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Archiver > ENG-WARKS-BIRMINGHAM > 2003-04 > 1049228980


From: "alan marshall" <>
Subject: Re: [B'ham] Engineer
Date: Wed, 2 Apr 2003 06:37:05 +1000
References: <004301c2efe2$1995f2e0$431f8aca@default> <000b01c2f53b$e0ea6b10$0307a8c0@clg8hzotywl8fm> <00b601c2f7b9$0aacc360$451f8aca@default> <004e01c2f7d3$43769440$29cc86d9@freeserve.co.uk>


Hi Paul,
Thanks for your explanation of the term "engineer".
You have opened up a different viewpoint to what I had held. Will look in
other directions now - mining & train drivers. Thomas Gough was an engineer
for at least 24 years which indicates that he had stable employment or at
least no need to change his type of occupation. His children (the ones I can
find anyway) were shown in the various census as barrel filer, polisher,
brass founder, engine driver, gold beater & 1 was a gun maker but had
previously been a gun lock filer. Regarding the barrel filer - do you think
that this could be a gun barrel filer? Ditto the polisher.

Regards,
Fay (Aus)

----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Prescott" <>
To: <>
Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2003 8:10 AM
Subject: [B'ham] Engineer


> Fay:
>
> The word "engineer" meant something quite different in the 1840s from what
> it means today. Then it just meant "operator of an engine". This could
be
> any sort of engine, although in the Midlands mine pumping machines would
> often be a good bet.
>
> The term "engineer" still survives in modern US English with the meaning
> "driver of a railway engine", although it no longer has that meaning in UK
> English. Not sure about Aussie English. That is a possible meaning in
the
> 1840s too, but there were many more mines than trains, particularly at
that
> date!
>
> Best wishes
>
> Paul Prescott
>
>
> > Thomas Gough was an engineer
> > (don't know what sort) 1840's (according to his son's marriage cert
1867
> &
> > his own marriage cert 1843), seems to have done his apprenticeship
early
> > 1800's.
> > My Dad (Thomas' ggrandson) was a marine engineer - but don't have any
> > paperwork on indentures which is strange because he kept a lot of his
> > papers. He got his tickets at sea following the end of WW2. He served
in
> > the merchant navy then after the war he stayed on at sea working on
Burns
> > Philp ships until he was finished with studying. I suppose he was
> > indentured, I don't know.
> > Fay (Aus)
>
>
>
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