Scrounger

[Susan Kitchen]

I see on a census that the head of the family was in the profession section put as a scrounger. But they employed a servant. A scrounger to me would be someone like a rag and bone man or beggar. So not in the position to have a servant.
Welcome any comments.
Susan

[malcolm99]

It's interesting that the OED says that the word only became common during WW1 and the examples it gives all come from the 20th century and not before.

Could you post the census reference so that we can see the original?

[Jan1954]

As a scrounger is also a person who scavenges or salvages things, I wonder if they could have been in the salvage business.

As malcolm99 has said, post the reference - or post a snip of the census for those who do not have access - so that we can have a look.

By the way, what was the occupation in the censuses prior to and after this?

[malcolm99]

In the 1881 Census [RG11 Piece 595 fol. 86 p. 36] a John Mugra[?] describes himself as a “Dust Man” and a clerk has written ‘scavenger’ next to this. Interestingly on Ancestry this has been transcribed as “scrounger” and looking at the image it’s easy to see how the mistranscription was made.

Without Susan’s original entry I’m wondering if the description is indeed “scavenger” and that the servant is just someone who is living in the same house but works as a servant elsewhere? We’ll know in time I guess.

[Susan Kitchen]

It is the 1881 census ref. 11/1699 Person's name William Punter born about 1808 in Bedfordshire. The census show William and family living in Walsoken, which isn't far from Wisbech. The 1871 census also states that William is a scrounger. He died in 1882. Thinking about what you said, about the person who is a servant living with them or visiting and working elswhere is probably the right idea. The servant in question is my Great Great Aunt, although her name has been spelt slightly different. I was thinking along the lines of William's son George marrying their servant.Still it's interesting what you said about scanenger not being known before the 20th century.

[Thomasin]

Thinking about what you said, about the person who is a servant living with them or visiting and working elswhere is probably the right idea.

Although it does say 'Relation to Head of Family - Serv'.

[malcolm99]

You're right of course Thomasin. The obvious reason is that she was their servant; were all scavengers actually right on the poverty line? An alternative story could be that George and Georgianna were actually living together and she was described as a servant for the sake of propriety.

By the way, both the 1871 & 1881 original images definitely say William was a 'scavenger' (scavinger in 1871).

[bamagirl]

I don't have access to view the original... Do either census indicate whether William was a business owner? I'm inclined to agree with Jan that a "scavenger" is in the salvage trade. Are there any town/village directories that would list him and where/for whom he worked?

Just because a term isn't in general usage doesn't mean it wasn't used at all. Maybe he was ahead of his time!

Disclaimer: I was secretary at a salvage yard one summer while in college. A hundred years later on a different continent, there was definitely good money to be made.

-Barb

[Peter Goodey]

The 1881 census full census reference is The National Archives; RG 11/1699 f 38 p 30

The census return reads "scavenger" not "scrounger". It's crystal clear, you rarely find a clearer census return.

Scavenger meant a number of different things. You need to assemble more evidence instead of trying to draw conclusions from a single isolated census return.

One possible meaning of scavenger is provided in this example from 1835 quoted in the Oxford English Dictionary -

The Scavengers are appointed in the same manner. The persons usually selected for this office are the churchwardens and overseers of the poor, and they employ the paupers in sweeping the streets.

So it was not necessarily a lowly occupation at all.

[coppice]

The records for Walsoken are held at Wisbech museum, as we have relatives who come from there. They will do research for you, but don't hold your breath, they are a little slow. A scavenger I have heard described as a scrap merchant, so they might have a servant?