Differing Responses to an Industrialising Economy - eTheses ...

as important roles within the community, perhaps eclipsing the day-job in this respect.
Many alternative occupations arose because the individual had the right contacts and
knowledge, so the fish-hookmaker moved into fishing tackle manufacture, while the
carrier’s family also kept the village-shop. The miller often doubled as baker or maltster
and also dealt in corn and flour.
Other occupational changes are age-related. An individual perhaps changed career,
for example a needlemaker joined the army and then returned to needlemaking. Others
built up capital which enabled them to buy a farm or a pub in middle age, either leaving off
or continuing their earlier occupation. The descriptor ‘apprentice’ was naturally associated
with those in the age-range 12 to 21 and ‘servants’ were also more likely to be under 30.
Other terms in the Victorian censuses such as ‘errand-boy’ also show individuals at the
start of their working life, while ‘wheel-turners’ (presumably in the needle factories) tend
to be under 20 or elderly. Needle District mythology relates that needle-pointers died
young. Before the introduction of extractor fans to remove metal dust, many must have
died from respiratory diseases, but there are examples of older needle-pointers too. 13
However, old age, ill-health and accidents no doubt caused many people to change their
job.
Perhaps by Adam Smith’s time the society of Alcester’s hinterland had not
‘improved’ as much as Smith would have liked. Many manufacturers, retailers and
professionals were still involved in farming, whether as labourer, hands-on farmer or
investor, as shown by probate inventories up to Smith’s time. Unfortunately, when
13 Though they may not have been needle-pointing all their working lives.
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