Can anyone read an occupation for me?

[Rae36]

Can anyone read the occupation of David Burns, father of the groom? I'm guessing he's a maker of something but I have no idea what.
I don't know anything about him, I don't know where he lived or have anything to give me a clue.

I don't know anything about this little part of my family so I'd love him to be a maker of something rare and interesting so I can find out a bit more. But it's probably going to be something fairly mundane.

I'd appreciate some fresh eyes.

Thank you!

Looks like “Clock**maker” to me - not sure what the couple of letters after “clock” are.

I was stabbing at clockmaker too although was also confused by the extra letters!

Clock or cloak?

Stockingmaker?

I don't think the first letter is a C as it has a bit of a front tail and if you look at the C in county in the line above that doesn't so I think it might be an S. In that case stockingmaker looks quite possible.

Oh stocking maker might make sense. And would fit with the rest of our family's pretty lowly occupations. Clock maker sounds quite grand.

As there was a considerable woollen hosiery industry in Dumfries, I'd say a stocking maker was a good bet. Also the first letter closely resembles the capital S of Spinster.

Yes that would fit. And would suggest that the parents of the groom were also from, or lived in, Dumfries or that area.

Now I can go and learn something about stocking making!

Do you know much about the family OP?
I've found the George Burns that I think is him in the 1871 and 1881 census and it seems to say he is from Woolwich, Kent. Is that likely to be the same family? I've not yet found David - do you have other sources that might give his occupation?

That is definitely my George, everything fits with later census records, locations, known children. But I can't work out how or when he came from Kent to Dumfries. It feels very far away and random back in the 19th century but I'm sure there must be a reason

@Mia85
How do you find all this stuff so quick??
It takes me ages 😀

Taking ages is definitely the right way! There's so many people who just click the random first record that looks vaguely right and are completely wrong.

It does seem an odd move, not sure why Dumfries would be so attractive in the mid 19th C. Do you have any records from before his marriage? If you can find him as a child with David that'll really help. Or if he has any siblings you could see their marriages.

I dont know anything about him until he gets married in Dumfries in 1869. He then stays srouns that area working and raising a family but consistently says he was born in Woolwich so i guess i have to believe him! I'll try to look for siblings next. After that I'm a bit stuck unless something pops up.
I wonder if there was a military connection maybe, the father was posted in Woolwich? What else might take you there in the 1840s and 50s?

They do seem tricky to track down. Have found the David Burns/Elizbeth Watts (?) marriage?

I've found David! He was indeed in the Royal Artillery in Woolwich for a period of time which explains why his son was born there. He signed up in Dumfriesshire where he was born, his occupation at that time was stocking maker. He served 20+ years then went back to Dumfries. I can see him now on the 1861 census as a Chelsea Pensioner. I think the maiden name on George's certificate is not quite right, it's something like Howat, but close enough for the 1800s I think.

I'm glad you all helped me worked out he was a stocking maker, that made the location make sense and I could follow the stocking maker connection through. So thank you for your help with that.

Happy days. I can go to bed now.

So pleased you solved it!
PS I did find George's birth record, or at least I think it's his it's just an index and doesn't have parents' details. Sounds as if it fits what you've found.

First name(s) George
Last name Burns
Sex Male
Birth year 1845
Organisation Armed Forces
Place Woolwich
Country England
Record's year range 1845
Archive General Register Office
Archive reference REG2
Source Gro Regimental Birth Indices Supplement (1761 To 1924)
Volume R.A.22
Page 142
Line number 36
Record set British Armed Forces And Overseas Births And Baptisms
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Subcategory Civil Births
Collections from Great Britain, England

Glad I managed to make out the stockingmaker element - I do do palaeography but about 400 years earlier so am surprisingly proud of myself