Forgotten Jobs: 15 Strange Occupations Your Ancestors May Have Had
Discover 15 unusual occupations your ancestors may have held, from knocker-up to sin-eater. Learn what these forgotten jobs reveal about family history and everyday life in the past.
GENEALOGY RESEARCHHISTORY
Laura Newheiser
8/2/20264 min read
1. Knocker-Up
Before alarm clocks became affordable, someone had to wake people for work. Knocker-ups walked the streets before dawn carrying long bamboo poles or pea shooters. They tapped on bedroom windows until the customer appeared, ensuring factory workers didn't oversleep. It was a common occupation throughout industrial towns like Sheffield, Leeds and Manchester during the Victorian era.
2. Gong Farmer
Despite the agricultural-sounding title, gong farmers had nothing to do with farming. "Gong" referred to human waste stored in cesspits beneath medieval homes. Gong farmers worked at night, emptying cesspits and transporting the waste outside towns. It was one of the dirtiest—and surprisingly well-paid—jobs of the Middle Ages because few people were willing to do it.
3. Sin-Eater
One of Britain's most mysterious occupations. During funerals in parts of England and Wales, a sin-eater would place bread on the deceased, symbolically absorbing their sins before eating it. Although often feared or shunned by society, they were believed to help the deceased reach heaven with a clean soul.
4. Resurrectionist
Also known as body snatchers. Medical schools desperately needed bodies for anatomical study, but legal supplies were limited. Resurrectionists secretly dug up recently buried bodies and sold them to surgeons and medical schools. This shadowy occupation led to stricter laws surrounding anatomy during the 19th century.
5. Rat Catcher
Before modern pest control, professional rat catchers were in high demand. They trapped rats in homes, warehouses and factories, often keeping specially trained terriers. Some even sold live rats for blood sports. Rat catchers became well-known characters in Victorian Britain, frequently appearing in newspapers and illustrations.
6. Lector
Working in cigar factories, lectors had an unusual task. As workers rolled cigars all day, the lector sat on a platform reading newspapers, novels and political speeches aloud to entertain and educate the workforce. The tradition became particularly famous in Cuba but also existed elsewhere in the tobacco industry.
7. Fuller
Also called a "walker." After cloth was woven, it had to be cleaned and thickened. Fullers soaked woollen fabric in water mixed with clay—or, in earlier centuries, urine—and then trampled it with their feet. Thankfully, machinery eventually replaced this rather unpleasant process.
8. Tallow Chandler
Long before electricity, candles lit homes across Britain. A tallow chandler produced candles from animal fat, providing an essential product for everyday life. If your ancestor lived in a town before the late 1800s, candle making could have been a valuable trade.
9. Night Soil Collector
Similar to gong farmers but more common in growing industrial towns. These workers collected waste from outdoor privies before dawn and transported it away for disposal or use as fertiliser. Without them, Victorian cities would have faced even greater public health problems.
10. Pin Setter
Before automatic bowling machinery, someone manually reset the pins after every roll. Often children, pin setters had to work quickly between bowls while avoiding heavy bowling balls. It remained common until automation spread during the twentieth century.
11. Mudlark
Found along the banks of the River Thames and other rivers, mudlarks searched the mud at low tide for anything valuable. They recovered coal, rope, nails, metal, coins and discarded household items to sell for a small income. For many poor families, mudlarking was simply a way to survive.
12. Toad Doctor
A curious occupation found mainly in rural communities. Toad doctors specialised in treating livestock ailments using traditional folk remedies. Despite the name, they didn't treat toads—they often carried dried toads believed to possess healing powers. Many were respected local healers before veterinary medicine became widespread.
13. Fletcher
A fletcher made arrows. Although the occupation dates back to medieval England, it remained important for centuries as archery was essential for warfare and hunting. Today, it's an uncommon surname clue that may point towards an ancestor's trade.
14. Table Blade Grinder
Common in Sheffield's famous cutlery industry, table blade grinders sharpened knives used for dining rather than industrial tools. The work required immense skill but exposed workers to dangerous grinding dust, leading to lung diseases collectively known as "grinder's asthma." Many Sheffield families can trace ancestors who worked in this hazardous trade.
15. Bobbin Boy
During the Industrial Revolution, young boys worked in textile mills replacing empty bobbins on spinning machines. It was exhausting, dangerous work involving long hours and little formal education. Many children began working from the age of eight or nine.
Why Old Occupations Matter in Family History
An ancestor's occupation tells you far more than simply how they earned a living.
It can reveal:
Their social status.
Whether they lived in a town or rural village.
The industries that shaped their community.
Potential health risks they faced.
Why they may have moved to another area.
Skills that may have been passed down through generations.
Occupations often explain the story behind migrations, changing fortunes and even family traditions.
A single unfamiliar occupation on a census record can open a fascinating window into your ancestor's world.
Whether they woke factory workers before sunrise, sharpened Sheffield cutlery, or searched riverbanks for treasures, every occupation tells a story about how ordinary people lived, worked and survived.
The next time you discover an unusual job title in your family tree, don't skip over it—it could be one of the most interesting clues to your ancestor's life.
When tracing your family tree, you'll often come across occupations that seem completely baffling. Census records, parish registers and marriage certificates can reveal jobs with names that have long disappeared from everyday life.
Was your ancestor a gong farmer, a knocker-up, or even a sin-eater?
Many of these occupations played an essential role in society, even if they sound unusual—or downright unpleasant—today. Understanding what they did can help you build a richer picture of your ancestors' lives.
Here are some of Britain's strangest historical occupations.