Irish people in Norfolk were more likely to live in towns and cities, like Norwich, Great Yarmouth and King's Lynn, where jobs were easier to find, than in the countryside. Of the few paupers that are recorded, most were elderly women, such as 79-year-old Mary Chaston of Earsham, and a few old men, such as Edward Brinn, who came originally from Carlow and was living in the South Lynn workhouse.

Traditional occupations for men included labouring of some kind: 45-year-old William McCreedy of South Lynn farm was a farm labourer, and, judging by the birthplace of his children, it seems he had lived in the county for 16 years. Thomas Brian from Wicklow worked as a bricklayers' labourer. More recent arrivals included George Aggis of Limerick, aged 14, who was working as a labourer at the Colman's starch factory at Norwich. Mark Connors of Wexford who was a pedlar and Anthony Cusick of Westport, a hawker.

Most Irish soldiers lived in barracks but some lived outside if they were married, like Edward Clyne of Leitrim, a sergeant in the Royal Engineers. John Cooke was a warder at Norwich prison, and Robert Stanford, from Whitegate, a rural postman. Irish migrants worked on the railway at all levels - William Cunningham, was a porter at Diss, but Everard Canham, aged 68 of Connaught, was a Great Eastern Railway station master at Swainsthorpe.

With a long coast line, Norfolk provided a variety of maritime-related occupations, from coastguard official like Daniel Brien of Cork to pier master, like John Doolan, at Great Yarmouth. The census also includes an Irish-born cabin boy from Belfast and a ship's captain from Kingstown.

Many other worked as tradesmen and shopkeepers in a variety of skills. These incude a jeweller, a watchmaker and a number of drapers and tailors. John O'Shea, a shoemaker from Norwich had only arrived the year before from Tipperary, judging by the age of his youngest child. Richard Hantin of Dublin and Samuel Patterson of Armagh were butchers; the aptly named Edward Beer of Antrim was a publican and held The Ship at Norwich. There were several ex-soldiers, like Thomas Murray of Kilfinnan who drew a military pension and had a barber's shop in Norwich.

Other old soldiers were less fortunate. Thomas McCarthy was a labourer at Wroxham. He is recorded as having three sons, all born in India and so it is likely he was ex-army.

Those in the arts included musicians such as Joseph Norman of Roscommon, living in Norwich, and Charles Herbert of King's Lynn, a comedian and dancer.

There were a surprising number of Irish clergymen serving the Church of England: 16 rectors, eight vicars, five curates, and one protestant pastor, Charles Kinsmouth of Cork. One catholic priest - Micheal Dwaine from Limerick - is recorded as being a teacher at Thetford.

There are several Irish men recorded as working in the professions. Richard Hare from Queenstown and John Roche from Cork were surgeons; Robert Foot was a general practitioner at Wells next the Sea, and William Hay from Wexford, a surgeon and dentist at Norwich. There is one accountant in the census too.

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