What's a Hallier?

[EvelynWilde]

I've got 'Hallier' as father's profession on one of my marriage
certificates. The surname of the bride is Hall (which narrows down
mis-readings), and the handwriting's really very clear - the only
really questionable letter might be the last one, so I'm pretty
confident it really does say Hallier. The 1871 census gives the
profession as Labourer, and the 1851 as Farm Labourer, so that's not
much help.

Dictionary.com says a Hallier is "A kind of net for catching birds"
which seems an unlikely profession.

It strikes me as possible that it should say Haulier, but as I say the
writing's clear, and the surname of Hall on the same cert reduces
ambiguities. An overworked scribe perhaps? Has anyone else got
examples of non-sensical professions - or maybe I'm overlooking
something quite obvious!

[Steve]

Post by EvelynWilde
I've got 'Hallier' as father's profession on one of my marriage
certificates. The surname of the bride is Hall (which narrows down
mis-readings), and the handwriting's really very clear - the only
really questionable letter might be the last one, so I'm pretty
confident it really does say Hallier. The 1871 census gives the
profession as Labourer, and the 1851 as Farm Labourer, so that's not
much help.
Dictionary.com says a Hallier is "A kind of net for catching birds"
which seems an unlikely profession.
It strikes me as possible that it should say Haulier, but as I say the
writing's clear, and the surname of Hall on the same cert reduces
ambiguities. An overworked scribe perhaps? Has anyone else got
examples of non-sensical professions - or maybe I'm overlooking
something quite obvious!

What about HELLIER / HILLIER - tiler or slater

[Liz]

Post by EvelynWilde
I've got 'Hallier' as father's profession on one of my marriage
certificates. The surname of the bride is Hall (which narrows down
mis-readings), and the handwriting's really very clear - the only
really questionable letter might be the last one, so I'm pretty
confident it really does say Hallier. The 1871 census gives the
profession as Labourer, and the 1851 as Farm Labourer, so that's not
much help.
Dictionary.com says a Hallier is "A kind of net for catching birds"
which seems an unlikely profession.

What part of the country?

I had ancestors who lived and worked as farm labourers and marshmen
around Fritton Lake in the Norfolk Broads. Some of them worked on
Fritton Decoy which was a canal specially arranged to decoy and net
wildfowl .... so there may be a possibility that a Hallier is indeed a
man who *uses* a hallier to catch birds ....

Much would depend on the geography ... it could certainly be a
local/dialect name for a job.

Liz (Greenwich UK)

[Doug Thompson]

Post by EvelynWilde
I've got 'Hallier' as father's profession
It strikes me as possible that it should say Haulier,

I have two relatives listed as "Halliers". I know from other sources they
were Hauliers or Carters so it's probably a common (mis)spelling.

Doug

[C Rihan]

Post by Doug Thompson

Post by EvelynWilde
I've got 'Hallier' as father's profession
It strikes me as possible that it should say Haulier,

I have two relatives listed as "Halliers". I know from other sources they
were Hauliers or Carters so it's probably a common (mis)spelling.

I can see that's possible.
If you say Hall-ier it would sound like Haul-ier.

Best wishes
C.Rihan

[Don Moody]

Post by EvelynWilde
I've got 'Hallier' as father's profession on one of my marriage
certificates. The surname of the bride is Hall (which narrows down
mis-readings), and the handwriting's really very clear - the only
really questionable letter might be the last one, so I'm pretty
confident it really does say Hallier. The 1871 census gives the
profession as Labourer, and the 1851 as Farm Labourer, so that's not
much help.
Dictionary.com says a Hallier is "A kind of net for catching birds"
which seems an unlikely profession.

Why? Not a trade needed in every street in the land, but a trade still
done. Wildfowl can be netted, and then killed for the table. So can be
pigeons. There is no practical way of using shot on smaller birds (most
trapping of them being overseas). Where the net users came in, and still
come in, is where the bird is wanted live and undamaged. Perhaps for
ringing, perhaps for some other study. Any university zoology department
of today which studies birds will have at least one person with the
hallier's skills. Try also looking up the term 'mist net'. The trick is
to know exactly where the birds (or bats) fly. There's not a lot of
point in hanging a net between a couple of trees if the flight path is a
100m away from them.

Don

[Eve McLaughlin]

Post by EvelynWilde
I've got 'Hallier' as father's profession on one of my marriage
certificates. The surname of the bride is Hall (which narrows down
mis-readings), and the handwriting's really very clear - the only
really questionable letter might be the last one, so I'm pretty
confident it really does say Hallier.

probably haulier )pronounced hall ier) was intended - someone shifting
stuff (eg cattle) in carts or pulling stuff (e g timber) behind carts

Post by EvelynWilde
The 1871 census gives the
profession as Labourer, and the 1851 as Farm Labourer, so that's not
much help.

it is too late for a variant of hellier, roof tiler and this definition
belong sounds too rare for consideration

Post by EvelynWilde
Dictionary.com says a Hallier is "A kind of net for catching birds"

[CWatters]

This page...

http://www.brunel.ac.uk/~simon/blaina/memories/Larry_Whyte.html

is interesting.

If I have it right it refers to somone who's occupation was listed as
follows::

At birth of child - hallier
in 1841 census - iron Miner
in 1851 - hallier (occupation of both husband and wife)

Would Two/three transcription errors be considered unlikely?

Looks like a Hallier could be a mining occupation.

Post by EvelynWilde
I've got 'Hallier' as father's profession on one of my marriage
certificates. The surname of the bride is Hall (which narrows down
mis-readings), and the handwriting's really very clear - the only
really questionable letter might be the last one, so I'm pretty
confident it really does say Hallier. The 1871 census gives the
profession as Labourer, and the 1851 as Farm Labourer, so that's not
much help.
Dictionary.com says a Hallier is "A kind of net for catching birds"
which seems an unlikely profession.
It strikes me as possible that it should say Haulier, but as I say the
writing's clear, and the surname of Hall on the same cert reduces
ambiguities. An overworked scribe perhaps? Has anyone else got
examples of non-sensical professions - or maybe I'm overlooking
something quite obvious!