A woman’s work is never done

Or should we say a woman’s work is never properly quantified? Putting aside the difficulty involved in differentiating (if indeed we should) between paid and unpaid work, the nineteenth century census returns are anything but consistent in their treatment of women’s occupations. However, if we take the descriptions in the census at face value, we … Continue reading A woman’s work is never done

Truro: The life of servants, part 2

Despite the number of domestic servants at work in Truro, only two 11 year old girls from our database who were living in Kenwyn in 1861 and have been traced through to 1891 were working as domestic servants in 1871. Disappointing but not surprising as domestic servants with no family present to help track them … Continue reading Truro: The life of servants, part 2

Truro: The life of servants, part 1

Our next parish - Kenwyn - is a bit of a hybrid. In the nineteenth century half of its people lived in Truro with the usual mix of urban occupations. The other half lived in the countryside to the west and north of the town, where mining was the major concern at mid-century. Kenwyn’s urban … Continue reading Truro: The life of servants, part 1