Transcribing a census note
 

In a 1841 Scottish Census for Widow (Grace / Grizel) Forbes in Thorn, Johnstone, Renfrewshire, there is a message written in the margins in the occupation column.

I was hoping that forum-goers here might help look over it with fresh eyes as a second opinion:

https://i.imgur.com/ETCcQ0o.png

I know that Grace's (recently deceased) husband, Andrew Forbes, was cited in a directory as a "hillsman." So I *believe* that the message reads:

To assist in identifying the text, I tried using highlights to distinguish between the scratches & the original note...

https://i.imgur.com/nNpn3VG.png

https://i.imgur.com/2f00Prj.png

https://i.imgur.com/2uO5svf.png

Any help is appreciated. Thank you!

Does it not say husband killed in a colliery?

*turns his head upside down* Yup. I think you’re right.

I starred at this thing for so long, I think I’ve hurt my retina. :p

Careful, careful!

That's why another pair of eyes can be useful. :)

Yes, I read killed too.

Glad you know her first name from other sources. While it is horrid to be defined solely in relation to her husband, most of us would give our eye teeth to know whether a woman was a wife or a widow. Given that degree of detail, do you think the accident had happened recently? Was reported?

Does it also not say "method" rather than means?

OC

Looks like "means" to me.

I am not sure! In general, I wasn’t sure about “means” — the ‘e’ looks too high?

Yes, Grace is rather robbed of her identity in this census, isn’t she?

I would infer given her youngest is 9 months old, that the accident that resulted in Andrew’s death in colliery must have occurred within 18 months of the census.

If I’m not mistaken, I believe the 1841 census is a snap shot of 6 June 1841? So if that’s correct, I’m looking for a fatal accident between December 1839 and June 1841. I’m going to try and search for a lead. Could be interesting to find out more about my poor (great x5) uncle’s fate.

Good luck.

My ex's great-grandfather was killed in a mining accident in 1912. I found a short paragraph of the inquest held on his death in the local (Welsh) newspaper. The back page was made up of dozens of paragraphs on the deaths of miners. Now there would be a huge public outcry, but this was in the days before the Health & Safety Executive.