Daily AncestorPoor farm keeper
A poor farm keeper ran a county or town poor farm, where people who could not support themselves lived and worked.
Many counties and towns ran a poor farm or almshouse for elderly, sick, disabled and destitute people. The keeper, sometimes called superintendent, lived there with his family, managed the farm and oversaw the residents.
In the census the keeper's family appears first, followed by residents listed as inmates or paupers. Those inmate entries can be the only trace of a struggling relative.
As seen in a recordOccupation column of the 1850 to 1930 census; town and county reports
Saml. Ellis, 50, Keeper of poor farm, Vt.
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Daily Ancestor. "Poor farm keeper." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/occupations/poor-farm-keeper. Last checked 2026-10-01.