My Gt Gt Grandad was, over the years, an Agricultural Labourer, a Farm Bailiff, a HIND and a Farm Foreman (HIND). Does anyone know what being a Hind means? For reference, he is William BURTON (RG11; Piece 4743; Folio 50; Page 16) & (RG12; Piece 3909; Folio 92; Page 11) Jane
I believe it is a term for an agricultural labourer. Someone on a Rootsweb query stated that it is a skjillecf an lab working with horses.
Hind was a general term for a farm servant or agricultural labourer. However, in some regions it was a farm bailiff or steward. The latter usage would seem to apply in your example. They used to live in hind quarters (poor joke, sorry)
Thanks mugwortismycat ... or should I call you "sticky fingers"? I assume you meant "a skilled ag lab"? So that's where my love of horses comes from! Thanks, gt gt grandad X Jane
Umm, yes. Typing in a hurry with slightly rheumaticky fingers got 'skjillecf' (vaguely Scandinavian?) and autocorrect gave me 'an'. And pressing send before I should made me
I don't think you can assume horses are involved. True, the OED does say "In Scotland and some parts of northern England: A married and skilled farm-workman, for whom a cottage is provided on the farm, and sometimes a cow; he has the charge of a pair of horses, and a responsible part in the working of the farm. An average-size farm has two hinds' houses besides the farm-house." But the 1881 census that you referenced doesn’t just say "Hind" - it says "Hind 440 acres". This surely points even more strongly to the meaning of Bailiff.
I have a few hinds in my Cumbrian ancestry. I was given to understand that it was one-up from an ag lab, ie more responsibility, as in a farm manager. Interesting variations on the term.
