Basics
Home and SearchSite Guide
Brentford Basics New
Privacy Policy
Contact
People
FamiliesPhotos of people
Surname indexes New
Memories
Lists of names
Properties
Properties: High StreetPhotos
Maps
Old Brentford Tithe
1909/10 Valuation Index
Pubs Poem
Can You Help?
Seeking...Mystery photos
Roads Off
A-Z listJanet's Research
HistoryBeach's Jam
Nowell Parr
Turner the Artist
Queen Victoria 1840
Brentford Market
80 High Street
Clitherow of Boston House
Four Croxford Brothers New
Sources & More
They SaidMemories
Books etc.
Web Links
Occupations
Document Samples
Next
Site Technology
Author
Home and Search
Brentford Occupations A-Z
This page includes notes about occupations you may come across, for example in censuses, parish records, trade directories and wills. The final column, "Resources", includes links to external sites, books, articles and also to useful pages this site.
Please get in touch if you can contribute any information about a particular occupation.
| Occupation | Details | Resources |
| Artist | Maybe the river, canal boats or proximity to London attracted artists? | J M W Turner |
| Bargeman | See Lighterman | As Waterman |
| Basket maker | Made baskets for transporting fruit & veg (& other goods?) to market; Brentford had osier beds which provided the raw materials | "Riverside Crafts & Industries", James Wisdom, Brentford & Chiswick Local History Society Journal 1985
Photos of the Dawes family basket making business, 306 High St from Andy Dawes |
| Boat builder | E C Jones, Brentford boat & barge builder
"E C Jones, Brentford boatbuilder", Pam Vernon-Roberts: Brentford & Chiswick Local History Society Journal 2007 Much more information / photos about the E C Jones business prepared by Pam Vernon-Roberts is available at the Local Studies room, Chiswick Library "Riverside Crafts & Industries", James Wisdom, Brentford & Chiswick Local History Society Journal 1985 | |
| Brewer | Brentford Breweries included the Beehive Brewery & Royal Brewery | "Royal Brewery Brentford", Neil Chippendale: Brentford & Chiswick Local History Society Journal 2005
"Brentford & Chiswick Pubs", Gillian Clegg, published by Tempus, 2005 |
| Butcher | Lockyer family notes | |
| Clockmaker | 3 watch / clockmakers living at High Street addresses in 1851; in 1901: 2 watchmakers and a watch repairer | Photos: Gaydon clock Upjohn clock Family details Honeybone & Pearce at 231 High Street Parsons at 282 High Street |
| Commercial Traveller | Linked manufacturers and wholesalers to retailers | Travelling salesmen in Britain 1890s-1930s is a useful resource (thanks to Val Bott for sending link) |
| Doctor | British Medical Journal Archive can be searched on-line, 1840-2009; registration is free; includes obituaries and biographical snippets | |
| Fireman |
"Fire! 300 years fire fighting in Brentford", Diana Willment, Dandelion Publications, 2003 Brentford Fire Station at 53 High Street List of Brentford firemen, 1879 Photo of ten Brentford Volunteer Fire Brigade, 1890, 'Brentford As It Was' Photo of firemen, 1894 Photo of firemen, 1944 Funeral cortege of Frank Davis, 1948 Funeral cortege of Frank Davis, 1948 (2) Clarnico Fire Brigade, London E15 | |
| Fisherman | 1851 census includes 3 Thames fisherman who lived on the High Street; no fishermen recorded in 1891/1901 censuses of the High Street | "Riverside Crafts & Industries", James Wisdom, Brentford & Chiswick Local History Society Journal 1985 |
| Gardener | Likely to have worked in a Market Garden rather than a private property | Beach's jam article by Janet McNamara includes notes on 19th century fruit growing |
| Landlord (Pub) | George & Florence Diggins ran the Rising Sun during WW2 Reeve family memories from WW2 of the Bull and Barge Aground Brentford pubs poem | |
| Laundress | Crown & Jersey Laundry staff, 1933 | |
| Lighterman | Worked on barges, carrying goods or wares up and down the river and from cargo ships to shore | As Waterman |
| Market trader | Brentford market operated at various sites before moving into a purpose built building in 1893 | Knight family, including links
Growth of Brentford Market by Janet McNamara |
| Militia man | A tradesman might also have joined the Middlesex Militia | Family which included aMiddlesex Militia man |
| Nurse, WW1 | Family Tree, April/May 2005 | |
| Nursery gardener | "Some Brentford Nursery Gardeners", Val Bott: Brentford & Chiswick Local History Society Journal 2008
Growth of Brentford Market by Janet McNamara | |
| Policeman | Charles Cox was a Brentford PC
Family Tree, August 2005 Brentford Police Station was at no. 60 then no. 42 until the 1960s | |
| Railwayman | Family Tree, February 2005 | |
| Sales Rep | As Commercial Traveller | |
| Seedsman | As Nursery gardener | |
| Soldier |
Photo of Crimean War soldier, mid-1850s Includes photo of 3rd Regiment Dragoon Guard, early 1860s? 1925 photo includes men in the Middlesex Regiment | |
| Surgeon | See Doctor | |
| Undertaker | Family Tree, December 2005 | |
| Watchmaker | See Clockmaker | |
| Waterman | Licensed to navigate and pilot passenger vessels on the River Thames |
Is there a Thames Lighterman in your family? by John Kite
Docklands Ancestor: includes lists, history, images... "My Ancestors were ... Thames Watermen" by James W. Legon pub. 2008 (Society of Genealogists Enterprises Ltd, Second Edition; £7.50 "The bargemen of Brentford", David Blomfield: Brentford & Chiswick Local History Society Journal 2007 "Riverside Crafts & Industries", James Wisdom,Brentford & Chiswick Local History Society Journal 1985 |
Top
Published 2008; last updated June 2010