Hi Eleanor Below is an explanation in mining in Scotland. I've seen it used in meat-packing and may have been common in many occupations. The concept was even used by doctors in WWI to quantify a "cripples" ability to work and hence help determine what type of occupation they may be capable of doing. Bill Hazelton Memphis "Commercial Relations of the United States with Foreign Countries By United States Dept. of State, United States Bureau of Foreign Commerce(1854-1903" Google Books "When a boy of twelve years enters a coal-pit, he is attached to his father or some other man, and becomes what is known technically as a "quarter-man." The miner with whom he works is entitled to put out one-fourth more coal than if he wrought without assistance; and from the price he received for this extra quantity he pays the boy, whose duty it is to fill the coal into the "tubs" and convey it to the pit bottom. At fourteen the boy becomes a "half-man;" at sixteen, a "three-quarter-man;" and at eighteen' he assumes the title of miner, performs a man's work, and draws a man's pay. "when" the boy ranks as a " quarter-man," he usually receives one shilling per day ; when a" half-man," two shillings ; and when a " three-quarter-man," three shillings. These rates are, however, subject to variation according to the amount of wages received by the men. From this it will be seen that, when the miner's family includes two or three sons able to go into the pits, the total earnings must amount to a handsome sum" -Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2009 19:08:50 +1100 From: "Eleanor" <bryan@net2000.com.au> Subject: [CoTyIre] Quarterman Further to the message from Carol Condy Bennett, can anyone tell me what a Quarterman did. Eleanor

Hi Bill, Thanks so much for your detailed explanation of a Quarterman, very interesting reading, I had googled it but all I could come up with was the surname of Quarterman. Thanks again Bill Eleanor > Hi Eleanor > > Below is an explanation in mining in Scotland. I've seen it used in > meat-packing and may have been common in many occupations. The concept was > even used by doctors > in WWI to quantify a "cripples" ability to work and hence help determine > what type of occupation they may be capable of doing. > > Bill Hazelton > Memphis > > > "Commercial Relations of the United States with Foreign Countries By > United > States Dept. of State, United States Bureau of Foreign Commerce(1854-1903" > Google Books > > "When a boy of twelve years enters a coal-pit, he is attached to his > father > or some other man, and becomes what is known technically as a > "quarter-man." > The miner with whom he works is entitled to put out one-fourth more coal > than if he wrought without assistance; and from the price he received for > this extra quantity he pays the boy, whose duty it is to fill the coal > into > the "tubs" and convey it to the pit bottom. At fourteen the boy becomes a > "half-man;" at sixteen, a "three-quarter-man;" and at eighteen' he assumes > the title of miner, performs a man's work, and draws a man's pay. "when" > the > boy ranks as a " quarter-man," he usually receives one shilling per day ; > when a" half-man," two shillings ; and when a " three-quarter-man," three > shillings. These rates are, however, subject to variation according to the > amount of wages received by the men. From this it will be seen that, when > the miner's family includes two or three sons able to go into the pits, > the > total earnings must amount to a handsome sum" > > > > -Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2009 19:08:50 +1100 > From: "Eleanor" <bryan@net2000.com.au> > Subject: [CoTyIre] Quarterman > > Further to the message from Carol Condy Bennett, can anyone tell me what a > Quarterman did. > Eleanor > > > > ------------- > Our community web-site: > http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~cotyroneireland > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > COTYRONEIRELAND-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >