Hi Brian, I know that this is not a Gloucestershire response but when I wrote an essay based on the population censuses for Ashford, Kent from 1841 to 1861 it showed that boiler makers were recruited for far flung places to take up positions in the new railway workshops. Some were from the north east of England, a few from Scotland and Ireland and even a family from Russia, via Belgium. The father of this latter family may have ventured upon the railway works by chance but it looks as if the other workers were recruited as they came from such diverse parts of the country. I also noticed that the men involved in the possibly less skilled work had been born locally, whereas those in skilled jobs had moved to the area. I have a copy of a letter written by Rev Thomas FLINT, minister of Shortwood Baptist church and later Uley Independent church describing his visit to Birmingham. He was visiting at the invitation of a church that was seeking a new minister - he declined the invitation. In Birmingham he saw much in the way of metal working. It was the 'toy making' capital of the world, where 'toy' means small metal items. One of his phrases describes how in one metal working shop small pieces of metal were being shaped into earrings , whereas in the next guns were being manufactured for killing his fellow men .... Thomas Flint would possibly have spoken of this visit to his Uley congregation, where the woollen mills were soon to go into a decline [it was in 1808]. This could have put it into the minds of people to move. This is conjecture, but could have happened. Cheers, Janet Heskins In a message dated 31/10/2008 11:09:46 GMT Standard Time, [email protected] writes: My Blackwell line moved from Bisley/Miserden to Birmingham around 1830, was there any organised method of attracting manpower into Birmingham or just "word of mouth". My rural 4xgg Richard Blackwell worked for the railway on his 1841 marriage certificate (Birmingham) does anyone know if the railway was near Bisley/Miserden for him to have had a railway connection before he arrived in Birmingham? Richard gave Miserdine as his place of birth on the 1851 Birmingham census. Brian Blackwell Sechelt BC _____________________________________________ Have you considered adding "postems" to "your" events on www.freebmd.org.uk , giving your contact details? Other researchers will then be able to make contact. Click on the info button to add your postem. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message