Hi Chris and Lois, Clearly in this case Lois has the answer because he had previously been listed as a farmer, but I had always thought / been taught that a "gentleman" was anyone who "liver by independent means" or (in plane english) had enough money that he didn't need to work. This (1851) was still an era when fortunes were passed down through families so that sons may never have needed to work in their lives (even late sons who had been relegated to the colonies.) There certainly were people who were retired but were not considered "gentlemen." There was another "class" of individual who lived by investing their money and lived off the revenue their investments generated. Because they didn't "work" for their living they were sometimes also referred to as "gentlemen" but could also be called "business men" or by a number of other euphemistic terms which don't spring to mind right now. Generally though, I think of "gentlemen" as individuals who had no obvious source of income resulting from "work." I have also heard of people referred to as a "gentleman farmer" who, as I understand it, would be someone who farmed as a hobby and so didn't depend on the farm for their income. This may be a term from later than the 1850's though. I don't believe there is any relationship between being a gentleman and owning property (i.e., Freehold owner) as I believe a number of gentlemen chose to live in rented accommodations - Sherlock Homes for instance. ;-) Another of those odd terms that has changed it's meaning over time. Malcolm Archive CD Books Canada Inc. President: Malcolm Moody PO Box 11 Manotick Ontario, K4M 1A2 Canada. (613) 692-2667 WEB SITE: http://www.ArchiveCDBooks.ca > Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2006 22:35:09 -0600 > From: Lois Sparling <lsparling@shaw.ca> > Subject: Re: [CAN-ONT-GREY] Gentleman - Freehold owner? > To: can-ont-grey@rootsweb.com > Message-ID: <453D97FD.9050002@shaw.ca> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed > > At that time "gentleman" usually meant retired since a retired person > lived on his own means (savings) like a gentleman. Gentlemen did not > work. > > Lois Sparling > > dokey65 wrote: > >> Hello there List, >> I have a relative listed as a Farmer in1851 census, >> then Gentleman in 1871. >> Just wondering what would qualify a man to put Gentleman as his >> profession, >> Could it refer to the person being retired? >> Thanks, >> -Chris >>