What jobs did the last generations of your family do?

[Feminmister]

Just watching an episode of Who Do You Think You Are and it got me thinking how family fortunes change and it can be seen by the jobs each generation does. How does your family pattern of jobs change? For me it’s:

Me: lawyer, DH: lawyer
Mother: teacher, Father: doctor
Maternal grandfather: fireman, Maternal grandmother: lady’s maid until married.
Paternal grandfather: doctor, maternal grandmother: nurse until married
Maternal great grandfather: merchant sailor, Paternal great grandfather: baptist preacher

[CormoranStrikesANoteofDoom]

Me; journalist,DH mechanic.

My dad various jobs but latterly a company secretary, mum in education.

His dad a nurse , mum a cleaner

Generations before that - mining, dairy, railways etc.

[midsomermurderess]

My parents were architects, the first of their generation to go to university in Ireland. My paternal gf was a civil servant clerk, my maternal gf rose very high in the Irish police. Both gms were housewives. No idea about earlier generations.

[GinAtMerlottes]

My dads side are from Stoke, and all worked in the potteries. My dad was a police officer.

Mums side all Londoners.... her dad was a lorry driver, his dad we don’t know but his mother was a waitress. On my nans side, her dad drive a dray horse. Just your basic working class family.

[GinAtMerlottes]

DH and I first ones to go to Uni in both families. I remain the only one.

[DontGoIntoTheLongGrass]

Me: police dh: office manager
Parents: cleaner, accountant
PILs: shop worker, sole trader builder
Grandpils: NHS receptionist, shopworker
Grandparents: cleaner, postman

[Pickypolly]

Previous generations didn’t have education beyond school.
Cleaners, factory workers, bus conductors, armed forces, railway workers.
DH & I have higher education and are both in professional roles.

[Fridgeandkitchen]

Female side were housewives or secretaries or banking.

Male side were the mines or the armed services.

[Toilenstripes]

Me: HR director, DH: Uni lecturer
Parents: Ministry, teacher
PIL: Bank manager, music teacher
Grandparents: Groundskeeper, housewife: Accountant, housewife

[ImNotWhoYouThinkIam]

Me - care work
Mum - various things. She was an NTA in a nursery school (doesnt seem to exist anymore as a job role) and various office jobs. Now her and step dad run their own company.
Dad - qualified in sheet metal work. Has since worked as a window/conservatory fitter, manager in a window fitting company, taxi driver, now a delivery driver.
Maternal Grandmother - must have had a job at some point (?) But I only ever knew her to be a housewife.
Maternal Grandfather - chauffeur.
Paternal Grandmother - housewife when her dc were small. Worked in retail when i was a child.
Paternal Grandfather- not 100% sure but I think he was some kind of heating engineer.

Further back than that I'm not sure. My grandad was an orphan, but his Foster father worked in a biscuit factory making boxes (I think. At least there's a family story about someone getting their hand caught in the nailing machine ). I know some female ancestors were 'in service'.

[nevernotstruggling]

Me - sw
Mum - teacher if the deaf. Dad - civil engineer. Maternal uncle - systems analyst, maternal aunt - bank clerk
Mgps - grandad - draughtsman (sic) doing what would be cad now I assume for a packaging company. Grandma - housewife.

Myself and all my maternal cousins are degree educated professionals in the public sector. We have done well and professed beyond our v supportive families

[KenzoBaby]

Me: solicitor
Mum: Nurse,
Dad: university lecturer

Paternal GF: lorry driver
Paternal GM: home help
Maternal GF: policeman
Maternal GM: worked in a bakery

Generations before then (I've done my family tree too):
cotton weavers, carpenter, soldier

[MinnieMountain]

Me- solicitor. DH- actuary.
My DF- farmer then social worker.
My DM- care work then house wife.
MIL, FIL and SMIL- teachers.
Paternal GDPS- he worked for a paint company in India, then joined the Indian army, then they were both farmers.
Maternal GDPS- real parents were army people, adoptive GDP was a crane designer, GDM something in factories.
Earlier than that we have a vicar, army in India and railways in India. And a merchant.

[vanillandhoney]

I'm a dog walker and DH is a plasterer - we're both self-employed. I run my own business, he's an independent contractor. My parents both worked in the medical field. DH's dad was a plasterer and his mum stayed home, though she did work in a cobblers for a short while too.

No idea what DH's grandparents did as they've all passed away now, but one of mine was a professor, two were SAHP's and one worked with the foreign office as an ambassador in his home country.

[newnameforthis123]

Me: MD of a PR agency

Parents: Secretary and Police officer

Grandparents: Seamstress, barber, stay at home mother, sparky!

[DinosApple]

DH & Me: car related business/secretary

Our parents: Lorry driver/housekeeper/ IT/secretary

Our grandparents: Sawyer/odd jobs/horseman/wife/ pharmacist/auxiliary nurse/miller and farmer/farmer's wife and secretary

My great grandparents: farmer/farmer's wife, pharmacist/pharmacy worker, railway worker/wife, grocer/shopkeeper.

My great great grandparents: farmer, farm labourer, tailor, grocer, teacher.

Apart from my parents we have all run our own businesses on my side, and the women have worked on both sides.

My eldest daughter has wanted to be a farmer since she was 5- she's 11 now, it's certainly in her blood. Although she doesn't want grow crops or animals so it might be a bit of a challenge!

[Blueberries0112]

Father side- grandma: Nurse aide Grandfather: welder

Mother’s side: father: factory worker
Grandma: housekeeping

My dad: a car mechanic mom: worked in a sewing factory and later became a stay at home mom

Me: a nurse aide/ cashier / or cook
Husband: business analyst

[badlydrawnbear]

I am a nurse and DH works in IT
My mum worked in research science for a pharmaceutical company
My dad was an engineer
MIL worked in food production factory at some point, I remember her saying that the same food was put in different packaging for M&s as Aldi etc, I think she has had various jobs but hasn't worked during the 20 years I have known her
FIL worked as a builder/ window fitter/ other kinds of manual jobs, but had been medically retired before I met him
My maternal grandfather worked in a factory, grandmother cleaned in a school and was a lollipop lady
I don't think my paternal grandmother worked and I don't know what my grandfather did.
I don't know what DH's grandparents did. I am not sure he knows.

[Pascha]

DH and I are admin and trade
My parents were an accountant and a carer.
DH's parents are trade and sahm.
My GMs were civil servant and sahm.
My GFs were a paviour/merchant seaman and I have no idea for the other.
DH GMs were both sahm with some fruit picking.
DH GFs were both farm labourers.

Solid working class history for us.

[Ohtannenbaumohtannenbaum]

What an interesting thread idea!

Me: marketing

Mum: accounts assistant
Dad: customer service

Maternal grandma: accounts clerk
Maternal grandad: engineer

Paternal grandma: accounts clerk
Paternal grandad: factory worker

No idea for generations before that.

I was the first in my family to go to uni and as all the women in my family had done accounting jobs I decided I wanted to do anything but that just to be different!

[WildWaterSwimmer]

Me: Teacher / DH: Engineering Director

My father: Chemical Engineer / My Mum: Librarian then housewife

DH's father: Civil Engineer / DH's Mum: Nurse

My Maternal Grandfather: Farmer / Maternal Grandmother: Farmer's wife (illiterate)

My Paternal Grandfather: MP & Mayor / Maternal Grandmother: Civic wife, charitable works

DH's Paternal GF: Company Director / Paternal GM: Music teacher

DH's: Maternal GF: Bank Manager / Maternal GM: Retail work

[GrumpyHoonMain]

Me: banker
Dh engineer

My mum: engineer
My dad: clerical worker

My paternal grandmother: housewife
My paternal grandfather: accounts assistant

My maternal grandmother: housewife
My maternal grandfather: teacher

My great grandfathers on all sides were really rich, influential men who owned a lot of land and made a lot of money. All of it was taken away by British forces in India and East Africa as punishment for them supporting Gandhi.

[ANoTail]

Myself: Probation officer
DH: Pediatric nurse
Mum: Cleaner
Dad: Odd jobs. Painting and decorating and gardening, mostly.
MIL: Piano teacher.
FIL: Miner originally, then factory work.
Maternal GM and Maternal GF were Irish travellers so GF did casual labouring jobs and GM was a housewife until she eventually left with DM and become a dinner lady.
Paternal GF: Farm laborer
Paternal GM: I'm not sure if "farm laborer's wife" is a job role but it was essentially farm labouring and raising 9 children with no pay or recognition.

[Nameandgamechange123]

Me :teacher
Mum and dad : doctors
Granny and grandpa:doctors
Other granny :teacher other grandpa :pilot and journalist
Great granny and grandpa :opera singers
Other great granny: housewife
Other great grandpa : captain of a ship.

[RoseMartha]

Mothers side of the family going back were
Firemen, railway workers, shipbuilders, fishermen, hoop makers and labourers.
Domestic staff, dressmakers, corset makers.

Fathers side were
Greengrocers, painter and decorators, millers, farmers and agricultural labourers.
Domestic staff.

[ironsgurl]

Me: MD of HR Consultancy
DH: IT analyst

DM: Bank teller
DF: Civil Engineer

Maternal DGM: housewife
Maternal DGF: parts chaser / petrol station attendant / security guard

Paternal DGM: dinner lady
Paternal DGF: Fireman, then airport baggage handler