According to the 1881 census only 42% of women worked, but
that doesn't mean that the other 58% were sitting around with their feet
up. It simply reflects that women's
employment was seen as unimportant and negligible. This is because it was often seasonal, part time,
poorly paid or a support role for their father or husbands own work.
Many women worked in a domestic environment, taking care of
their own home or other peoples.
Elizabeth Burtenshaw was typical, she was born in 1866 in Albourne to John
Burtenshaw, an agricultural labourer but by the age of 15 years she was working
as a servant for Simeon Gumbrill. For
blacksmith Simeon employing a servant was a step towards middle class
status.
Many women in Sussex would have worked on the land, taking
care of their own vegetable patch, working alongside their husbands or fathers
or as seasonal help. Ruth Gutsell worked
as dairy maid in Upper Dicker (Arlington) before she married but whilst the
1871 census entry suggests she is no longer working it is highly likely that
she is still working.
The industrial revolution gave women a new work
opportunity. Sussex was not at the heart
of industrial growth but it was not unaffected.
There were many new developing industries along with pre-existing industries. Women of all ages could work in a factory and
it was a work opportunity that was available to many married women as well as
single women. The paper factory in
Stedham employed many local women including Ann Burns, a 35 year old widow and
Jane Simmonds was still working there at the age of 65 years.
Outwork was another employment option for married women,
working from home could be fitted in around caring for their children. Outwork was considered socially acceptable for
women; factory work gave women an independence that worried society, farm work
was too coarse and domestic work took women until other people's houses making
them possible prey to immoral employers.
Many women working as dressmakers and milliners would have been working
at home such as 14 year old Elizabeth Deeks in Brighton and 73 year old Ann
Longhurst of Angmering.
There were many other jobs women undertook, many without the
recognition that they were working. A
search of the census shows many families taking in lodgers to supplement the
family income and it was the women who took care of the extra work
involved. Maria Collis of Westhampnett
earned an income as a charwomen and rented a room to a lodger whilst the five
daughters of Richard Geere, a builder in Brighton, all earned an income as
teachers. Some women would have earned a
less than salubrious income from prostitution, it is estimated that 7% of the
population of Victorian London were prostitutes (possibly as much as 15% of the
female population). Whilst prostitute
was generally listed in the census under occupation there might be clues to the
real occupation of such women as Alex Kingston found out on a recent episode of
Who Do You Think You Are?
Some women broke the mould, taken on what was usually seen
as men's work. Sarah and Elizabeth Ray
followed their father Daniel into the family silversmithing business in Battle whilst
Caroline Burkenshaw worked as a carrier in West Itchenor.
It is reasonable to think, regardless of whether the census
showed an occupation or not, that our working class female ancestors were hard
workers and they contributed to the family income.
