William Trenchard & Annabella Downton

[mugwortismy cat]

Not sure if the Downton family in Hilfield are related to my Downton ancestors from Wootton Glanville, but it is making my endeavours to trancribe the Hilfield census(es) and registers quite tantalising. I suppose I shall have to look into it!

My immediate problem of the moment is interpreting William Trenchard's occupation on their marriage entry in the register (17 Feb 1885); here's the relevant:



Given the way that the minister has written the 'Tr' of Trenchard, I have inerpreted the 1st word as 'Travelling' and I think the 2nd word is 'Clerk' (I have found 'k's take on the strangest forms and are often hard to interpret ). But am I right? Did he travel around writing letters for people? What is the correct sense of the word 'clerk' here?

The 1881 census has him as a Bailiff on a farm RG11/2116/25/2 (at least I think this is him) and the 1891 he is a Dairyman (presumably taken on Annabella's father's place?) RG12/1656/108/14 ---- Ancestry have transcribed his age as 55 but looks like 35 to me ---- So not really any help there ..

What do you think??

 

[Ma-dotcom]

It does look so to me Cristol, poor chap didn't last long did he? As a bailiff he was a sheriffs ' do it man' I would guess clerk type/admin.work included.

 

[AnnB]

I reckon it says Travelling Clerk too. Having Googled the expression, I have found instances of the term being used for people working for all sorts of establishments - the Post Office, the railways, warehouses, for private individuals, all sorts. In the case of the Post office, these chaps seem to chase up any registered letters which went missing, so, I suppose, it would mean different things depending on where you happened to be employed.

Ann

 

[janetbooth]

Me too. Travelling Clerk was my initial impression.

Janet

 

[mugwortismy cat]

Thankyou Wendy, Ann and Janet. I just wanted to check, sometimes eyes play strange tricks ... or is it the mind ...

No, Wendy it seems he didn't last long. Thanks Ann, if I knew who he was a travelling clerk for it might lead me into all sorts of exciting investigations, but no clue.