Looking at the Census Returns for the 1880's just to see what the occupations of Shelley folk were, I find that 47(men of course) were in farming, either as Labourers or Farmers.
Approximately 196 adults were involved in the cloth weaving industry, quite a few were Tailors or Seamstresses, a few were Imitation Seal Skin Finishers!
There were 37 Coal-miners and 5 Blacksmiths apprentices.
Other occupations amongst men of the village were :-
a Boot and Shoe Maker,
a Wheelwright,
a Gas Works Stoker,
3 Railway Plate Layers,
a Clogger,
a Carpenter
and a Delver at a stone quarry.
Quite a few were General Labourers and there were several Stay Finishers and Stay Ironers.
