My gggrandfather was a pigherd in Ollmuth in 1850 before he emigrated to the US. His father was a shepherd in Greimerath and Britten ~1800-1840. Can anyone tell me something about the type of life they would have led? I understand that they would have been at the lower rungs of the social ladder. Would they have rented land from someone else or would they have lived on someone else's land and kept pigs/sheep for them (been their employee)? I have been told that pigherd was an occupation for a youth, but my gggrandfather was 37 when he emigrated. Did that make him *really* economically depressed? How could someone with a limited occupation save enough money to emigrate? When church records or Familienbücher report that someone lived *in* Ollmuth or Britten, what did that mean? Did they live in the village and travel to the land to tend the animals or did they live outside the village? I have not been able to find a record of my gggrandparents' request or permission to emigrate. If they left illegally, what would that have been like? Would they have to leave under dark of night? Sorry for all the questions, but I'm just trying to understand my ancestors' story, something I can't get from all the records I've examined. I appreciate any help you can give me and look forward to your responses, Kathy Lenerz