Slasheur: Did your ancestor have multiple jobs?

The word 'slasheur' was one of the terms chosen in 2019 to be added to the 2020 edition of Larousse. But what is a slasheur and what about our ancestors?

©️Gallica - BnF

In 2016, there were over 4.5 million slasheurs in France. These are, in fact, active individuals who have multiple jobs, either complementary or completely different. 

The term itself, 'slasheur,' is derived from the slash symbol (/), known as a 'slash' in English. 'Slasheurs' are people who have multiple jobs and express this fact. On the largest professional social network, LinkedIn, for example, it is not uncommon to encounter 'Entrepreneurs / author / Community Manager'... 

But then, was your ancestor a slasheur? Did they practice multiple jobs? At the same time? And why is it interesting to discover the profession of one's ancestors? Explanations and resources. 

Why be interested in the professions of our ancestors and how to find them? 

While it is said that over 80% of the French population at the end of the Ancien Régime were peasants, it is still interesting to look into the professions of our ancestors. 

Discovering their professions throughout their lives will be useful to give you an idea of their living conditions, financial level, and education, as well as their place in society and their circle of acquaintances. 

As many deductions are possible by easily searching the archives available to us. Indeed, the professions of our ancestors were often mentioned in civil records (marriage, death, and birth of children), in censuses, and in military records. It is possible to find traces of an ancestor's profession on old press websites or by digging through family photos. 

Why did our ancestors practice multiple professions? 

Several answers seem logical, but the most obvious is certainly the following: to (surv)ive. Plain and simple. 

By adapting to the seasons and the needs of different villages, our ancestors ensured they remained active and earned their living to support their families. This was the case for our 'seasonal' ancestors. Those who, in normal times, were in the fields and who in winter helped with chimney sweeping or became ragpickers. Or those who, conversely, worked in the mountains in winter before coming down in summer to take on a supplementary job. Some sometimes had to leave their lands, their family, their country to settle where work took them, often in agriculture. 

And then there were also nomadic merchants, bohemians, capable of selling rabbit skins as well as marshmallows... 

Jobs changed with opportunities, a neighbor offering help, a tavern keeper who dies and needs to be replaced. It was not uncommon for our ancestors to practice multiple jobs in the same sector. There were many different jobs in agriculture, commerce, and craftsmanship. 

Where to find information about one's ancestors' professions? 

A few online resources will help you discover and understand the professions of your ancestors. We cannot recommend enough that you keep the sites Vieux Métiers, La France Pittoresque, Wikipedia and GeneaWiki in your bookmarks. And if you like the unusual, check out our article 10 jobs of our ancestors that have (almost) disappeared !

Also, your ancestors might have been railway workers, sailors, or companions of the Tour de France? If so, specific resources for these professions will help you learn more.