Olliver Employment Book 1854 to 1880

Feel free to browse through my gallery images below.

 

Agnes Olliver donated these account books to the St Neot Archive to be kept for posterity so that future “St Neotians” could be aware of and enjoy the village’s history. They give a valuable insight into the social history of our Cornish heritage. Researching the contents may also help with family genealogy.

 

Thank you Jack & Agnes for this amazing legacy.

 

 

Here you can find out who worked in St Neot and how much they were paid during the period from 1854 to 1880. This only records people who were listed in the “Employment Book”.  Names are shown as spelled, which sometimes varies within the book! Please remember this when researching family history.

 

This small dark red book measures just 12.5cm x 18.5cm, it has a light brown spine. There are no text or identifying marks on the outside of the front or back cover. I have called this book the “Employment Book”.

 

The amounts of money are wages paid, it was usual that servants were given a room (junior ones sharing)  and food. Junior staff often had only one half a day per month off. Holidays were not given, unemployment benefit did not exist!

 

Up until 1971 £, Shillings (s) and pence (d) were used as currency. £1 equaled 20 shillings (s) and 12 pence (d) made 1s. To confuse you even more there were halfpennies (½d) and farthings (¼d); 480 ½d equaled £1 as did 960 ¼d.

 

This small ledger was transcribed previously and then up-dated by Chris Timms Archivist St Neot Historians in 2025

 

Employment Book

Wages paid in St Neot 1854 to 1880

No page numbers exist within the book, I have used the JPEG image number to identify the different pages, I had to use something! There are NO numbers missing! Originally I took 2 or more pictures and used the best one! When one image has two pages I have used "a" & "b" to differentiate.

"Quitted", "Left" and "Discharged" appear in entries on occasions. Wage increases, the amount of the increase and the date of the increase are frequently noted.

A selection of four comments contained in the entries are shown below. You may spot others while you search!

Alphabetical Index pages

JPEG Images of Employment Pages

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Additional Information
Samuel Symons JPEG 62b

The earliest date recorded of local employment is the entry about Samuel Symons who's name is written directly under the title at the head of a page stating "Domestics", he was paid £10 per annum “Date of Wage 3 July 1854. Paid 1 years wage 3 July 1855 £10.0.0.” Presumably his wages were increased as the next entry reads “Date of wage from 3 July 1855 £12.0.0. March 15 to paid half years wage to 3 Jan 1856 £6.0.0. 1856 3 July paid to S Symons to the date £6.0.0. and Discharged him”. Many staff were paid on each of the "quarter days" there are many references to "Ladyday" "Michaelmas" etc. As there were no derogatory remarks made by the recorder perhaps this indicates that the level of Samuel's service and his conduct were satisfactory! We have a record in the Census returns of 1841 and 1851 for Samuel Symons. In 1841 he lived with his wife Mary and five children at “St Neot Village South” and is classified as a Labourer. In 1851 he is listed as a Farm Bailiff living with his wife Mary and eight children! His address is given as “Wenmouth”.

Additional Information
Elizabeth Ann Coppin JPEG 61a 62a 63b

The entry for Elizabeth Ann Coppin allows an insight into the happenings of St Neot village in 1860. Elizabeth started work on the 19th May 1860, unfortunately we don't know who for. However there is an entry in the Census for 1841 that records an Ann aged 17, she is listed as “Servant to George Rogers” living at Tredarrup. She doesn’t appear in subsequent census returns. Her first "wage" consisted partly of money that she already owed to local shop etc. Parkyn's bill amounted to £1.10s.9½d no mention is made of who Parkyn is. Axworthy, (listed in my shops book) was paid 13/- and 1/8 was paid for clogs. The dressmaker received 3/6. The total of the bills reached £3.3s.7p. So Elizabeth owed more than she was paid for her first year’s work. After one year her wage increased by 33% to £4. The subsequent entry shows that the outstanding 3/7½d was not forgotten and was deducted from the pay before it was given to her. She only remained in employment for 1 year and 5 months on this occasion. Her wages for each month were 6/8d this equals 33p!! George Rogers is listed in the 1842 Tithe Apportionment documents as living at and owning Tredarrup.

Additional Information
David Blake JPEG 57b

David Blake commenced employment on 16th May 1874, he was paid £16.0.0. per annum. He worked for one year, one month and two weeks and then his employment ceased. A comment was added beside his name at the top of the page - "a lazy indolent fellow". We have no record of David in either the 1871 or 1881 census returns for St Neot.

Additional Information
Rachel Grose Cook JPEG 69a

Rachel Grose (Cook) is recorded as starting work on June 12th 1873 at £10 per annum. In August we learn that after only 8 weeks she parted company with her employer, the rather uncomplimentary comment "Paid to this date being 8 weeks wages at 3/10d per week - £1.10.9d and discharged as not being even fit to cook a red herring!" Even appears to have been added later.