Swaledale Heslops

[Heslop]

My gggrandfather, Robert Heslop is shown on the 1861 census as being a gamekeeper. I suspect as he and his family are shown as living near Oxnop that he may of been employed at the Hall. As he was a lead miner on the 1851 & 1871 censuses I wonder why he took other employment at this time. Anyone have any ideas??

[Stubbsy]

Many Swaledale men had more than one job - usually mining and farming. Because of the tradition of 'Partible Inheritance', land and buildings tended to be split up between heirs which led to farming on small parcels of land. Extra money from working the lead and coal mines was very welcome.

At one time the North Pennines were one of the world's prime sources of lead. There was a boom in the Napoleonic wars with demand for lead shot, but when lead was discovered in Spain, Germany, America and Australia leading to slump in the value of to a twelfth of its price in the mid 1800's.

Many were forced to leave the dale for the coalfields or mill towns, or to emigrate.