Dear Listers   Frederick Saunders, born and lived in Norfolk, came to Llangybi/Betws Bleddrws around 1887   His wife and baby (not actually married at the time of the birth Jan 1887) came to Betws where they married in April 1887, place of residence of the groom given as Derry Ormond Kennels (Betws B.) - their next baby's place of birth given as Cilgwyn Cottage, but the family appeared to have been resident at some point in Cilgwyn Uchaf.    In Cilgwyn Cottage in 1891 the family in residence was another game keeper from Norfolk and his sisters (surname Dennis) - so I can presume this would be the first connection...  By 1891 however Frederick Saunders and his family had moved on again to a much grander mansion to work. This was Charlborough Park estate - presumably owned by the Drax family.   MY Question is:-  how did gamekeepers etc find out where the jobs were in those days.  Word of mouth ?  But how and where ?  I know that at the end of the 19th c. one of the grande dames of the area took her hunters to England to hunt (by train), and took a groom (or two?!) with them, which is one route of communication I suppose.  There was no job centre in those days.  And in Frederick Saunders' case he moved from Norfolk to Cardiganshire, and then in a very short time (between the censuses) moved again to a grander mansion in Dorset.    How did news spread amongst the groom/game keepers of the day?  I can quite see if a man starts work in a London household then he is likely to be offered something out in the wilds of Wales, but the Saunders family appeared not to have any connections with the crachach in London.    I know that some gamekeepers on the Derry Ormond Estate moved, but only to the other side of town to Falcondale so a need for gamekeepers had only to travel into the nearest pub and the word would spread in the locality - unless via the estate owners themselves.   Was this swooping from one side of the country to another commonplace, and how did people find out what jobs were going?   Any ideas gratefully received.   Jen

Jen, It wasn't only a case of the servants travelling with their employers. If he was a gamekeeper, then his employers would invite others to shoot on their land. The visitors would soon get an idea of a gamekeeper's abilities, and when a vacancy occurred. could 'headhunt' those they coveted. There were also adverts in the appropriate magazines - probably bought by the employer, but likely to be seen by the gamekeeper. Dai Jennifer Cairns wrote: > <snip? > How did news spread amongst the groom/game keepers of the day? I can quite see if a man starts work in a London household then he is likely to be offered something out in the wilds of Wales, but the Saunders family appeared not to have any connections with the crachach in London. > > > I know that some gamekeepers on the Derry Ormond Estate moved, but only to the other side of town to Falcondale so a need for gamekeepers had only to travel into the nearest pub and the word would spread in the locality - unless via the estate owners themselves. > > Was this swooping from one side of the country to another commonplace, and how did people find out what jobs were going? > > Any ideas gratefully received. > > Jen > > > > > ================================ > Dyfed list http://home.clara.net/daibevan/DyfedML.html > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to DYFED-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >