England Occupations Science and Engineering - International Institute
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The original content for this article was contributed by The International Institute of Genealogical Studies in June 2012. It is an excerpt from their course English: Occupation Records-Professions and Trades and English: Occupations-Military & Services by Dr. Penelope Christensen. The Institute offers over 200 comprehensive genealogy courses for a fee ($). |
Science and Engineering[edit | edit source]
The recency of these professions means that most are well covered in the usual Who’s Who and biographical dictionaries such as Colvin on architects 1660-1840. There are few descriptions of their work written with family historians in mind.
Early Walloon and Fleming engineering work draining the East Anglian fens from 1626 is described by Beharrell (Nothing Without Labour. Family Tree Magazine Vol 10 #5, page 43-44). Canals, roads, bridges and railways are the subjects of essays by Chaloner (People and Industries. Frank Cass, London. FS Catalog book 942 U3ch). The 19th century engineers have been considered by Jarvis (The Victorian Engineer. Shire Publications), who surveys the works of the consultants, salaried engineers and the entrepreneurs. Alefounder (Using Manorial Records to Trace Thomas Alefounder, Schoolmaster and Mapmaker. Journal of One-Name Studies Vol 7 #3, page 6-7) has traced a 17th-18th century mapmaker, and various scientists and explorers who have authored works but who fell on hard times can be found in the Royal Literary Fund records. Inventions and patents are the subject of Public Record Office leaflet D3, and registered designs and trade marks are covered in D100 and D101. Examples from Woodcroft’s Alphabetical Index of Patentees of Inventions 1617-1852 on FS Library film 0087890 is shown below .
CHART: Patentees of Inventions
| Patentee |
# |
Date |
Subject Matter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reid, John Patterson |
5482 |
4 Apr 1827 |
Power-looms for weaving cloth of various kinds |
| Reid, William |
11,974 |
23 Nov 1847 |
Communicating intelligence by electricity |
| Rémond, Amedée Francois |
12,493 |
28 Feb 1849 |
Machinery for folding envelopes |
The researcher can then follow up at the Patent Office or in the patent collection at the British Library, and van Dulken, a patent librarian there shows how.
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