Genealogy Chat

That's very interesting, thanks. There definitely are two uses of the word 'tenter'. Most of my Notts & Derbys ancestors were coal miners and I often see 'Engine tenter' which I believe is a person who attends to the mechanical gubbins. Here's an example 'Engine tenter ironworks' on Census 1901: RG13/3145/172 Page:1 and 'Collier engine tenter' on RG10/3479/51 Page:21 I now know about the use of the word in the weaving industry - as 'Back Tenter Cotton factory' on RG10/3665/31 Page:10, although I don't know about 'Back Tenter'. And it's not a person who makes tents in their bedclothes :-) -- Dave.

A bit off topic, but it reminded me of a phrase my mother uses: 'Idiom: on tenterhooks In a state of uneasiness, suspense, or anxiety' - so perhaps there is an element of waiting or being suspended whilst 'on tenterhooks', or just needing to chill out (see the steaming above!)

Sorry just got back home... Thanks for your replies Great Help. Pamx

You're welcome, Pam. :-) I just found something that might help also: http://www.clothworkers(.)co.uk/pages/homepage/the_company/texttiles/the_craft_of_the_clothworker/glossary/default.aspx A couple of definitions from the glossary: (1) Heat Setting - The process of conferring stability upon fibres, yarns, or fabrics by means of steam or dry heat. (2) Tentering (or Stentering) - A process in which selvedges of a cloth are held by an endless chain to a predetermined width while the cloth is dried or heat set. Put them together and I think you have a setting machine tenter, although the meaning of 'tenter' is still a bit confusing! Chris

Thanks Chris you're a star. Great Help! Pamx

This is a bit of a guess, but here goes. The rest of the people on the census page were mostly involved in the worsted weaving industry by the look of things, and so William Swallow probably was too. The word 'stuff' added by the clerk back in the census office refers to 'woollen stuff' which is another word for woollen cloth. The word tenter probably refers to a person who maintained the machinery, but it could also mean the person who stretched the woven cloth in the loom by the use of tenter hooks placed in the selvedges. More guesswork, but I think that a setting machine may have been another name for the steamer which gave the cloth a good sheen after it had been woven. This was more important if the cloth was made just from wool, but worsted, although a finer quality material, still had steaming applied in the finish. Chris

Thanks all I tried looking on a web site for old occupations but couldn't connect it to anything. The second word more than like Machine. Thanks Again Pamx

Could it be sizing machine tenter? A tenter was someone who looked after machinery, and a sizing machine was used in the cloth weaving process. Still is as a matter of fact. :-) Chris

The second word must be Machine. Have you tried googling? Reg

This is the 1881 census which i found it on. 1881 England Census about William Swallow Name: William Swallow Age: 30 Estimated birth year: abt 1851 Relation: Head Spouse's name: Ann Gender: Male Where born: Birstall, Yorkshire, England Civil parish: Cleckheaton County/Island: Yorkshire Country: England Street address: Square Condition as to marriage: Married Education: Employment status: View image Occupation: Setting Makine Tenter (stuff) Registration district: Bradford Sub-registration district: Cleckheaton ED, institution, or vessel: 16 Neighbors: View others on page Household Members: Name Age Ann Swallow 31 Fred Swallow Robert Swallow 3 William Swallow 30

This is the occupation of a relative does anyone know what it is ? 'Setting Makine Tenter (stuff)' Thanks Pamx

Not sure but could the 2nd word be machine? Is it on a census image? Can we have the reference? Janice