Meaning
Short for Agricultural Labourer — a farm worker who performed manual labour on the land.
Description
Agricultural labourers formed the backbone of rural England throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. They carried out the full range of seasonal farm work including ploughing, sowing, harvesting and threshing grain, tending livestock and maintaining hedgerows and ditches. Most were hired by the day or by the season and had little job security. Wages were low and conditions were often harsh, particularly in winter when work was scarce. Many ag labs lived in tied cottages on the farm or estate where they worked.
Also Known As
Agricultural Labourer, Farm Labourer, Field Worker
Commonly Found In
- Census Returns
- Parish Registers
- Poor Law Records
- Settlement Examinations
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