Puzzling change of occupation

[Margaret in Burton]

William Giles on his daughter Mary's marriage in 1893 in Horninglow, Staffordshire is a Labourer. Mary born c 1867 in Abbotsley, Huntingdonshire

1871 census, William is a police officer, Mary is on page 2

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/7619/NTHRG10_1514_1517-0231?pid=1791362&backurl=https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?dbid%3D7619%26h%3D1791362%26indiv%3Dtry%26 o_vc%3DRecord:OtherRecord%26rhSource%3D6598&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true&_ga=2.25002874.190875562.1575893631-1515497279.1441186095

1861William is a police officer in a school :confused:

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/8767/HUNRG9_971_974-0415?pid=24091588&backurl=https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?dbid%3D8767%26h%3D24091588%26indiv%3Dtry%2 6o_vc%3DRecord:OtherRecord%26rhSource%3D6598&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true

forward to 1881 and he's an Ag Lab

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/7572/HUNRG11_1587_1593-0622?pid=7438584&backurl=https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?dbid%3D7572%26h%3D7438584%26indiv%3Dtry%26 o_vc%3DRecord:OtherRecord%26rhSource%3D8767&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true&_ga=2.189260651.190875562.1575893631-1515497279.1441186095

again in 1891

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/6598/HUNRG12_1224_1226-0428?pid=15238798&backurl=https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?dbid%3D6598%26h%3D15238798%26indiv%3Dtry%2 6o_vc%3DRecord:OtherRecord%26rhSource%3D7572&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true&_ga=2.258853706.190875562.1575893631-1515497279.1441186095
Mary is listed as Harry on that one, I have submitted a correction.


His marriage to Sarah Charity in 1854 gives his occupation as a Railway Porter.

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/9199/004021925_01167?pid=2433188&backurl=https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?dbid%3D9199%26h%3D2433188%26indiv%3Dtry%26 o_vc%3DRecord:OtherRecord%26rhSource%3D6598&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true

There is also a trial in 1845 where what looks like him is found Not Guilty

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/9199/004021925_01167?pid=2433188&backurl=https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?dbid%3D9199%26h%3D2433188%26indiv%3Dtry%26 o_vc%3DRecord:OtherRecord%26rhSource%3D6598&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true

Can anyone find anything in newspapers maybe that would explain his sudden fall from grace?

[kiterunner]

In 1861, I think it is supposed to say that his wife keeps a small school and that he is a police officer. The enumerator originally wrote "Police Officer" on the line above William's and presumably wrote "Keeps a small School" on William's line, then crossed out "Police Officer" on the line above and wrote it in over what had already been written on William's line, but the word "School" was still visible, so he then wrote "keeps a small" on the wife's line with a curly bracket kind of thing pointing to the word "School".

[kiterunner]

Wow, after that, the 1881 census page looks beautiful! I wonder whether William retired from the police but still needed a job and that was why he was working as an ag lab.

[Phoenix]

It's what happened to my grandfather. Errand boy, police constable, then storeskeeper.

[Margaret in Burton]

In 1861, I think it is supposed to say that his wife keeps a small school and that he is a police officer. The enumerator originally wrote "Police Officer" on the line above William's and presumably wrote "Keeps a small School" on William's line, then crossed out "Police Officer" on the line above and wrote it in over what had already been written on William's line, but the word "School" was still visible, so he then wrote "keeps a small" on the wife's line with a curly bracket kind of thing pointing to the word "School".


Yes, Good point


Wow, after that, the 1881 census page looks beautiful! I wonder whether William retired from the police but still needed a job and that was why he was working as an ag lab.

Isn't it wonderful writing, wish they were all like that. Good point.

It's what happened to my grandfather. Errand boy, police constable, then storeskeeper.

OK, So it's not that unusual then.

Thanks Both

[Olde Crone]

There's a police officer in my tree too, who seems to have left in a hurry to become first a publican, then a shopkeeper. I thought it might have something to do with getting his 13 year old niece pregnant, don't know how people felt about that in the 1870s! (To be fair, he did eventually marry her and they had many more children and a very long marriage.)

OC

OC

[Janet in Yorkshire]

Yes, I also have a police officer in one of my lines. Later found a career record for him, which included an entry recording promotion, followed by several entries for being late on duty, intoxicated whilst on duty and finally a dismissal. :d Never did find out what happened to him after his brief spell in the police force.

Jay

[Jill]

I have a Victorian police officer (Edwin Bent) in Lancashire whose father was a police superintendent. Edwin left his wife (my relative) and married bigamously and ran a pub in Llandudno with his new woman, but was arrested for his bigamy. Later he became a railway policeman. Truly a Bent copper.

[Nell]

I have quite a few policemen on my paternal line. One of them left after only a year stating that he couldn't serve God and the devil at the same time! He became a photograph enlarger, then an insurance salesman before being sent to a lunatic asylum.

Two of his brothers retired from the police and ran pubs. This seems to be a popular choice for retired rozzers!

[Margaret in Burton]

Two of his brothers retired from the police and ran pubs. This seems to be a popular choice for retired rozzers!

Definitely, I used to work in a local pub where the boss was a retired policeman