Taking in Lodgers

[Littlemo]

Hi All,
On the subject of Occupations both my GGran & GGGran took in Lodgers.
In the 1901 Census living in a small terrace house were GGran,GGrandad(A Miner) 4 Kids & 2 Lodgers also Miners. They must have slept in Shifts.
In1891 in the same house were my GGGran GGran then a Cotton Weaver My Gran aged Iyr. & 1 Lodger(No mention of my GGrandad, although they were married in 1889) No idea where he was, (Suggestions Welcome)
Apparently my Gran met my Grandad (Who was Irish) because he was Lodging with her Mother.
As I remember just how small these houses were(My Gran &Grandad lived in the next St.) and in the late 40"s early 50"s I remember my Grandparents still had Gas Mantles (No Electric) Life must have been really really hard.
Happy Hunting Everyone
Littlemoxx

 

[benny1982]

Hi Littlemo

I am nt sure but didnt lodgers just get the bed, yet pay for their own food, etc? I think boarders got food and a bed but lodgers just got a bed in return for paying rent to the occupier or owner of the house.

Ben

 

[patrickw]

hi Mo, just a quickie on the gas mantle thing, I remember by grannie still having them as late as 1971 in a small terraced house in Burnley. ( I also remember destroying one or two in my clumsy fingers lol)
best wishes
Pat xxx

 

[p.risboy]

Hi Littlemo

I am nt sure but didnt lodgers just get the bed, yet pay for their own food, etc? I think boarders got food and a bed but lodgers just got a bed in return for paying rent to the occupier or owner of the house.

Ben

Not sure on this one Benny. But were boarders clients of Boarding Houses, and lodgers got the same facilities in private houses.

And did the origins of 'boarders' start with offering shelter to travelers, and supplying a 'board' for a table, and then using it to sleep on at night.

Steve.

 

[JMR]

My Gt Gt Grandmother died in 1886 of ovarian tumour and exhaustion, aged 34! It took me about a year to find my Gt Gt Grandfather and their 2 sons in the 1891 census, due to inaccurate transcribing. And when I did he was listed as a lodger, with a widow who also had small children, much the same ages.

In the 1901 census the two were married. This has been a common occurrence in my family research. I think in my families' case, it was simply another word for "living in sin"!

Cheers,
Jill

 

[p.risboy]

My Gt Gt Grandmother died in 1886 of ovarian tumour and exhaustion, aged 34! It took me about a year to find my Gt Gt Grandfather and their 2 sons in the 1891 census, due to inaccurate transcribing. And when I did he was listed as a lodger, with a widow who also had small children, much the same ages.

In the 1901 census the two were married. This has been a common occurrence in my family research. I think in my families' case, it was simply another word for "living in sin"!

Cheers,
Jill

Hey Jill, I reckon your rellies were not the only ones "living in sin".
Although I have noticed a few of my 60yr old relations living with much younger women, I hope "living in sin" was not the case. But as they say, "many a good tune played on an old fiddle".

Steve.

 

[JMR]

Hey Jill, I reckon your rellies were not the only ones "living in sin".
Although I have noticed a few of my 60yr old relations living with much younger women, I hope "living in sin" was not the case. But as they say, "many a good tune played on an old fiddle".

Steve.

Too true Steve! My Mum, who's 83, goes to great lengths to tell me that they had no choice but to find someone very quickly once one partner/or parents died. She would be right I reckon. No pensions, mostly the generation before was dead already. Someone needed to stay home and raise the children and someone had to go out and make money for food and shelter. Mum maintains that these were mutually beneficial unions and were a matter of survival for the family. I drive her mad with what she calls my dark assumptions

It makes you think, doesn't it? Tough life and times they lived in, our rellies!

Jill

 

[Littlemo]

Hi Everyone,
Adding to JMR"s comments about women having no support when their husbands died, my Paternal Gran (who died before I was born) my GGran & GGGran were all widowed with 2, 5, &4 Kids respectively, & all 3 re-married.
One dark theory I have is that Kid"s then were put out to work at such a young age, that it must have been a good source of Income for Step-Fathers to have so many workers in a family (or am I being an Old Cynic?)
Re the Boarders v Lodgers, I agree the Boarders were in Boarding Houses, Lodgers in Private Houses, usually lodging with people they worked with. The area where I still live was once a thriving Mining & Cotton Mill Area, & with the Lodgers Coming from as far afield as Ireland, Wales & Southern England this seems quite likely.
Well Happy Hunting All,
Best Wishes, Littlemo