Hi Carole, Is it possible that the grocers business belonged to a family member who died/retired - giving him the opportunity to take over? Also, as Ruth says, being a wheelwright might become too strenuous as you get older. Neil -- Neil Houghton Albany Western Australia on 6/11/15 0:34, [email protected] at [email protected] wrote: > Message: 2 > Date: Thu, 5 Nov 2015 09:51:19 -0500 > From: Carole Edwards Caruso <[email protected]> > Subject: [LAN] Wheelwrights > To: [email protected] > Message-ID: <[email protected]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed > > Hi - I am writing up an ancestor who was a wheelwright from about 1861 > to before 1891. The 1891 census shows a change of profession from > wheelwright to grocer. > > I am wondering why the change. Could it be because wheels went from > being made of wood to being made of iron? > > Just wondering because it seems like such a extreme change of profession > in middle life. > > Thanks for any thoughts. > > Carole > >