Occupations in 1851

Occupations listed on the 1851 census returns

Following the recent posts about the 1951 Festival of Britain, that made mention of the Great Exhibition of 1851, this week we are going to embark on a difficult and dangerous journey. So, we shall stay in 1851, the year of the Great Exhibition, and have a look at some of the data in the census returns of that year, relating to employment and occupations.

I say this is a dangerous journey because the information presented below is extracted from the census returns, and so reflects the thoughts of the day. Well, actually, more specifically, it was published in 1854, so the categorisations of the occupations not only includes occupations with which were are perhaps not familiar today, but also these are categorised in a way that we simply wouldn’t do today. 

The other thing to bear in mind is that comparison with later census returns is difficult because categorisation changed; what one enumerator would class as an occupation another enumerator might label differently (although some guidance was provided to enumerators); people’s own interpretation might be different and new occupations would appear, and obsolete ones disappear.  

Finally, before we look at some figures, we should note that women often worked part-time, and this might not be recorded in the census returns. This in combination with the fact that women often worked in the home, perhaps producing things for sale, or providing services like washing and ironing to people outside the family, indicates that work done by women as recorded in the census returns is not necessarily and accurate picture. 

What follows are some figures relating to the occupations of woimen as recorded in the 1851 census.

One woman was employed in each of the following 23 occupations in the 1851 census returns:

Others employed by Government	1
Employed by Local Government	1
Music mistress	1
Others - Boarding and Lodging	1
Nurse (not Domestic Servant)	1
Rag gatherer, cutter, dealer	1
Carrier, carter	1
Others connected with Shows, Games	1
Builders, house decorators	1
Dyer, scourer, calenderer	1
Butcher	1
Miller	1
Wine and Spirit Merchant	1
Others dealing in Drinks, Stimulants	1
Cabinet-maker, Upholsterer	1
Others dealing in Wood Furniture	1
Rope, cordmaker	1
Flax, Linen manufacture	1
Coal labourer	1
Earthenware manufacture	1
Earthenware and glass dealer	1
Blacksmith	1
Needle manufacture	1

Two women were employed in each of the following 6 occupations in the 1851 census returns:

Officer of Charitable Institution	2
Engaged in Warehousing	2
Cowkeeper, milkseller	2
Workers, dealers in Stone, Lime, Clay	2
Labourer (branch undefined)	2
Shopwoman (branch undefined)	2

Three women were employed in each of the 11 following occupations in the 1851 census returns:

Cap maker	3
Other providing dress	3
Toll collector	3
In and connected with Barges	3
Gardener	3
Others dealing in Animal Food	3
Confectioner	3
Wood Tool makers	3
Other workers in Hemp	3
Tobacco-pipe, makers and others	3
Nail manufacture	3

There were between 4 and 9 women working in the following occupations in the 1851 census returns:

There were between 10 and 50 women working in the following occupations in the 1851 census returns:

There were between 51 and 100 women working in the following occupations in the 1851 census returns:

There were between 101 and 1500 women working in the following occupations in the 1851 census returns:

The women in the following categories were not in employment:

The employment status of women who were listed on the 1851 census as wives of men of specific occupations is not clear: they may have worked in those occupations in support of their husband.

There were no women employed in any of the 210 following occupations:

Church Officers

Law Court Officers

Druggist

Others dealing in Drugs

Engaged in Literature

Engaged in Fine Arts

Scientific persons

Scholar - under tuition at home

Scholar - under tuition at school

Hatter

Furrier

Shawl manufacture

Umbrella, parasol, stick maker

Merchant

Capitalist

Other General Dealers & Agents

Railway attendants

Others engaged in Road Conveyance

Owners & others connected with Ships

Employed about Messages

Others connected with Agriculture

Connected with Arboriculture

Other connected with Horticulture

Engaged about Animals

Bookseller

Others engaged about Publications

Actors and others about theatres

Musicians, musical instrument makers

Employed about Pictures and Engravings

Artificial Flower Maker

Others employed about Carving & Figures

Toymaker, Dealer

Designers

Medallists, Die Sinkers

Philosophical Instrument makers, dealers

Engaged in manufacture of Arms

Machine Makers, dealers

Carriage Makers, dealers

Harness Makers, dealers

Ship, Boat, Barge Builders

Implement makers, dealers

Engaged in manufacture of chemicals

Fishmonger

Dealers in Grease, Bones etc.

Dealers, Workers in Leather

Dealers in Feathers, Quills

Brush, Broom maker

Other workers, Dealers in Hair

Knitter

Woollen Cloth manufacture

Worsted Manufacture

Stuff manufacture

Clothier

Other worker, dealers in wool

Silk manufacture

Ribbon manufacture

Fancy Good manufacture

Embroidery

Other workers, dealers in Silk

Greengrocer

Others dealing in Vegetable Food

Tobacconist

Dealers in Oils, Gums

Timber Dealers, Workers

Workers, Dealers in Bark

Workers in Wood

Dealers in Wood Utensils

Straw Plait manufacture

Others working in Cane, Rush, Straw

Hemp manufacture

Thread manufacture

Weaver (material not specified)

Cotton manufacture

Lint manufacture

Fustian manufacture

Muslin Embroiderer

Calico, Cotton - Printer

Other workers in Flax, Cotton

Paper manufacture

Stationer

Other Paper workers, dealers

Coal-miner

Other dealers, workers in Coal

Glass Makers, workers

Salt makers, dealers

Water providers, dealers

Workers, dealers in precious stones

Workers, dealers in gold and silver

Copper-miner

Workers, dealers in copper

Workers, dealers in tin

Workers, dealers in Zinc

Workers, dealers in Lead

Pin manufacture

Button maker

Other workers, dealers in brass and mixed metals

Other workers, dealers in Iron, steel

Others persons of indefinite occupation

Others of independent means

Person of no stated occupation, living on alms

Lunatic of no stated occupation

Others supported by the community

Prisoner of no stated occupation

Others

Vagrant and others in barns etc.

The above just scratches the surface of the information contained in the 1851 census returns, and there's a huge body of further work that can be done, which would provide an interesting discussion. If I get time, I shall follow this up!

Posted by lynneaboutloughborough 23 May 2021

You are welcome to quote passages from any of my posts, with appropriate credit. The correct citation for this looks as follow:

Dyer, Lynne (2021). The Festival of Britain celebrations in Loughborough. Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2021/05/occupations-in-1851.html  [Accessed 23 May 2021]

Take down policy:

I post no pictures that are not my own, unless I have express permission so to do. All text is my own, and not copied from any other information sources, printed or electronic, unless identified and credited as such. If you find I have posted something in contravention of these statements, or if there are photographs of you which you would prefer not to be here, please contact me at the address listed on the About Me page, and I will remove these.

You can leave comments below, but do check back as my reply will appear here, below your comment.

Thank you for reading this blog. 

Lynne