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  1. #1
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    Default What might an early electrician do?

    My great-uncle William George Adams (1871-1926)was a brass fitter in 1897(parish register baptism of daughter at All Saints, Margaret St, Westminster)but by the 1901 census was calling himself 'electrician'. I'm not sure how successful he was, given two short periods in the Westminster Workhouse,with wife and children, in 1905 and 1912,but does anyone know what he might have been doing in that occupation?

    Even though light bulbs had been available for over 20 years,in 1910 only 2% of houses were connected to the mains, according to John Burnett's history of social housing. So what was there for an electrician to do?

  2. #2

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    If you search the 1911 census under occupation only ie. electrician you can check the "Occupation" (column 10) against "Industry/Service" (column 11)
    eg "Electrician, Telephone Company"; "Electrician, Coil Tester". Depends how deep you wish to delve.

    I imagine newspaper adverts will be a useful source.
    "dyfal donc a dyr y garreg"

  3. #3

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    Electricity was used to "cure" ailments. People advertised as "Medical Electrician".

    Intrigued to note there were 72 Medical Electricians on the 1911 Census,, including several ladies. Occupation code was 438 - Subordinate medical service.
    "dyfal donc a dyr y garreg"

  4. #4
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    Thanks for the helpful suggestions: naturally, he didn't fill in the 'industry' column on the 1911, but I'll look at newspaper ads. and cross-check against industry. I've seen the electrical medical kit on antiques shows - unlikely for him, a denizen of one of the poorest streets in the then totally unfashionable Notting Hill. And then he went off to war, despite his age .... so whatever he was doing, I think he wasn't very successful at it!

  5. #5

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    Just spotted your location. We've holidayed in Topsham twice a year these last 13/14 years. Last Xmas was our first at home in all that time. Really missing the place eg. daily walk to the Swan Inn, Lympstone via the Estuary path. In the early years it was the Grove in Exmouth (a Young's pub - very special) but old age doesn't come alone. If we return I wouldn't be surprised if we can barely make it to the Puffing Billy in Exton (or best of all the Bridge Inn!!).

    regards
    "dyfal donc a dyr y garreg"

  6. #6
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    Googling brings up The Notting Hill Electric Light Co from the 1890s onward. Would it have employed brass fitters maybe?

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by grisel View Post
    Googling brings up The Notting Hill Electric Light Co from the 1890s onward. Would it have employed brass fitters maybe?
    Thanks for that - looks promising. In the newspaper ads of 1900 there are mainly 2 sorts: work in theatres and American correspondence courses 'approved by Mr Edison' but by 1910 there are many firms, both specialist and e.g. furnishers like Gillows who mention electrical work.

  8. #8
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    There was also public electric street lighting at this time and electric trains and lighting on the London Underground. I expect there would have been people employed installing and maintaining everything.

  9. #9
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    My home town of Godalming had a public electricity supply and experimental street lighting as early as 1881.

    On the 3rd September 1881 the Godalming Borough Lighting Committee “had under their consideration the desirability of lighting the Borough by electricity, and with this in view have made arrangements with a London firm of electricians to fix two or three electric lights as an experiment.”

    https://www.godalming
    museum.org.uk/index.php?page=1881-godalming-and-electricity

    Peter

  10. #10
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    Thanks for all your thoughts. I should have realised about the Underground - I'm currently re-reading Christian Wolmar's book about it. With all that going on, my great-uncle should have been very much gainfully employed. And the finding about street lighting is fascinating, given that filament bulbs were only in commercial production in the 1880s. Godalming was very progressive.

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