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Archiver > DEVON > 2003-03 > 1049099222


From: Rod Neep <>
Subject: Re: [DEV] Sojourners
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2003 09:27:02 +0100
References: <000001c2f6df$85a15d40$2ad2fc3e@oemcomputer>
In-Reply-To: <000001c2f6df$85a15d40$2ad2fc3e@oemcomputer>


In article <000001c2f6df$85a15d40$>, Martin Cross
<> writes
>Dear list,
>
>I visited the Exeter Records Office last week in search of my Brixham
>ancestors. One of the things that struck me was the use of the phrase
>'sojourner in this parish' in the records of marriage banns. I had not
>come across this in Yorkshire, where most of my research has been.
>
>Is there a definition of a sojourner? Presumably it is someone not of
>the Parish, but does it mean they are living there at the time of the
>banns, and if so, how long would you have to live somewhere before
>becoming 'of this parish', rather than a soujourner? My ggg
>grandparents, Thomas PALMER and Johanna TAYLOR were both sojourners in
>the Parish of St. Mary's, Brixham at the time of their marriage in
>1819, so I would guess that at least one of them must have been living
>there if they were married there.
>
>Any thoughts gratefully recieved.
>
>Martin Cross
>Brighton, UK

Sojourners were people/families whose lifestyles were
characterised by frequent movement from one place to another,
often involving temporary or mobile accommodation such as
inns, lodging houses, caravans and tents. Some examples
of occupations include circus and fairground travellers,
general salespeople and hawkers, and railway labourers.

BY nature... they are difficult to track down in records!

While it would not have been unusual for individuals or families
to have a preferred base (e.g. during winter), some natural
consequences of the lifestyle include children within a given
family born in different towns spread across several counties,
and the fact that individuals were rarely to be found in the same
location on successive censuses (conceivably those in mobile
accommodations were also more likely than others to be accidentally
omitted from a census altogether?).

Keywords and phrases found in census descriptions of the occupations
of sojourners include the following:

Acrobat
Actor, Actress
Ballad Singer
Bandsman
Basket Maker, Basket Manufacturer
Circus
Artist
Clown
Equestrian
Groom
Horse Rider
Manager
Owner
Performer
Proprietor
Rider
Ring Master
Cinematograph Exhibitor
Comedian
Conjuror
Confectioner
Costermonger
Elephant Keeper, Elephant Trainer
Equestrian
Gipsy (Gypsy)
Groom
Gymnast
Gymnastic Clown
Hawker, Licensed Hawker
Itinerant
Chimney Sweep
Hawker
Sweep
Lion Tamer, Lion Tamer(menagerie)
Menagerie
Manager
Proprietor
Proprietress
Monkey Tamer
Musician
Pedlar (Pedler)
Performer (Perf)
Photographer
Rag gatherer
Railway Labourer
Ringmaster
Roundabout Proprietor
Showman, Showwoman
Theatrical Showman
Tinker
Tramp
Traveller (Traveler), Travelling Fairman, Travelling Showman,
Traveller on Roads
Van Dweller
Waggoner
Wild Aninal Keeper (Circus)
Wild Beast Exhibitor
Wirewalker

(Showman and Traveller occupations frequently contain additional terms
such as:
Boats, Hobby Horses, Marrionettes, Performing Dogs, Rifle Saloon,
Shooting
Gallery, Steam Horse, Swing Boats, Wooden Horses, etc.)

Words and phrases used in connection with sojourner dwellings include:

Boarding House
Caravan, Caravans
Circus
Gipsy Encampment
Lodging House
Shed
Tent
Thoroughfare (Open Air)
Vacant Land
Van, Van on Croft

...plus numerous inns.

The above are mostly derived from the 1881 census transcript, with
additions from selected 1891 enumerators schedules and entries from the
1901 on-line database at www.census.pro.gov.uk.

----------------------------------------

Reproduced from a message by David Rigby, who is the list admin of the
mailing list.

For more details of subscribing to this nailing list, see:
http://www.british-genealogy.com

Regards
Rod Neep
--
British-Genealogy.com - For British Family History
web : http://www.british-genealogy.com

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