Occupations of Males in Beeston, Nottinghamshire, April 1881

The above table sets out our analysis of the male population of Beeston in April 1881, by industry/occupation and by age band. A similar table for the female population can be seen by clicking here. Each of these tables have been prepared based on the principles described in connection with the overall population table which can be seen here.

The table can be used to observe and quantify certain characteristics and trends within the population and, in particular, within the working population:

The employment rate amongst the over 15 male population is 97.5%, essentially unchanged from 1871 and 1861, all being an increase from just over 96% employed in 1851. The actual numbers, however, show a solid increase. At 1263, the number of over-15s employed is a 49.3% increase over the 1871 total in this age range.

The average age of all male workers is 35.8 years - which reverses the previous increasing trend. It had been 37.8 in 1871, 35.9 in 1869 and 33.5 in 1851. It seem that other factors, not yet identified, are giving an overall younger workforce, now that the effect of the near elimination of child labour has worked through.

There were significant movements in various occupational and other sectors:

Male employment in the textile sector showed signs of recovery, in terms of numbers and a reduction in the average age of its workforce. There were, however, different trends within the components of the overall sector:

The average age of a male lace industry worker is 31.5, down from 33.4 in 1871 and a return to the level found in 1861 (31.6 years). The number of males employed in the industry, at 279, is significantly increased from 1871 when it was 191 (a 46.8% increase) but had not regained the levels in 1861 (302 employed) or in 1851 (298 employed).
After two previous decades of an increasingly aging workforce, the age of a male hosiery worker is now lower at 43.7 years. This compares with 48.1 in 1871, 47.6 in 1861 and 42.6 in 1851. Actual numbers have declined again, from 87 in 1871 to 65. It appears that the demise of the older traditional frameworkers (a feature of the 1871 workforce) who were not replaced in the younger age groups is a factor in both the reduction in overall numbers and the average age. The traditional knitting frame is clearly going and, although this is not clear from the available data, the industry is probably beginning to adopt more up-to-date knitting methods.
The average age of a male silk worker continues its upward trend and is now 36.5 (in was 27.3 in 1871, 21.7 in 1861 and 18.6 in 1851). Fewer male workers are now working at the mill - the total is now down to 75 from 104 in 1871 and is now only 5.5% of the male working population (in 1851 it was 12.4%). Only 11 of that number are under 21, probably pointing to younger workers turning to the perhaps more attractive opportunities that are now emerging in the jobs market.

The numbers on the land (including horticulture) again showed a small increase:

Male employment on the land has dropped significantly after steady rises in previous decades. 104 are now employed, compared with 148 in 1871, 142 in 1861 and 132 in 1851. This now represents only 7.6% of the male workforce and had been 13.3% in 1851.

In the younger age groups, there were very significant increases in the proportion and numbers of boys receiving education:

52.2% of boys under 16 are recorded as receiving education, essentially the same proportion as in 1871, which compared with 34.4% in 1851. A total of 197 boys in education in 1851 had grown to 213 in 1861, 309 in 1871 and is now 450 - an increase of 45.6% since 1871 and 128.4% since 1851. With the School Board only just established (December 1880), it seems that the demand for education is in place but, with a rapidly growing population, the need now was for adequate school buildings.

Click to view our analysis of the Female Population by Age and Occupational Groupings
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© David Hallam - 2012