At a guess, "civil status" probably refers to whether the person is single, married, widowed, divorced or, in some cases, deceased. Employment records: in searching/reading 19th century Welsh newspapers on-line, I've found some wonderful and interesting information on several coal-miner families in South Wales, including a detailed account of the inquest on a large-scale loss of life in a mine explosion, in which three youngsters in one family, 11, 13 and 15, died.  Also, apparently, at least some coal miners/colliers/etc. worked on contract to the company. The latter came out in reports on a civil court case which saw a family member fined because he went home without putting in his full day at the mine because there was no work to do -- he was on contract to be there, work or no, and thus was fined by the court. That "contract" bit may go toward explaining why coal miners moved frequently around South Wales and adjacent mining areas across the Severn, as well as hopes for betterment or avoidance of a "black list," making it interesting chasing them today. Good hunting! Sally