Amlwch census data 1861

Based on the 1861 census data for Amlwch, the role of women was diverse, spanning essential domestic duties, specialized manual labor in the mining industry, and active participation in local commerce and professional services.

The following categories outline the various roles women held in the community:

A significant number of women are identified primarily by their marital status or their husband’s occupation. This is particularly evident in maritime roles, such as Master Mariner’s Wife, Sailor’s Wife, and Seaman’s Wife. These designations often appear when the woman is the head of the household, likely because her husband was at sea. Additionally, many women are listed simply as Widow, often associated with being a Shop Keeper or a Pauper.

Industrial and Manual Labor

Women played a direct role in Amlwch’s industrial sector, specifically in the copper mines. Many are listed as Copper Dressers, a role involving the manual sorting and cleaning of ore. Other manual labor roles included:

• Washer Woman and Laundress.
• Charwoman or those engaged in “Charing” (general cleaning).
• Specialized Trades and Crafts
• Dressmaker, with dozens of women employed in this capacity throughout the town.
• Milliner and Bonnet Maker (including Straw Bonnet Maker).
• Tobacco Maker.
• Weaver.:
• Hospitality: Many women served as a Publican, Inn Keeper, or Public House Keeper.
• Retail: Common roles included Shop Keeper, Grocer, Draper, and Fowl Dealer.
• Food Services: Women worked as Bakers, Confectioners, and Lodging House Keepers.
• Agriculture: Several women are listed as a Farmer, sometimes managing significant acreage (e.g., Mary Roose, who farmed 300 acres).
• Domestic Service
• Servant (often abbreviated as Fs for Female Servant).
• House Keeper.
• Nurse.
• Cook, Chamber Maid, Kitchen Maid, and Waiter.
• Diary Maid (Dairy Maid).
• School Mistress.
• Teacher (at the British School or National School).
• Governess.
• •Midwife.

In the 1861 census data for Amlwch, children—defined here as those under the age of 17—were engaged in a variety of roles ranging from formal education to rigorous industrial and manual labor.

The most common designation for children was Scholar, with individuals as young as 4 years old and as old as 15 years old listed in this category. Older adolescents occasionally transitioned into the educational workforce, serving as Pupil Teachers at ages 17 and 18.

• Copper Mining: Boys as young as 9 years old were employed as Copper Miners. Other teenagers, such as 14 and 15-year-olds, were also recorded in this role.
• Manual Mining Support: Many children worked as Mine Labourers, including an 11-year-old and several 13 to 15-year-olds.
• Smelting and Processing: A 12-year-old and a 13-year-old are listed as Smelters. Girls and young women also worked as Copper Dressers (sorting ore), with a 12-year-old and several 14-year-olds recorded in this capacity.
• Consistent with the town’s maritime heritage, boys entered sea-based trades in their early teens:
• Sailor: Several 14 and 15-year-olds are listed as Sailors.
• A 16-year-old worked as a Warehouse Man.
• Agriculture and General Labor
• Carter: Boys aged 12, 14, and 15 were employed as Carters, responsible for driving teams of animals.
• Agricultural Labourer (Ag Lab): An 11-year-old and a 13-year-old are listed
• Cow Hand: One 11-year-old boy is listed as a Cow Hand.
• Domestic Service: Girls as young as 13 and 15 were employed as Female Servants (Fs).
• Hospitality: A 10-year-old girl is recorded as a Waiter.
• Manufacturing: A 14-year-old was employed as a Tobacco Maker, and a 16-year-old worked as an Iron Founder.
• Apprenticeships: A 16-year-old is listed as a Miller App (Apprentice).

To understand the life of a child in 1861 Amlwch, one might view the community as a steep ladder; while many were fortunate enough to stand on the first few rungs of education as “scholars,” the pressure of the local economy often forced them to begin climbing the difficult, adult rungs of the mines and the sea before they had even reached their seventeenth year.

To listen to more about the 1861 Amlwch census, click the player below.

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The data bases below can only be searched globally on “all fields” rather than just say “Surname”. This means that entering “Jones” should return all “Jones” and “Miner” should return all miners but you cannot search for “Jones + Miner”

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