Possible occupation?

[Olde Crone]

Sue

A hairdresser in those days was someone who collected and prepared hair and that would be for wigs.

OC

[Sue from Southend]

That's interesting, OC. William's sons and grandsons were hairdressers well into the next century so I just assumed that they were barbers but always thought it odd that they weren't called barbers!

It makes it seem more likely that this William is "mine". I just wish the marriage was nearer to where their children were baptised in Sunbury, Middlesex.

[Sue from Southend]

Just remembered that William and Elizabeth's son Joshua married at St James, Westminster in 1796 so it's looking more likely.

[Olde Crone]

It threw me too for a long time, till I read an article which explained that women did not have their hair cut - rich women had a maid who arranged their hair, poor women did their own. All women collected their own hair from their hair brushes and eventually took it either to a "hair dresser" who sold it, or to a wigmaker who made them a hairpiece out of it (or possibly a full wig).

"Hairdressers" in the sense of washing, cutting and dressing women's hair originally visited rich women in their homes and faffed about. It was only really the end of the 19th century that hairdressing salons opened for women and not until after WW1 that they became common, due to the popularity of the bob or shingle and the new Marcel wave.

Men have always had their hair cut and groomed by Barbers until very recently.

OC

[Nell]

Thanks for that OC, very interesting.

[Olde Crone]

Should have also said - a Hairdresser would also clean and sort horsehair, which was sometimes used in wigs or hairpieces.

OC

[Sue from Southend]

Fascinating stuff. I should have investigated further myself as there's plenty available online nowadays but you see an everyday word, like hairdresser, and assume when you shouldn't!

Can always depend on someone on this great forum to put us back on track though!

Thank you, once again, to everyone.