Bringing home the bacon: a bygone world of historical occupations

Do you know your gongfarmers from your mush fakers, and your charwomen from your colporteurs? Enjoy a riotous romp through British historical occupations in this talk from professional genealogist and AGRA Associate, Dr. Sophie Kay.

Behind the narrative of every ancestor lies the forceful pull of their occupational history. The jobs of our forebears could shape the houses they lived in, dictate the timing of their daily existence, and cause potentially fatal maladies. Sophie will explore how occupational demands and hazards influenced workers’ lives, with examples ranging from the 1600s through to the Victorian era. We’ll also examine how to harness the power of digital resources and physical archives to explore these stories for yourself.

Including historical nuggets to fascinate and delight, attendees will gain valuable insights into bygone trades and an action plan for how to enrich their family history through occupational research. Never again shall those throwsters, dribble boys, stumpers and egglers get the better of you!

Booking will be required and the talk will take place via Zoom. The link to join will be sent out one day in advance of the event by email to the address given on your booking. This will be generated via Eventbrite and, depending on your email settings, may sometimes be found in a junk mail folder.

Other points to be aware of about the booking.

•  There will be a waitng room to ensure only those who have booked places are admitted.
• Access codes to the Zoom session will be emailed to you 24hrs before the event.  
• Microphones will be muted and it may be necessary to turn cameras off to prevent problems with video and audio quality.

Online Platform

Zoom (www.zoom.us) is the online platform we will be using to run this session.

• You do not need to have a Zoom account -  a meeting link will be emailed to the email address you provide when booking.

The recommended equipment needed for online sessions is

• A PC/Laptop, iPad/tablet or ‘phone that can run Zoom (an app may need to be downloaded if using an iPad/tablet or ‘phone) with a webcam and microphone
• A desk/table for the laptop/PC, tablet or ‘phone
• Good power supply
• Minimum 2 mbps broadband speed

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