-2008, 1:05 AM
The occupation of my ancestor William Nicholson on the 1841 Census is an abbreviation which I have not seen elsewhere. I've looked on other pages taken by the same enumerator and believe the abbreviation is "C l " (capital C, lower-case el).

Does anyone know what this means? L for labourer, probably, but C?

William is living in Ashby Street, Victoria Place, Toxteth Park, Liverpool in 1841. He's 30, married to Isabella, and has four children: William, Jane, Arabella and Isaac.

pipsqueak
26-08-2008, 1:30 AM
I found this: abbreviations (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/hitch/gendocs/abbrcen.html)

It means Clerk.

pottoka
26-08-2008, 11:42 AM
I was imagining "city labourer"; to cover anything from night soilman to street sweeper (did they bother?) to ... I don't know what - the reflection of our times, I suppose, and shades of political correctness |moon| - they weren't so squeamish in their day, were they?

Thank you for clearing this up, Pipsqueak. |hug|