Mole Catcher...

Not my ancestor, but one of my ancestors was married to one. Not this particular one. This is "Mawdy Jack" found online.

Janet Johnston Oldcorn  Forsyth 1837-1901

Janet first married Isaac Oldcorn of Castle Sowerby, Cumberland,England in 1859 in the United Methodist Chapel in Carlisle ,Cumberland, England he was my 1st cousin 3x removed.

Janet was 22 years old and together they had eight children. Isaac was a Grocer and a Tea Dealer according to Census Records in the pretty village of  Caldbeck.

This is their daughter Elizabeth born 1866 with her husband John George McKay born 1865.

Isaac Odcorn passed away in 1874 and Janet at age 40 in 1877  married James Forsyth ( 1812-1897 )  James was 65 and a widower and  the father of five children.

The 1881 Census show his occupation as a Mole Catcher.

James and Janet went on to have  four more children together. Their last child (Margaret Jane) being born in 1881 when Janet was 44 years old and James 69.

I did a little research on the profession of Mole Catching ...

Creepy little critters with hands like shovels and they sure could do a lot of damage to your property looking for worms to eat.

Mole Catchers were paid by the day on  how many moles they could catch.

  Mole Catchers could also make money from selling moleskins. At the peak of the trade America was importing over four million moleskins a year from England. It took over one hundred good pelts to make both front parts of a waistcoat. The skins were also made into coats, trousers and hats.

As popular today...
Modern day trimmed or.. for $29.99 from the old Sears Catalog you could be swathed in them.

In 1891 James could be found in the Census lodging at White Close Farm in Stapleton,Cumberland still catching Moles.

Janet isn't listed in the 1891 Census but at age 64 in the  1901  Census she was a widow living in nearby Carlisle with two of her unmarried daughters and  three lodgers and one of her stepsons all four of them worked as Railway Engine Cleaners.

It seems clear to me that Janet did not have an easy life. But I hope it was a happy one.