Occupations and their Descriptions _________________________________________________________________ We have found invaluable in our research, when stuck with the question of what the occupation listed on the certificate or census film meant, the list of occupations by Joyce Culling entitled "Occupations A Preliminary List". This along with other sources became invaluable in understanding our ancestors day to day living. The following extracts that you may find useful are taken from this book and others:- _________________________________________________________________ A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A ABLE SEAMAN.... A seaman who reached a standard of skill above that of Ordinary Seaman. ACADEMICIAN....A scholar belonging to a place of learning. ACATER....A ship's Chandler ACCIPITRARY.... A Falconer ACCOMPTANT.... An Accountant ACCOUCHEUR / ACCOUCHEUSE....A male midwife who assisted the women during child birth, a medical practitioner. ACCOUTREMENT MAKER / ACCOUTRE....A person who supplied the accessories for the military eg badges, pouches, belts, lanyards etc. ACKERMAN....A ploughman. An ox herder ACTUARY....A person who kept accounts of public business, also a statistician usually employed by insurance companies to work out the risks. ADVERTISEMENT CONVEYANCER....Sandwich Board Man.A term coined by Mr Gladstone. ADVOCATE....A lawyer or solicitor AERONAUT....Before the invention of the airplane a trapeze artist in a circus or a balloonist. AFFEERORS....A person appointed by the Manor Courts to assess the amount of each fine imposed by the court to ensure fairness and to see the fine was in line with the custom of the Manor. AGISTER....A royal forest official. ALBLASTERE.... A crossbowman. ALE-CONNER.... An official who tested the quality of ale and the measures in public houses. An Ale-Taster. ALE-DRAPER.... A person who sold ale, publican, innkeeper. ALE-FOUNDER.... see ALE-CONNER. ALE-TASTER....An inspector of ale. First recorded in London in 1377. Appointed by manor or vestry he proclaimed the permitted price for selling beer and ale. When brewers wished him to call an ale stake or pole was placed as a sign in front of the ale house. ALE-TUNNER....A brewery worker who filled tuns or casks with ale ALE-WIFE.... A women who kept an ale house ALL-SPICE.... A grocer. ALMANAC MAN....A Lincolnshire official responsible for warning inhabitants near the Trent River of expected high tides. ALMSMAN.... A person who received support by alms ALNAGER.... A sworn official appointed to examine and attest to the quality of woollen goods sold in a port or market town, stamping approved cloth with the town seal. AMBLER....An officer of the Royal Stable, who broke in horses, i.e. taught them to amble ANCHORESS.... A hermit, a woman who retired from society to become a religious recluse. ANCHORITE.... see above. Refers to a male ANIMAL & BIRD PRESERVER.... A taxidermist ANGLE IRON SMITH.... A metal worker who made angle iron (flat iron bars bent at right angles longitudinally) ANKERMAN.... See ANCHORESS. Servant of a religious recluse ANKLE BEATER.... A young boy who assisted the drover in driving cattle to market. ANNATTO MAKER.... A person who worked in the manufacture of colour dyes for paint, printing etc. ANNUITANT....A person in receipt of or who has entitlement to receive, an annuity, a pensioner. ANTIGROPELOS MAKER....Shoemaker who made waterproof leggings. APOTHECARY....A chemist or pharmacist APPRAISER....A broker of household goods APPRENTICE.... A person learning a trade or craft, bound to serve and entitled to instruction from his employer for a specific term. APRONEER....A London Shopkeeper ARCHIATOR....A Physician ARCHIL MAKER....A person who made Archil, a violet dye produced from lichen, used in manufacture of wall washes, in textile industry, etc ARKWRIGHT....Skilled craftsman who specialised in making arks, i.e. wooden chests or coffers with domed lids ARMOURER....A person who manufactured armour ARTIST-in-FIREWORKS....A person who prepared and presented firework displays for festive occasions. ASHMAN....Dustman, rubbish collector; see NIGHTMAN AURIFABER....A goldsmith or a person who worked in gold AVENATOR....A person who sold hay or forage AXLETREE TURNER....A person who made axles for wheels. Top of the page B BACKMAKER....A Cooper who made Backs, tubs and vats as used in baking, brewing, dyeing, laundry BACKSTER / BAXTER....Originally a female baker, but by 18c the term referred to both sexes. BACK'US BOY.... A back-of-the-house boy, a kitchen servant employed in a farmhouse. BACK WASHER.... A cleanser of wool (worsted manufacture). BADGER....1/ A pauper who was obliged to wear a badge bearing letter "P" under Condition of Settlement Act 1697. 2/ Itinerant trader, usually dealing in food. 3/ A corn dealer or miller. See also Cadger, Hawker, Higgler, Peddar. BADGY FIDDLER.... A boy trumpeter. Military Coll. BAGMAN.... A commercial traveller. BAILIFF (BAILIE).... An officer of the sheriff, having power of arrest. A land steward. BAIRMAN/BAREMAN.... A pauper. BALLAD MONGER.... A street seller of printed songs "ballads". BALLAST HEAVER....A dockworker who laid heavy matter in the empty hold of a ship to keep it steady. BALLER UP.... Assisted the pottery thrower, weighing out balls of clay. BAL-MAIDEN....(Bal-mine) A female worker employed above ground in various processes of dressing tin and copper ores. See PIT-BROW LASS. BAND-FILER....Metal worker in the gun-making trade. BANDSTER....A person who bound the sheaves after reaping. BANG-BEGGAR....A parish officer responsible for controlling the stay of any stranger. Sometimes the local constable or beadle (q.v.) BANG-STRAW....A thresher, sometimes any outdoor farm servant. BANKER....A ditcher, A person who dug trenches to facilitate drainage of land. BANKSMAN....A colliery worker in charge of the cages at pit top. Also known as BANK MANAGER BARBER-SURGEON....Until 1745 barbers were also surgeons. The Company of Barber Surgeons was incorporated 1461 and barbers were allowed to practise in surgery and dentistry until 16c. when an Act of Parliament restricted barbers to dentistry and the company title was altered to Barbers AND Surgeons. An Act of 1745 allowed surgeons their own Corporation but the name persisted until 19c. Traditionally Surgeons still take the title Mister because of the historic association BARKER....A person who was employed in the tanning industry, a tanner . BARKEEPER.... A person who kept guard at the tollbar, barrier or gate to prevent passage until the appropiate toll was paid. BARGE-MATE....Naval term. Officer who was in charge of a ship while a visit by notables was taking place BARKER / BARKMAN.... A person who tanned leather. Originally A person who stripped trees of bark for the use in the process of tanning BARMASTER....The authority to whom all dispute in lead mining industry were referred. Also in charge of standard measure used in mining of ore. BARREL-FILER....A worker involved in gum-making BARROWMAN.... A coal pit worker who brought coal from the face to the foot of the shaft. BASKETMAN....Rural craftsman who used plaited willow twigs to make various receptacles as well as chairs, cradles etc BAYWEAVER....A weaver of bay, a fine light woollen fabric. Its manufacture was introduced to England in 16c. by fugitives from France and Netherlands. Often corrupted to baize. BEADLE....A parish officer with duties varying in each locality, such as assistant to the constable, town crier, messenger.In the Manor they were responsible for minor discipinary matters BEADSMAN....1/ A person who prayed for others, someone paid to pray for the soul of his benefactor (from rosary beads) 2/ Inhabitant of a bedehouse, an almshouse or hospital. 3/ Tenant obligated to lord of the manor for a specific service or bede. Hence bedemad (mowing service) 4/ A beadle (q.v.) BEAMER....A textile worker who wound the warp on the roller prior to it being put on the weaving loom. BEARER....An underground worker in the coal mine who carried coal out to the pit bottom, and filled the containers sent up to the surface. Work usually done by women and children before 1846. BEATER....see FULLER. BEAVER....A feltmaker. BEDMAN....A west country term for a sexton. BEDWEVERE.... 1/ A person who wove bed quilts. 2/ Maker of bed frame webbing. BEESKEPMAKER.... Bee hive maker (Beeskeepmaker) BEEMASTER.... A bee keeper. BEETLER.... A person who operated a beetling machine used to emboss fabric. (textile industry). BELLFOUNDER / BELLEYETERE.... Maker of bells, church, cattle, etc. BELLMAN.... 1/ Watchman. Part of his office was to bless the sleepers in houses he passed. 2/ Employee of the Post Office who collected letters before the Mail Coach departed at night. He walked the streets ringing a bell, carrying a locked bag with a posting slit. Also known as a WALKING PILLAR-BOX (service discontinued 1846) BELLOWFARMER....A person responsible for the maintenance of the church organs and regals, small portable ones. BELLY BUILDER....An assembler and fitter of piano interiors. BELTER....see BILLITER. A Bellfounder. BERRIER....A thresher. BESSWARDEN....An officer appointed by the parish to look after its animals BESOM MAKER....A broommaker. BILLIER.... Bolton Lancashire 1830. Operator of the Billy Roller, a heavy roving machine used in the manufacture of cotton. Children who handled the Billy were often killed or maimed. The process it performed (slubbing) was eventually incorporated into other machinery. By 1840 the Billy was no Londonger used. BILLITER.... Bellfounder. From billet, an ingot of metal used to cast bells. BILLYMAN....see BILLIER. BINDER....Employed in various trades such as hatting, bookmaking, shoemaking. BIRD BOY....A person employed to scare birds away from growing crops. BIRDS NEST SELLER....A street seller of wild birds' nest complete with eggs. These were placed under canaries or bantam-fowl for hatching, to be reared as pets. BLACK TRAY or WAITER MAKER.... Maker of Japanned tea trays and salvers. BLACKING MAKER.... Maker of black substance used for blackening and polishing shoes. BLACK BORDERER....In paper-making trade, worker who made black edged mourning stationery. BLADESMITH....A swordmaker, or Cutler. BLAXTER....A bleacher of cloth. BLEACHER....A person who bleached or whitened cloth by exposure to the sun or chemicals. BLEMMERE....A plumber BLENTONIST....A waterdiviner BLINDSMAN....Post Office worker who delt with improperly addressed letters. ca 1860 BLOCKCUTTER / BLOCKER....A maker of wooden blocks for shaping hats. BLOCK MAKER....A maker of engraved wooden blocks used in printing. BLOODMAN....A blood-letter. BLOODLETTER....A barber-surgeon (q.v.) The letting of blood by opening a vein or the application of leeches was a common remedy for all manner of complaints. BLOOMER....A worker at a bloomery or bloom smithy, a smelter of iron. BLOWER.... 1/ A man who worked the bellows in smelting house of an iron works. 2/ Operator of blowing machine which cleansed and seperated fibres, in textile and hat making industries. 3/ A glass blower. BLOWFEEDER....Worker who fed blowing machine with material. See BLOWER. BLUE MAKER....A manufacturer of blue dye used by calico printers. It was also used in laundries and in the domestic wash for whitening linen. BLUFFER....Landlord of an inn. BOARDMAN....1/School attendance inspector employed by local School Board. 2/ Tenant of land which lord of the mannor kept expressly for maintenance of his table, rentals being paid in kind. (Hence bed and board). BOARDWRIGHT....A carpenter, maker of tables and chairs. See BOARDMAN. BOATMAN....Usually referred to A person who worked solely on the boats of inland waterways. See WATERMAN, FLATMAN. BOBBER....1/ Polisher of metals. 2/ Unloader of fishing vessels. BOBBIN CARRIER....Worker in spinning or weaving mills. Job frequently done by children. BOBBY....(slang) A Policeman. After Sir Robert Peel founder of the first police force in 1829. (also PEELER). BODEYS / BODY MAKER....A Bodice maker. Bodice, a stiff supportive upper garment of female dress. BODGER....Skilled craftsman who made wooden chair legs and spars using a lathe set up in home-made workshops in deep woodlands. His work was often produced for chair factories. BOILER PLATER....Iron worker employed in manufacture of rolled iron plate used in making steam boilers etc. BOLL....A person who managed power looms. BOLSTER / BOWLSTER....see BOWLER. BOLTER...A sifter of meal. BONDAGER....Female farm worker, who lived in and was often the servant of the Hind (q.v.) Worked mainly outdoors in the fields. BONE BUTTON TURNER....Skilled worker who shaped and trimmed buttons on a lathe. BONE LACE MAKER....Pillow lace maker. The bobbins on which the lace was made were made of bone. BONE MOULD TURNER....Maker of moulds from bone, probably for button makers. BONE PICKER....A collector of rags and bones. BONESETTER....One with special skills in manipulating injured or broken limbs. BOOKHOLDER....A person employed in the theatre as a prompter BOOKEEPER....A person who kept accounts for merchants, tradesmen, manufacturers, etc BOONMASTER....An officer of the parish appointed as Surveyor of Highways under an Act of 1555. He was obliged to carry out a survey three times a year and organise labour to repair the roads. Any landowners who did not provide the statute labour would be liable for a fine which the Boonmaster was responsible for collecting. BOOTBINDER....In shoemaking, factory worker who operated machine which bound the leather edges on boots and shoes. BOOT CATCHER....A person employed in inns to help remove the traveller's boots BOOT CLOSER....Machinist in shoe factory who fitted together the pre-cut parts of the upper boot. Until the introduction of the Singer Sewing Machine in the mid 19c. this had been done by hand by outworkers. Further mechanisation led to building of shoe factories in the 1860's. BORLER....A clothier. See BURELER. BOTCHER....A tailor or a cobbler BOTTILER/BOTTLER....Made leather bottles or cases for holding liquids or solids. BOTTLE BOY....An apothecary's assistant. BOTTOM MAKER....see SAGGER MAKER. Pottery worker who moulded bottoms for saggars. BOTTOM KNOCKER....Young boy who assisted saggar maker (q.v.) in pot mills. BOTTOMER....A pit worker, A person who took the excavated material to the bottom of the shaft. BOWDLER....A worker in iron ore. See PUDDLER. BOWKER....1. A butcher, 2. Bleacher of fibres, yarns etc. BOWLER....1. A worker who shaped the bowl of a metal spoon made separatley from the handle 2. Maker of wooden bowls and dishes, a common rural craft. BOWLMAN / WOMAN.... A stoneware merchant, a seller of crockery. BOWLMINDER....Woollen mill worker who looked after the large iron pans in which wool was washed before carding. BOWYER....1. Maker of and dealer in bows. 2. An Archer. BOZZLER....Parish constable or sheriffs officer. BRAILLER....Maker of girdles BRASIATOR....A brewer BRASILER....A dyer BRASS CUTTER....Maker of copperplate engravings BRASS FOUNDER....A person who founds or caStaffordshire brass goods BRAYER....A person who brayed or pounded a mortar. BRAZIER....Worker in brass. BREACH MAKER.... Worker in the gunmaking trade. BREAKMAN.... see BRICKMAN. BREWSTER....Brewer, originally applied to female occupation. BRICKBURNER....A person who attended to the kiln. Brickmaker. BRICKMAN....Bricklayer. BRIDGEMAN / BRIDGER....A person who collected tolls at bridges. BROAD COOPER....Employed by a brewer to negitiate with publicans. BROGGER....A wool merchant or broker. BROOM-SQUIRE....Maker of besoms or birch brooms, utilising local raw materials in woodland areas. BROOM DASHER....A dealer in faggots, brooms etc.. BROTHERER.... See BROWDERER. BROWDERER....An embroiderer. BROW GIRL....Female surface worker at a coal pit. BROWNSMITH....Worker in copper. BUCKLER....Buckle maker. BUCKLE BEGGAR....A Fleet Prison clergyman, A person who celebrated irregular marriages. BUCKLE MAKER....A maker of buckles and shields. BUCKLE TONGUE MAKER....Maker of the sharp points which go through the holes in a belt. BUCKLESMITH....see BUCKLER. BUDDLE BOY....Young worker in tin or lead mines responsible for the vats or buddles used for washing the ore. BUG DESTROYER....Pest controller. BUMMAREE....A speculative buyer at fish market trading between wholesalers and retailers, a middleman. BUNTER.... A rag and bone dealer. Also known as a CAFFLER. BURELER....Maker of borel, a coarse brown woollen cloth, generally worn by the poorer members of mediaeval society. (borel-folk). BURLER....A dresser of finished cloth, who used a special knife to remove knots left after weaving. BURLEY MAN....An officer appointed to enforce byelaws, a constable's assistant. BUTNER....A button maker. BUTTER CARVER....A butter printer who printed devices in butter. BUTTON BURNISHER....A button polisher. BUTTY....A person who negotiated contract work in coal mines, then hired labour to carry it out, middleman. Also known as CHARTMASTER Top of the page C CABBIE / CABMAN....Driver of a small single passenger vehicle called a coffin cab ( due to the shape of the roof ). A later version, the Londondon cab appeared in 1823 when all Cabbies and Cads were licensed by the authorities CAD....Man employed to look after and water horses at a coach stand. Also known as a waterman. Many cads became conductors on the early 19c. buses and the term was transferred with them. Bus crews were also licensed. CADDY BUTCHER....A person who sold horse meat. CADGER....1.Carrier especially A person who collected dairy produce from farms to sell in towns. 2. Street seller, beggar. CAFENDER....A Carpenter. CAFFLER....see BUNTER CAINER....Maker of walking sticks. CAIRD....A Tinker. CALCINER....A person who burned bones and other substances to produce powdered lime. CALENDER....A person who listed documents. CALENDERER / CALENDERMAN....Cloth presser and finisher. Operated a machine with two rollers, ie a calender. CAMISTER....A minister ot the cloth ( from camis a light loose robe ) CAMLET MERCHANT.... A dealer in camlet, a fabric used in making cloaks CANDLER....Made and sold candles. CANDY MAN....A bailiff or process server. CANTER.... A vagrant. CANVASER....A manufacturer of canvas. CAPPER....A maker of caps. CAPTAIN....Chief officer, commander of a company, troop or ship, an overseer. CARDER....Textile worker. Operated implement or machine which combed cotton or wool prior to spinning. A worker who raised the nap on finished cloth. CARDMAKER....1. Maker of carding implement used for combing wool, flax etc. Originally hand held. ( from French carde teasel head ) 2. Printer of playing cards. CARD NAILER / NAILOR....Mill worker who maintained carding machine cylinders in cotton mill. Originally children were employed to set metal carding teeth in leather for machines. CARDROOMER....Worker in carding room of mill. CARMAN / CHARMAN....Driver of large vehicle used for public transport, excursions or furniture removal. A person who hired out or drove vehicles, a general carrier of goods. ( All city carmen were licensed ) CARNIFEX....A butcher CARTER....Waggoner. Stable headman. CARTWRIGHT....A person who made carts, wagons etc CASHMARIE....Fish pedlar who took salt water fish from coast to inland markets. CATAGMAN....A cottager. CATCHPOLE....A sheriff's officer, a bailff. CAULKER....A person skilled in caulking the seams of boats with oakum. CEMMER....see COMBER. CHALONER....A maker of blankets or coverlets ( from the original place of manufacture, Chalon-sur-Marne ) CHAMBER MASTER....A boot and shoe maker working from their own house, executing contracts for shops or selling direct. CHAFF CUTTER.... A cutter of chaff used for stuffing pillows, and cushions. CHAISE MAKER....A maker of light weight carts made of wicker work. CHANDLER....A dealer in maritime goods. Originally a candle maker, seller CHANTY MAN....A sailor who led the singing of songs on sailing ships, and ensured that sailors worked in unison. Different chants were used to vary the pace needed for each task. The songs eventually became known as sea shanties. CHAPLER....A hatter. CHAPMAN....A hawker or pedlar. Originally a buyer or seller . In the middle ages a travelling merchant, later the term was used by Londondoners for any kind of dealer outside Londondon. In 17c. & 18c. it applied to settled shopkeepers in country towns. Petty Chapman was a term usually refering to a pedlar. CHARTMASTER....see BUTTY. CHASER....An engraver of metals. CHEESE FACTOR....A cheese wholesaler. CHILDBED LINEN WAREHOUSE KEEPER....19c.&20c. Various cities and towns. Manager of an establisment which hired out bales of bed linen at the time of childbirth. Usually paid for in instalments. CHINGLOR....see Shingler. CINDER WENCH....A woman who collected cinders from the gas works to re-sell door to door in the poorer areas. CLAPMAN....see Bellman, Town Crier. CLASSMAN.... Unemployed labourer. CLAVIGER....A servant. CLAY CARRIER.... A coal pit worker who assisted the Shot Firer with blasting. Clay was used in the charge holes. CLAYMAN / CLEYMAN....1. A person who worked in a clay pit. 2. A worker who weatherproofed buildings by covering wattle with clay. CLICKER....1. In shoemaking A person who cut out the pieces of leather. 2. In printing trade, a chargehand who prepared material ready for printing. 3. In the textile industry A person who made up a garment, a makerup. CLIPPER ON / OFF....A coal face worker who coupled or uncoupled coal tubs from the hauling rope. CLOGGER.... A person who made clogs. CLOTHIER / CLOTHESMAN / CLOTHMAN....A person who engaged in the cloth trade. A maker of woollen cloth, a seller of cloth and mens clothes. CLOUTER....seeClower. CLOWER....A maker of nails. COACHMAN....A driver or attendant of a coach. 1.Private 2. Hackney 3.Mail 4. Stage. COAL BACKER/PORTER....Coal carrier responsible for measuring and filling 2cwt sacks of coal from a ship, barge or quayside and loading the coal merchants wagons. COAL BEARER....see BEARER. COAL BURNER.... A maker of charcoal. COAL DRAWER....Pit worker who dragged loaded wagons aLondong the tunnel by means of a girdle and chain. Usually children or women also known as a hurrier or putter. COAL HEAVER....Worker on board a coal ship in dock who unloaded the cargo. Similar to a coal porter. COAL HIGGLER....Itinerant coal dealer, usually with a horse and cart. COALMETER....Official appointed to oversee the measuring of coals. COALRUNNER....Pit boy who worked on coal tubs underground. COAL WHIPPER....Unloaded coal from ships in large containers using a mechanical device which necessitated jumping up and down "whipping or jerking" it onto the dock. COAST SURVEYOR / WAITER....Customs house officer overseeing the landing and shipping of goods on the coast. COBBLER....A person who mended shoes. Originally he was prohibited from using new leather. COBLEMAN....A boatman who worked on a flat bottomed fishing vessel. COD PLACER....A pottery worker in charge of placing the saggers or fire proof containers into the firing ovens. COLLAR MAKER....1. A saddler, maker of horse collars. 2. A person who made collars for shirts. COLLIER....Originally a charcoal dealer. 2. Coal miner. 3. A dealer in coals 4. A man who worked on a collier or coal boat. COLORATOR....A dyer. COLOUR MAN....Responsible for mixing colour dyes used in various industries, eg. textile, paints. 2. A person who worked with a house painter mixing coloured paints. COLPORTEUR....Hawker of books, newspapers, etc. especially one employed by a society to travel about distributing religous books and pamphlets. COMBER....In weaving A person who prepared yarn ready for spinning. Combing was the last major process to be mechanised. COMBMAKING....A maker of woolcombing implements which produced a Londong smooth yarn. 2. A maker of combs for dressing hair. COMMISSIONER OF STAMP DUTIES....A tax official. CONDER / CONNER....1. A crewman who gave directions to the steersman for guiding a ship. 2. A person who signalled from coastal high ground to fishing boats the movement of shoals of fish. COOPER....A maker or repairer of wooden vessels, eg. casks or barrels. COPEMAN....A dealer. In 18c. it came to mean a receiver of stolen goods. CORDINER.... A local variant of CORWAINER. In 1722 the Cordiners of Hawick petitioned the council to be incorporated and separated from shoemakers or those who make single soled shoes. CORDWAINER / CORVINER....Originally a worker in cordwain (Cordovian Leather), not necessarily a shoemaker. Despite opposition from cordwainers in 18c. and 19c. the Company of Shoemakers kept the term as a Trade Guild. CORNCUTTER....A chiropodist. CORN METER....A corn measurer, a market official. CORVER....Made "corves" a type of basket used in coal mining. CORVISER / CORVISOR....A high class shoemaker who only used Cordovian Leather. COSTERMONGER....An itinerant seller of apples and other fruit. COTELER....see CUTLER COTTAGE / COTTAR....Occup[ier of a cottage with a small piece of land held by service of labour to the principle farm. COTTON FEEDER....A worker in a cotton mill who fed cotton into the loom prior to spinning. COTYLER....see CUTLER. COUCHER....A skilled worker in paper mills responsible for a specific process in paper making. COUPER....A person who barters, deals or buys and sells. Originally a dealer in horses and cattle. Sometimes mis spelt as cooper. COUPLER BEGGAR....An itinerant priest who performed marriages irregularly, ie without banns or licence. Hardwicke's Marriage Act 1754 legalised such marriages but the officiating minister was declared a feLondon. COURTIER....Owner or driver of a small horse drawn cart or court. COURT FACTOR....A dealer of courts, small tip carts used by farmers abd various trades to carry crops, bricks, blocks, etc. COURT ROLLER....One responsible for keeping the court rolls, ie the legal records. COURT TOOLMAKER....A maker of tools used in the manufacture of "courts". see Court Factor COWKEEPER....Kept one or more cows. A common source of livlihood in cities and towns was to keep a cow in the backyard of the house to provide milk which was sold at the front door. The forerunner of the local dairy. COW LEECH....An animal doctor. A veterinary practitioner. COZIER....A tailor. CRAPPER....A slate maker who worked in the quarry all year round. see digger. CRATE MAN....An itinerant seller of earthenware. CRIMPER....Ensnared people to man ships, often used the services of the press gang. CROCKER....A maker of crocks and pots. A potter. CROFTER....1. Bleacher of textiles. 2. A smallholder. CROKER....A grower of saffron, crocus used for making colouring. CROPPER....A shearman. CROWNER....A coroner. CURRIER....A person who dressed and coloured leather after the tanning process, originally linked with Corwainers. CURSITOR....A Chancery Court clerk who drew up wills. CUSTOS....A warden, keeper, guardian. CUTLER....A maker of knives and other cutting implements. Also sold and repaired knives, etc. Top of the page D DANTER....Female superintendent of winding room in silk mill. DAYTALEMAN....A labourer hired by the day. DECOYMAN....Employed to decoy wild fowl in shoots. DECRETIST....One versed in decretals, decrees, esp. of the Pope. DEEMER / DEEMSTER / DEMPSTER....A Judge. DELVER....A man who dug ditches. DEPARTER....A refiner of metals. DEVIL....Printer's errand boy. DEVILLER....Textile worker who operated a rag-tearing machine called a devil. DEXTER....A Dyer. DIGGER....1. A miner who dug out minerals, a coalface worker, 2. labourer employed in stone or slate quarry for short periods at a time, very little work being available all year round. DIKEMAN....A hedger or ditcher. DIPPER....Pottery worker responsible for glazing process. DISHER....A maker of bowls or dishes. DOFFER....Textile worker who removed full bobbins and spindles from loom, or A person who worked on carding machines. DOG KILLER....A person employed by the parish to kill any dogs found running loose during hot weather. DOG WHIPPER....Employed to deal with dogs disturbing church services, especially when fox tails were nailed to church door as evidence of capture for bounty. (Common practice from Middle Ages). DONKEY BOY / MAN....Driver of carriage hired by public passengers. DORCAS....A seamstress. DORNIX WEAVER....Maker of Dornix, a coarse damask used for curtains, wall hangings, and carpets. DOUBLER....Operator of machines used to compress several fibres of silk, cotton, wool, etc., the process of doubling. DOWSER....A diviner of water or mineral, A person who claims the skill to locate underground sources of water or mineral by holding forked hazel twigs above. DRAGOMAN....1. An Arabic/Turkish interpreter. 2. A guide. DRAGMAN....A fisherman who used a net drawn on the bottom of a river. DRAGSMAN....A person who managed a drag, a small type of stage coach or carriage used for public transport and private use. Drivers were noted for their smart dress hence swell dragsman. DRAWBOY....A weaver's assistant, particularly in shawl making. DRAWER....1. Man who raised the coal up the shaft and banked it on the surface, 2. Worker in metal, making wire or tube by pulling or drawing through a die. DRAYMAN....Driver of a dray, a low heavily constructed four wheeled cart such as used by brewers. DRESSER....1.Operator of machine which prepared threads in textile industry, 2. A person who prepared metal, food, fields etc. 3. Surgeon's assistant, A person who dressed wounds. DRIPPING-MAN....A dealer in dripping, fat collected from cooked meats. DROVER....A person who drove animals to market, a cattle dealer. DROWNER....Man who tended a water meadow. DRUM-BATTLEDORE MAKER....1864 LND Maker of galvanised drums fitted with paddles used in washing machines and other mechanical agitators. A battledore was a bat-shaped beater. DRYSALTER....see Salter. Dealer in salted or dry meats, pickles, sauces etc., and certain chemical products, such as gums and dye-stuffs. Top of the page E EARTHSTOPPER....A person who stopped up the entrance to a fox's earth prior to a hunt. EGGLER....Egg dealer, poulterer. ELEPHANTS TEETH DEALER....See Ivory Workers. ELLERMAN / ELLIMAN....Seller of oil used for lamps. ENGINEER....1. Designer of bridges, roads etc, 2. Soldier, 3. Operator of an engine in the sense of a machine in textile industry, or of any steam driven machine. ENGINE TENTER....see Tenterer. ENGRAVER....Cutter or carver of designs in metal, stone, wood, etc. In textile industry A person who engraved plates for printing patterns on fabrics. EWE-HERD....A shepherd. EXCISEMAN....A collector of excise tax EYER....In needlemaking A person who made the eyes in the needles. Also referred to as a Holer. Top of the page F FACTOR....1. An agent employed by merchants to transact business of buying and selling, 2. A Scottish term for the steward of an estate responsible for collection of land rents. FAGETTER....A person who made up faggots into bundles, seller of firewood. FAKER....Photographic assistant who added colour to photographs by hand before colour film was available. FANCY-PEARL WORKER....Worked in mother-of-pearl making buttons or fancy goods. FANWRIGHT....Maker and repairer of fans or winnowing baskets. FARANDMAN....A stranger or traveller, especially a travelling merchant. FARRIER....1. Shoeing smith, 2. Horse doctor, 3. Non-commissioned officer responsible for the shoeing of horses and a cavalry regiment. FEAR-NOTHING MAKER....Weaver of special kind of thick woollen cloth known as fear-nought, used for protective clothing and lining portholes, walls, and doors of powder magazines on board ships. FEATHER-BEATER....Cleanser of feathers. Also feather driver. FEATHER-DRESSER....A person who cleaned and prepared feathers for sale. FEATHERMAN....A dealer in feathers and plumes. FEATHER-WIFE....Woman who prepared feathers for use. FELLER....1.Textile worker who laid or felled seams in material. 2. Tree or wood cutter. FELLMONGER....Dealer in hides and skins esp. sheep. FELTER....Generally referred to a worker in the hatting industry. FERONER....Ironmonger. FERRETER....Dealer in or manufacturer of ferret, ie. silk tape. FESTITIAN....Mis-spelling for physician. FETTLER....1. Cleaned the machinery in woollen mills, removing accumulated fibres, grease, etc. 2. fettlers sharpened the fustian cutters knives, 3. Needlemaker who filed the needle to a point. FEWSTER....Maker of saddletrees. FEWTERER....Keeper of hounds, for hunting or coursing. FEYDUR BEATER....Feather beater. FIELD MASTER....see Hayward. FILLER....A person who filled bobbins in mills. FINE DRAWER....Employed in tailoring to repair tears in the cloth. Invisible mending. FINISHER....Operated machine giving final touches to a manufactured article in various trades. Cloth finisher. FIREBEATER....A person who tended the boilers that powered the machinery in a cotton mill FIRST HAND....Silk weaver who had his own loom. An outworker. FISCERE....A fisherman....(A/S) FITTER....Orig. applied to a joiner. In 19c. common term for A person who assembled several portions of machinery together. FLASHER....A specialist process worker in the glass industry. FLATMAN....Navigated a flat, a broad flat-bottomed boat used for transport, esp. in shallow waters. Common in the salt trade. FLAXDRESSER....Prepared flax prior to spinning. FLESHMONGER / FLESHER ....A butcher or a person who worked in a tannery FLETCHER....Arrowsmith. (from Fr. fleche). FLOATER....A vagrant. FLOATMAN....- see Flatman. FLOWER....Archer (Flo-arrow) FLUSHERMAN....A person who cleaned out water mains. FLYCOACHMAN....See Jobmaster. Driver of one-horse carriage hired by the day. FLYING STATIONER....A street broadsheet seller. FLYMAN....1. Driver of a light vehicle hired out for carriage of passenger, 2. Theatre stage hand. FOGGER....1. Petty chapman, carrying wares from village to village, 2. Middleman in nail and chain trade, 3. Agricultural worker responsible for feeding the cattle, 4. Low class lawyer (Pettifogger). FOISTER / FOISTERER....Joiner. FOOT-BOY / MAN....A servant or attendent in livery. See Tiger. FOOT-POST....A letter carrier or messenger who travelled on foot. FOOT STRAIGHTENER....In watchmaking, A person who assembled watch and clock dials. FORGEMAN....1. Blacksmith or assistant, 2. Coachsmith (18c. Derbyshire). FORGER....Blacksmith, worker at a forge. FORKNER....Falconer, (mis-spelling). FOSSETMAKER....A person who made faucets for ale-casks, etc. FOWER....Street cleaner, sweeper. FRAME SPINNER....Worker on a loom. FRAMEWORKER KNITTER....Operator of machine which made hosiery. Originally a hand loom was used. FRESHWATER MAN....Sailed boat on fresh water only or in the coastal trade. FRESER....Maker of frieze, a rough plaster. FRINGEMAKER....A person who made fringes, ornamental borders of cloth. FROBISHER....see Furbisher. FULKER....A pawnbroker. FULLER....See also Tucker and Walker. Term found mainly in S. and E. England. Oringinally A person who used fuller's earth to thicken and cleanse cloth, by treading it under water. FURBISHER....Remover of rust, a polisher of metal, eg. armour. FURRIER....Dealer and dresser of furs. FUSTIAN WEAVER....Maker of corduroy. FUYSTER....See Foister. Top of the page G GAFFER....1. Foreman of a gang of workers, 2. An elderly rustic, an old man. GAFFMAN....A bailiff. GALVANISER....Iron worker who handled process of coating metal with zinc, to inhibit formation of rust. GAMESTER....1. A gambler, 2. A prostitute (19c. slang). GANGER....Overseer or foreman, 1850 onwards. GARTHMAN....1. Yardman or hersman, 2. One responsible for the upkeep of a garth, a dam built in a river to catch fish. GATER....A watchman. GATHERER....A glassworker who inserted the blow iron into the molten glass ready for the blower (q.v.). GATHERERS BOY....See Gatherer. A person who held a shovel to shield the gatherer's face from the heat. GATWARD....A goat keeper. GAUGER....Customs official who measured the capacity of imported barrels of liquor in order to calculate the customs duty. GAUNTER....A glover. GAVELLER....1. Userer, 2. In the Forest of Dean, an officer fo the Crown who granted gales or the right to work a mine, 3. In Suffolk a harvest worker, usually female. GELDER....Castrator of animals, especially horses. GILDER....A person who applied gold leaf. GIMLER....Machinist involved in making a gimp, a kind of card. GIRDLER....Leather worker who made girdles and belts, chiefly for the Army. GIRTHOXTER....See Girthweaver. GLASS COACHMAN.... See Jobmaster. Driver of two-horse carriage hired out for the day. GLASSMAN / GLAZIER.... Seller of glassware. GOAT CARRIAGE MAN....Driver of small passenger carriage. GORZEMAN....Seller of gorse or broom. GRAVER....1. Carver or sculptor, engraver of images, 2. Dockside worker who cleaned ship bottoms by burning and tarring. GREAVE / GRIEVE....Bailiff, foreman, sheriff. GREENSMITH....Worker in copper or latten. GREENWICH BARBER.... Retailer of sand collected from the Greenwich pits. GRINDER....1. A person who operated ginding machine. FOund in various trades, metal works, knife sharpening, cutlery in general, also glass and toolmaking, 2. Worker who maintained a carding machine (textile industry), 3. A private tutor (slang). GROUNDSEL & CHICKWEED SELLER....A streetseller of common weeds, used to feed pet songbirds. GUINEA PIG....An unattached, or roving person whose fee was usally a guinea (slang). GUMMER.... A person who improved old saws by deepening the cuts. GYP....A college servant especially one attending undergraduates. Top of the page H HABERDASHER....1. Dealer in small articles, eg.ribbons, needles, pins, 2. Dealer in hats, shirts, ties, collars. HACKER....1. Wood cutter, A person who used hoes, axe, or other cutting tools. HACKLER....Worker in linen industry. A person who separated the coarse part of flax or hemp with a hackle, an instrument with teeth. HACKMAN....See Hackler. HAIRMAN....See Hairweaver. HAIR SEATING & CURLED HAIR MERCHANT....Dealer in horse-hair stuffing used in upholstery. HAIRWEAVER....Weaver of cloth composed wholly or partly of horsehair. HALBERT CARRIER....A soldier or halberdier, armed with a halberd, a combination spear and battleaxe. A ceremonial officer. HAMMERMAN....A hammerer, a smith. HANDSELLER....A street vendor. HARLOT....1. Vagabond, beggar, rogue, 2. 14c. A male servant, attendant or menial, 3. 15c. Loose woman. HARPER....Performer on the harp. HATCHLER....A person who cleaned flax. HATTER....Maker of or dealer in hats. HAWKER....1. Street seller who cried his wares in town, 2. Often applied to country pedlars as a term of abuse, 3. Itinerant dealer who carried his wares on his back. HAYMONGER....Dealer in hay. HAYWARD....1. Inspector of hedges and fences of parish who also impounded stray beaStaffordshire, 2. Man who tended field set aside to produce hay. HEALD KNITTER....An operator of a machine which produced a jersey type of fabric as opposed to woven fabric. (Textile Industry). HECK MAKER....Maker of a part of a spinning machine by which the yarn is guided to the reels. HECKLER....See Hackler. HEDGE LOOKER....see Hayward. Supervised good repair of fence and enclosures. HEELMAKER....A person who made shoe heels. HELPER-UP....Young boy employed in Durham pits to help other workers. HELLIER / HILLIER....Slater or tiler of roofs. HEMP HECKLER....A flax dresser. See hackler. HENCHMAN / HENSMAN....A horseman or groom. HEWER....Miner who cut coal, stone, etc., a face worker in a mine. HIGGLER....A person who haggles or bargains. An itinerant dealer, similar to a cadger. HILLIER....See Hellier. HIND.... Farm labourer, household or domestic servant. In SCT a skilled farm labourer. HINXMAN....See Henchman. HOBBLER....A person who was employed to tow a boat on the rivers or canals. HOD....A bricklayer's labourer. HOGGARD.... A pig drover. HOLLOWARE WORKER....1. Pottery worker who made ornaments, teapots, etc. as opposed to flatware such as plates, dishes, 2. One involved in the production of tin trunks, cheStaffordshire, boxes, etc. or the painting and graining of them. HOOKER....1. 16c. Reaper, 2. 19c. Worker in textile industry who operated a machine which laid fabric flat in uniform folds of any required length. HOOPER....Maker of hoops for barrels or casks. HORNER....Worker in horn making spoons, combs, or musical horns. HORSE-CAPPER....A dealer in worthless horses. HORSE-HAIR CURLER....Dressed horse hair which was used extensively in the upholstery trade. HORSE LEECH....Horse-doctor, or Farrier. See Cowleech. HORSE MARINE....Man-handled barges on canals when horses could not be used. HOSIER....Retailer of stockings, socks, gloves, nightcaps, etc. HOSTELLER....An Innkeeper. HOSTLER....See Ostler. Took care of horses at an Inn. HOTPRESSER....Worker in Paper or Textile industries. Product was pressed between glazed boards and hot metal plates to obtain a smooth and shiny surface. HOYMAN.... A person who engaged in the carriage of goods and passengers by water. (Hoy - small coastal vessel or sloop). HUCKSTER....1. Street Seller of ale, often a woman, 2. Retailer of small wares in shop or booth. HUISSHER....An usher. A door attendant. HURDLEMAN / HURDLER....A hedge-maker, of wattled framework fencing, a southern counties trade. HURRIERS.... In coal mining, term applied to the girls aged 5-18 who were employed as coal-drawers (q.v.). HUSBANDMAN....A tenant farmer. HUSH SHOP KEEPER....Brewed and sold beer without a licence (usually as a side line). Top of the page I IRON FOUNDER....A person who founds or caStaffordshire iron. IRON INDUSTRY....Supported among others the following occupations: Brazier, Broker, Caster, Founder, Galvaniser, Moulder, Monger, Shearer, Platemaker, Worker. IRON MONGER....Dealer in hardware made of iron. Also known as a Feroner. IRON SMITH....Worker in iron, a Blacksmith. IVORY WORKERS....Included makers of combs, boxes, billard balls, buttons, and keys for pianofortes. Top of the page J JACK-FRAME TENTER....Cotton industry worker who operated a jack-frame, used for giving a twist to the thread. JACK-SMITH....Maker of lifting machinery and contrivances. JAGGER....1. Carrier, carter, pedlar or hawker of fish, 2. 19c. Derbyshire. A young boy in charge of 'jags'or train of trucks in coal mine, 3. Man in charge of pack horse carrying iron ore to be smelted, 4. From 1899 a uniformed messenger boy employed by a Londondon business firm. JAKES-FARMER....A person who emptied cesspools. JAPANNER....A varnisher who used lacquering process invented in Japan. Closely allied to Papier-Mache trade. JERQUER....Custom house officer who searched ships. JERSEY COMBER....Worker in woollen manufacture. (Jersey - wool which has been combed but not spun into yarn). JOB COACHMAN....See Jobmaster. Driver of coach hired out for Londong periods to nobility or gentry. JOBLING GARDENER....One employed on a casual basis. Also Jobbing. JOBMASTER....Supplied carriages, horses and drivers for hire. JOINER....Craftsman who works with wood. JOURNEYMAN....Had served an apprenticeship and was no Longer bound to serve a master. JOUSTER....A female hawker of fish who usually travelled on foot for town to town. Top of the page K KEDGER....A Fisherman. KEEKER....Colliery official who checked quantity and quality of coal output. Weighman. KEELER / KEELMAN....A bargeman. From keel, a flat bottomed boat. KEMPSTER....A woolcomber. KIDDIER....1. Skinner, 2. Dealer in young goats. KILNER....A limeburner, in charge of a kiln. KISSER.... Made cuishes and high armour. KNACKER....Dealer in old horses, dead animals. Harness maker, saddler. KNAPPERS....Dressed and shaped flints into required shape and size. Major use was flintlocks in weapons for British Army. KNELLER / KNULLER.... Chimmney sweep who solicited custom by knocking on doors. KNOCKER-UP....Man paid to wake up northern mill and factory workers on early shifts, going from house to house using a Londong pole to knock on bedroom windows. KNOLLER....A toller of bells. Top of the page L LACE-DRAWER....Child employed in lace work, drawing out threads. LACEMAN....Dealer in lace, who collected it from the makers, usually only those who had bought his thread, and sold it in the lace markets. LACE-MASTER / MISTRESS....Person who employed workers in factories or in their homes for the production of lace. LACE-RUNNER....Young worker who embroidered patterns on lace. LAGRAETMAN....A local constable (Law-Rightman). LAGGER....A sailor. LANDSMAN....Seaman on first voyage. LANDWAITER....Customs officer whose duty was to wait or attend on landed goods. LASTER....A person who made shoes using a last, a cobbler LATH RENDER(ER)....A person who puts the first coat of plaster onto laths on floor and ceiling. (A plaster's assistant. LATTENER....Skilled metal worker who made or worked in latten, a mixed metal resembling brass. LAUNDER/ESS....Washerwoman, A person who washed linen. LAVENDER....Washerwoman, from French laver, to wash. LAYER....Worker in paper mill responsible for a particular stage in paper-making process. LEAVELOOKER....Examined food on sale at market. LEGGER....Canal boatman. Barges had to be legged through underground tunnels by the men lying flat on deck and 'walking'aLondong the roof or sides thus propelling the boat aLondong by leg power not horse power. See also Horse Marine. LEIGHTONWARD....A gardener (leighton - a garden). LETTER CARRIER....18c. Forerunner of local postman. The Post Office appointed a large number of letter carriers in 1722 to make house to house deliveries within a town. LIGHTERMAN....Boatman who worked on a lighter, a large open flat-bottomed boat used in loading and unloading ships. LINER / LYNER....A flax dresser. LINKERBOY / MAN....1. A person who carried a link or torch to guide people through city streets at night for a small fee. Had to be licensed to trade in early 19c. 2. Term sometimes applied to general manservant late 19c. LISTER / LITSTER....Dyer of cloth. LITTERMAN....A groom (of horses). LOBLOLLY BOY....1. An errand boy, 2. Surgeon's assistant on board ship (Naut). LOG WOOD GRINDER....Preparer of a dye made from logwood, used in textile industry. LONG SONG SELLER....A street seller who sold popular songsheets printed on paper about a yard Londong. LORIMER / LORINER....See Spurrier. 1. Made spits, bridles, and other metal parts for the harness of horses, 2. Maker of small ironware, 3. Worker in wrought iron. LOTSELLER....A street seller. LUMPER....1. Dock labourer who discharged cargo of timber. Employed by a Master Lumper, not the Dock Company, 2. Fine-grain saltmaker, from practice of moulding salt into lumps. LUM SWOOPER....SCT. A chimney sweep. Top of the page M MADERER.... Gathered and sold garlic. MAID....Female domestic servant. Class included Scullery, Kitchen, House, General, Parlour, Nurse, Laundry, Lady's etc. MAIL GUARD....Armed guard, frequently an ex-soldier, employed on the mail coach service, inaugurated in 1784. Later Post Office guards were officially appointed. MAISE MAKER....A person who made measures for weighing herring catch. MAKER-UP....1. Garment assembler, A person who prepared or 'made up'material to customers requirements, 2. Chemist or druggist, 3. Agent for paraffin. MALEMAKER....A maker of 'Males'or travelling bags. Term was adopted by the Royal Mail from the bags in which the letters were carried. MALENDER....A Farmer. MALER....See Malemaker. MANCHESTER MAN....also Shrewsbury, Sheffield, etc. Late 18c. A wholesale travelling merchant trading between factory and shopkeeper with goods on packhorses. Sometimes independent, sometimes employed by the manufacturer. MANGLE KEEPER....A woman who offered use of the mangle to others for a fee. MANTLE FOREWOMAN....A highly skilled dressmaker. MANTUA MAKER....Dressmaker. (Mantua - a woman's loose gown.) MARBLER....A person who stained paper or other material, veined in imitation of marble. MARINER....A person who obtained a living on the sea in whatever rank, equivalent to an Able Seaman. MARSHALL....Horse doctor of shoesmith. MARSHMAN....Employed by various landowners to look after marshlands and tend the animals put to graze there for the season. MASHMAKER.... Maker of the mash-vats or mashels used for mixing malt. MASTER....One of three grades of skill recognised by the Guild of Crafts. A skilled workman or one in business on his own. MASTER LUMPER....Contractor of labourers at cheap rate of pay. Generally a publican who only hired and paid customers who frequented their public houses. MASTER MARINER....A Sea Captain. MATHER....See Mawer. MATCHET FORGER....Knifemaker (Machete - heavy axe-like knife used as a tool). MAWER....A mower. MEALMAN....Dealer in meal or flour. MECHANIC....1. Manual labourer, working at a trade,m 2. Operator of a machine (less skilled than an engineer). MELDER.... . A corn miller. MERCATOR....A merchant. METALMAN....A worker in metals. MILSTONE INSPECTOR....A vagrant, a gentleman of the road. MILLER....Corn miller, cloth miller, saw miller. MILLINER....1. Seller of fancy wares and articles of apparel, 2. Maker of ladies hats, bonnets, etc. MILLWRIGHT....A person who designed or set up mills and mill machinery. MINER....A worker in a mine, digging for coal, ironstone, lead, tin miner, etc. MOCADO WEAVER....Weaver of woollen cloth used for making clothes 16-17c. Sometimes called mock velvet. MOLITOR....A miller. MONDAYMAN....See Cottager. A person who worked for landowner on Mondays in lieu of rent. MOULDER RUNNER....Pottery moulder's assistant, a young boy who ran between master and drying oven, carrying full moulds and returning with empty ones. MUFFIN MAKER....Baker who made muffins, round flat cakes of dough which were toasted before eating, 2. Pottery worker who made a specific type of plate, i.e. a seven inch tea plate known as a muffin. MUFFIN MAN....Itinerant seller of muffins. MUGGER....See Pigman. MUGSELLER....Seller of cups, mugs. MUSTARDER / MUSTARDMAN....Made and dealt in mustard. Top of the page N NARROW WEAVER....A weaver of ribbons, tapes, etc. NAPIER....A person in charge of the table linen in the Manor House. NAVIGATOR / NAVIGOR....1. A sailor in charge of navigating, 2. A labourer who dug canals and later worked on the railways. The origin of navvy. NEATHERD....A cowherder. NECESSARY WOMAN....A servant responsible for emptying and cleaning chamber pots. NECKER....A worker responsible for the feeding of cardboard into the machine the makes boxes. NEEDLE POINTER....1. In needlemaking a filer or fettler. 2.A person engaged in the craft of needlepoint. NETTER....A net maker. NIGHT SOILMAN / NIGHTMAN....A person employed to empty cesspits, ashpits and backyard toilets. NIGHTWALKER....A watchman or bellman. NIPPER....A lorry boy, a young person employed by the carter or wagoner to assist with the collection and delivery of goods. NOON TENDER.... A person who guarded the goods on the quay while the officers were a lunch. Top of the page O OILMAN....A person who sold the oil for lamps. OLITOR....A kitchen gardener. From Olitory ( a kitchen garden. ORRERY MAKER....A person who made a mechanical apparatus for showing the movements of the planets. Named after the Earl of Orrery the inventor. ORRICE WEAVER....A designer of lace patterns to be woven with silk thread and silk. OSIER PEELER....A person who removed bark from willow rods or osiers which were used in basket weaving, usually women and children. Also known as withy peelers. OSTIARY....A monastery door keeper. OSTLER....see HOSTLER. OUTWORKER....A worker who carried on their occupation at home, eg, cotton or woollen weavers but it applies to many occupations. OVERLOOKER....A superintendent or overseer, especially in the textile mills. Often an hereditary position. OVERMAN....A supervisor in a colliery who checked the miners work and the quality of the mined coal. OWLER....A person associated with smuggling. OYSTER DREDGER....A member of the crew on board an oyster fishing boat. Top of the page P PACKMAN....A pedlar, a person who travelled around carrying goods for sale in a pack. PACK THREAD SPINNER....The operator of the machine which made thread or twine. PAD MAKER....A person who made small baskets used for measuring. PAINTER....A person who painted things eg houses wooden goods, etc or an Artist. PAINTRESS....A woman employed in the pottery industry to hand paint the finished articles. PALINGMAN....A fishmonger. PALISTER....A Park Keeper, a person who ensured the parks were safe and well kept. PANNIFEX....Somebody who worked in the cloth trade. PANSMITH....A person who made pans ie a metal worker. PAPAYA MAN....A person who was involved in trade with New Guinea, from Papua New Guinea. PAPERER....A person employed in the needlemaking trade to insert the needles into the paper ready for sale. PAPERHANGER....An interior decorator who put up wallpaper. PAPER MAKER....see Vatman, Coucher, Layer, Sizer. PARGETER....The person who applied ornamental plaster to buildings. PARITOR....A church officer who attended the magistrates and justices at court for the pupose of executing their orders. PARKER....The person in charge of a park usually a hunting or game park. PASSAGE KEEPER....A person who kept passages and alleys clean. PATTEN MAKER....A clog maker or the person who made wooden soles (pattens) to fit under normal shoes to protect from wet and muddy ground. PAVER / PAVIOUR....A person paid town to maintain pavements. A person who laid paving stones. PAVYLER....A person who put up pavilions or tents etc. PAWNBROKER....A person who loaned money with interest against items of value left for security. PEDASCULE....A schoolmaster. PEDDAR / PEDLAR....A person who sold things house to house or on the road. A person who bought and sold goods for cash. PEELER....A policeman, constable, bobby. From Sir Robert Peel founder of the police force. PELTERER....A person who worked with animal skins. PERFUMER....A maker or seller of perfumes. PERCHEMEAR....A person who made parchment. PERUKE / PERIWIG MAKER....A person who made wigs. PETER MAN....A fisherman. PETTY CHAPMAN....An itinerant dealer in small goods, a pedlar. PEW OPENER....A person hired to open the doors to private pews in church. PHILOSOPHICAL INSTRUMENT MAKER....Somebody who made scientific instruments. PICKER....A person who cast the shuttle on a loom. PIECE BROKER....A person who sold material remnants. PIECENER / PIECER....A person usually a child, who worked in a spinning mill, employed to piece together any threads which broke. PIECEMASTER....The middleman between employer and employee who passed out the piecework. PIECE WORKER....A worker who was paid for the number or pieces produced rather than by the hour. People who worked from home were usually pieceworkers. However in more recent times sewing machine operators employed to make part of the garment and still worked in the mill were paid for piecework. PIGMAKER....A person who made pig or cast iron, also a pottery worker. PIGMAN....A person who sold crockery. A person who bred or looked after pigs on the farm. PIKELET MAKER.... A baker who specialised in making pikelets ( a small pancake or crumpet ). PIKEMAN....A millers helper. A person who worked at the turnpike. In olden days a soldier who carried a pike. PIKER....A tramp or vagrant. PILL BOX BOTTOMER....A person responsible for making the bottoms of pill boxes in the pottery trade. PILL BOX LIDDER....A person responsible for making the lids of pill boxes in the pottery trade PINDER....Pound keeper. An person in charge of the pinfold PINNER....A pin maker PINNER UP....A dressmakers assistant. A person who sold broadsheets or ballards in the streets. PISTOR....A baker. PIT BROW LASS....A female worker who worked on the surface of the mines. PLAIN WORKER....A person who performed plain sewing or needlework as opposed to an embroiderer. PLAISTERER....A plasterer PLAITER....A maker of straw plaits used in making hats etc. PLANKER....A person who planks or kneads the body of the hat during felting. PLAYDERER....A person who made plaid. PLEACHER / PLAICHER / PLATCHER / PLASHER....A hedge layer. PLUMASSIER / PLUMER....A person who made or sold plumes, ornamental feathers. PLUMBER....A person who worked with lead. However as lead was the main metal used in pipes for water, gas etc it became the term used for a tradesman who installed or repaired pipes and drains of all types. POINTER....A person who sharpened needles or pins etc. POINTMAKER / POINTMAN....A person who made the tips of laces. POINTSMAN....A railway worker who operated the points, used to change the line on which the train was travelling. POLDAVE WORKER.... A person who made poldave, a coarse fabric. POLE LATHE TURNER....A craftsman in woodwork POLLER / POWLER.... A barber. PONDERATOR....An inspector of weights and measures. PORTABLE SOUP MAKER....A person who converted soup into a dry form for transporting from place to place. PORTER....A person employed to carry baggage or attend to doors in public places. POST BOY....A person who carried mail from town to town. A guard who travelled on the mail coach. An outrider who travelled with the stagecoach as a postillion. POSTILLION....A person who worked on long distance coaches and who's duty it was to change the horses at the stops. POSTER....A person who worked in the quarries breaking rocks POSTMAN....A letter carrier POTATO BADGER....A seller of potatoes. POT BOY / MAN....A person who worked in public houses washing and removing dirty pots also did other menial tasks. POT BURNER....A person who placed the pot in a furnace to be fired POTTER CARRIER....A chemist or pharmacist. POTTER PRESSER....A potter who used a mould. POTTER THROWER....A potter who used a wheel and therefore had to throw the clay. POUCH MAKER....A person who made pouches or purses. POULTERER....A person who bought and sold poultry. POYNTER....A lace maker. POWER LOOM TUNER....A person who maintained the loom in mills. PRECEPTRESS....A school mistress. PRICKER....A pattern maker. A horseman. PRINTER....A person who prints. PROP BOBBY....A person who worked in mines checking the pit props. PUDDLER....A person who worked clay into puddle. A person who worked with puddle to make things water tight eg canal walls. A person who worked in puddling iron. PUGGER....A person employed by brick manufacturers to produce clay paste by treading like grapes, usually women and children. PULLEYMAKER....A person who made pulleys for hoists PUMPMAKER....A person who made pumps PUTTER....A person employed in the coal mine to haul the mine tubs. PUTTER IN....A person who was employed to put things in to some form of mechanised process Top of the page Q QUARREL PICKER....A glazier. QUARRIER....A person who worked in a quarry, a quarryman. QUILLER....A person who operated a machine that wound yarn onto spools. QUILTER / QUILTRESS....A person who quilted material. QUISTER....A person who bleached things. QWYLWRYGHTE....A wheelwright. Top of the page R RACK MAIDEN....A girl employed in the tin mines of Cornwall to dress the ore. RAFFMAN....A person who dealt in raff ( saleable rubbish ). RAFF MERCHANT....A seller of fibre used to make raffia bags etc. RAG CUTTER....A person who cut up rags into small pieces to be used for making paper etc. RAG GATHERERS....A person ( usually children ) employed to clear the rags from the machinery in the mills. RAG MAN ....A person who went from street to street collecting and selling old clothes and rags. RAG AND BONE MAN....A person who went from street to street with a cart and collected any old rubbish, usually in exchange for a small item eg. a block of soapstone. RAG PICKER....A person who sorted through the left over rags to find re usable ones. REDSMITH....A goldsmith. REEDER....A person who worked with reeds for hedging or thatching. REEDMAKER....A person who made the pipe for a musical instrument. A person who made a weavers implement ( a reed ) or reed cloth or the comb used in tapestry. REELER....A person employed to operate the machine that wound the yarn onto the bobbin. REEVER....A shriever. RENOVATOR.... A person who repaired clothing. RICKMASTER....A Captain of Horse. RIDDLER....A wool stapler. RIFTERE....A reaper. RIPPER / RIPPIER....A person who sold fresh water fish at the markets. A maker and seller of baskets. ROCKMAN....A person who worked in a quarry usually placing the charges on the rockface. ROCKGETTER....A rocksalt miner. ROLLER COVERER....A person who covered the rollers for the spinning process. ROLLEYWAY MAN....The person who maintained the underground road in the mines. ROLL TURNER....A carder of wool, cotton etc into rolls prior to spinning. ROMAN CEMENTER / PLASTERER....A person who worked with roman cement used in stuccoing. ROPER....A person who made ropes or nets. ROVER....An operator of a machine used in the cotton mills in Lancashire, which prepared the carded fibre into rolls. RUBBISHER / RUBBLER....A person who sorted the small stones in the quarries. RUGMAN....A dealer in rugs. RUNNER....A person who worked for the magistrate best remembered as Bow Street Runners. Top of the page S SADDLER....A person who made saddles, harnesses, horse collars, bridles etc. SADDLE TREE MAKER....A person who made the frames for saddles that the saddler used. SAGGER MAKER....A person who made the fireclay containers in which the stoneware was placed ready for firing. SALESMAN....A person who sold things. SALT BOILER....A person who obtained salt by boiling water. SALTER / DRYSALTER / SAUCER....A person who made or dealt in salt. SARCINET WEAVER....A silk weaver. SAWYER....A person who worked in a timber mill or pit. SAY WEAVER....A person who made Say, a material used for table cloths or bedding. SCAGIOLA MAKER....A person who made imitation marble. SCALERAKER / SCAVENGER....A person employed by the parish to clean the streets. SCAPPLER....The person who roughly shaped the stone prior to being finished by the stonemason SCAVELMAN....A person employed to keep the waterways and ditches clear. SCOTCH DRAPER / SCOTCHMAN....A person who sold goods door to door with payment to be made by installments. SCREENER....A person who screened the ore at the mines surface SCRIBBLER....A person employed in a scibbling mill where the wool was roughly carded before spinning. SCRIBER....A person employed at the docks to mark the cotton bales with the approximate weight ready for selling by the brokers. SCRIPTURE READER....A person employed by the local clergy to go from house to house reading parts of the bible to try and encourage people to attend church, also read scriptures during some services. SCRIVENER....A person who wrote out legal documents etc. SCUTCHER....A person who beat the flax to soften the straw in the bundles. SCULLERY MAID....A female servant who performed all the menial tasks. SCULLION....A male servant who performed all the menial tasks. SEAL PRESSER....A person employed in the glass industry to seal the bath against air intake which could spoil the finished surface. SEARCHER....A customs man. SELF ACTING MINDER....A person in charge of the automatic spinning mule in the mills. SEMI LORER....A person who made leather thongs. SEMPSTRESS....A seamstress. SENESCHAL....A senior steward at the Manor. SEWER HUNTER....A scavenger who concentrated on the sewers trying to find valuable objects. SEWER RAT....A bricklayer who specialised in making and repairing sewers and tunnels. SHAGREEN CASE MAKER....A person who worked with shagreen leather. SHEARER....A person who removed the fleece from sheep. SHEARGRINDER....A person who sharpened shears, scissors. SHEARMAN....A person who sheared cloth or metal SHEATH MAKER....A person who made scabbards for swords. SHEPSTER....A sheep shearer. SHINGLER....A roof tiler who used wooden tiles ( shingles ). SHOESMITH....A cobbler. A person who shoed horses. SHOT FIRER....A person in charge of blasting in mines or quarries. SHOWMAKER....A person who made shoes. SHRAGER....A person who trimmed and pruned trees. SHRIEVER....A sheriff. SHUFFLER....A yardman on the farms. SHUNTER....A person who moved rolling stock around the railway yards. SHUTTLE MAKER....A person who made the shuttles for the weaving mills. SICKLEMAN....A reaper. SIDESMAN....A person who assisted the churchwarden. SILK ENGINE TURNER....A person who turned the wheel on the automatic silk weaving looms. SILKER....A person who sewed the ends of the fabric to prvent the layers from separating. SILK DRESSER....A person who prepared the silk for weaving. SILK MERCER....A person who sold silk cloth and items made from silk. SILK TWISTER....A silk spinner SILVERSMITH....A person who worked with silver. SIZER....A person who applied the size to cloth. A person who sorted objects according to size. A person who worked in a paper mill. SKEPPER / SKELPER....A person who made and sold beehives. SKIPMAKER....A person who made the skips used in mining and quarrying for moving men or materials to the surface. SKIPPER....Master of a ship. SLAPPER / SLAPER....A person who worked in a pottery preparing the clay for the potter. SLATER....A roof tiler who used slate. SLOP SELLER....A person who sold baskets. A seller of ready made clothes. SLUBBER....A person who operated the machine used to prepare cotton for spinning. SLUBBER DOFFER....A person who removed the bobbins from the spindles in the mills. SMALLWARE MAKER.... A person who made smallware eg. tapes, braids etc. SMITH.... A person who worked with any metal. SMUGSMITH....A smuggler. SNUFFER MAKER....A person who made the candle snuffer. SOJOURNER CLOTHIER....A travelling clothes salesman. SOUTER....A shoemaker. SPALLIER....A person who worked in a tin works performing the menial tasks. SPICER....A person who dealt in spices. SPINNER....A person who spun any fabric. SPLITTER....A person who operated a splitting machine or a person who split things by hand eg. stone, timber etc. SPOONER....A person who made spoons. SPURRIER....A person who made spurs. STAINER....A person who coloured glass. A dyer. STAMPER....A person who operated a stamping machine. STATIST....A politician. STAY MAKER....A corset maker. STENTERER....A person who operated the cloth finishing machine. STEP BOY....A person employed to help passengers to enter or leave the coach. STEVEDORE....A dock worker. STOCKINER / STOCKINGER....A person who made stockings. STONEMAN / STONEWARDEN....A Surveyor of Highways. STONE PICKER....A person employed to remove the stones from the farmers fields before planting. STONE WORKERS....A person who worked with stone eg masons, quarriers etc. STOWYER....A person who stowed the nets away on fishing boats. STRAVAIGER....A vagrant. STRAW JOINER....A person who thatched roofs. STRAW PLAITER....A person who made straw braids for the hat industry. STREAKER....A person who prepared the body for burial. STREET ORDERLY / BOY....A street cleaner. STRETCHER....A person stretched fabrics in the textile trade, sometimes called a tenter. STRIKER....A blacksmiths helper. The person who harpooned the whale STRIPPER....A person employed in the woollen trade to remove the rubbish from the carding machines. STRINGER....A person who made the strings for bows. STUFF WEAVER....A person who wove stuff, the coarse part of flax. SUCKSMITH....A person who made ploughshares. SURFACE MAN....A person who worked on the surface of a mine. SWAILER / SWEALER.... A corn miller. SWEEP....A chimneysweep. SWEEPER OUT....A person employed in the mills to keep the floor clean. SWELL MAKER....A person who made shallow baskets. SWINEYARD / SWINEHERDER....A pig keeper. Top of the page T TAILOR....A person who made or repaired clothes. TACKLER....An overlooker of power loom weavers. TALLOW CHANDLER....A person who made or sold candles. TALLY CLERK....A person who kept count of goods arriving or departing from warehouses, docks etc. TALLYMAN / TALLYFELLOW....A person who sold goods that were paid for in installments. TAN BARK STRIPPER....A person who collected the bark that was used in the tanning process. TANNER....A person who tanned hides and skins to make leather. TAPER WEAVER....A person who made the wicks for candles. TAPSTER....A person employed to serve the beer in public houses, a barman. TAPITER / TAPICER....A person who wove worsted cloth. TARRIER / TERRIER.... A person in charge of a pack of terriers used for hunting. TASKER....A thresher or reaper. TASSELER....A person who made tassels used in furnishings. A nobleman. TAVERNER....An innkeeper. TAWER / TAWYER.... A person who made white leather. TEAMER / TEAMER MAN / TEAMSTER....A person in charge of a team of horses. TEEMER....A person who emptied grain from the cart. A person who poured the molten steel into the moulds. TENTER / TENTERER....A person who stretched the cloth on a machine whilst it was drying. A person who looked after and maintained the machine used in the process. TEXTOR....A weaver. THATCHER....A person who covered roofs with straw or reeds. THIRDBOROUGH....An underconstable. THRESHER....A person who separated the grain from the husks and straw. THROWSTER....A person in the textile trade who twisted the strands of fibre together into yarn. TICKNEY MAN / WOMAN....A person who sold earthenware from town to town. TIDE GAUGER / SURVEYOR....A person who monitored the state of the tide. TIDESMAN / TIDE WAITER....A customs officer who watched the unloading of ships to asscertain the duty due. TIGER....A small groom or pageboy in livery. TILER....A person who put tiles in place either on the roof or floor. TILTMAKER....A person who made canvas awnings or canopies. TINKER....A traveling salesman of pots & pans etc. TIMEKEEPER....A person responsible for making sure things happened on time eg. workers arriving or departing, trains, coaches etc. TIMES IRONER....A servant responsible for ironing the daily newspaper. TINCTOR....A dyer. TINKER....A travelling repairer of pots and pans etc. TINNER....A person who worked in the tin mines. TINSMITH....A person who worked with tin. TIPPER....A person who put the metal tips on arrows etc TIPPLER....A person who kept an ale house. TIPSTAFF....A court official. TIREWOMAN....A milliner, A hairdresser. TIXTOR....A weaver. TOBACCO SPINNER....A maker of cigars. TODHUNTER....A person employed by the parish to hunt foxes. TOE RAG....A person who worked at the docks as a corn porter. TOILINET MANUFACTURER....A person who made toilinet ( a kind of quilting ). TOLLER / TOLMAN....A person who collected tolls. TOLLGATE KEEPER / TOLLIE / TURNPIKE KEEPER....A person who worked at the toll gate to collect fees for use of the road. TONSOR....A barber. TOOL HELVER.... A person who made tool handles. TOUCH HOLER....A person who worked in the gun manufacturing industry. TOW CARD MAKER....A person who made tow cards, used in the textile industry. TOWN CHABERLAIN....A person who looked after the towns affairs. TOWN CRIER.... A person who made public announcments in the streets. TOWN HUSBAND....A person employed by the parish to collect the money from the fathers of illegitimate children for their upkeep. TOWNSWAITER....A customs man TOYMAN / TOY DEALER....A person who sold childrens toys. TOZER....A person who worked in the wool mills employed to tose or tease the cloth. TRADESMAN....A shopkeeper or skilled craftsman. TRAMMER....A young person who worked in the mines. TRANQUETER....A person who made hoops. TRAPPER....A young person employed in the mines to open and shut the doors for the miners. TREEN MAKER....A person who made domestic articles from wood. TREENAIL MAKER....A person who made the long wooden pins used in shipbuilding. TRENCHERMAKER....A person who made wooden boards or platters for serving food from or cutting and slicing food on. TREPANGER....A person who used a circular saw to cut timber. TROACHER....A pedlar. TROLLEY CARTER....A person who operated the tubs in the mines. TRONER....A weighing official at the markets. TROUCHMAN / TRUCHMAN....An interpreter. TRUGGER....A person who made long shallow baskets. TUBBER....A person who made tubs and barrels ie a cooper. TUBEDRAWER....A person who made tubes. TUBMAN....A person who worked in the m ines filling the tubs. A court official. TUCKER....See Fuller. TUCKER IN....A maid who attended the bedroom and "tucked in the bedclothes". TUNIST....A person who tuned musical instruments. TURNER....A lathe operator. TURNING BOY....A person who assisted the weaver by turning the bar on the loom. TURNKEY....A prison warder or jail keeper. TURNSPIT....A person who operated the spit handle. TWEENIE / TWEENY....A maid who worked "between the stairs" she assisted the cooks and the housemaids. TWISTER / TWISTERER....A person who operated the machine used for twisting yarns and threads together. TWIST HAND....A person who operated a lace machine. Top of the page U ULNAGER....A person appointed to examine the quality of woollen goods to be sold. UPHOLDER....A person who made quilts or mattresses. A person who assisted the auctioneer. UPHOLSTERER....A person who finished furniture by putting on the padding and cloth. UPRIGHT WORKER....A chimney sweep. Top of the page V VALET....A male servant that attended a nobleman or gentleman. VALUATOR....A person who valued objects. VASSAL....A servant of the lowest order. VATMAN....A person employed in the paper making industry to put the paper pulp into the moulds. A person who worked with vats eg in beer and wine making. VERDERER....An official in charge of the royal forest. VERGER....A person who worked with the priest in the running the church. VERGE MAKER....A person who made the spindles used in clocks and watches. VERRIER....A glazier. VESTMENTMAKER....A person who made the gowns worn by priests. VIEWER....A person who worked at the mines in a managerial capacity VILLEIN....A person who paid dues to the lord of the manor in return for use of the land. VINTER....A wine seller. VIRGINAL PLAYER.... A person who played a musical instrument similar to a harpsichord. VULCAN....A blacksmith. Top of the page W WABSTER....A weaver. WAGGONER....A person who drove a wagon, a carrier. WAILER....A person employed in the mines to remove the impurities from the coal. WAINWRIGHT....A person who built wagons. WAIT / WAKEMAN....A night watchman. WALKER....A person who cleaned and thickened the cloth by wetting it then walking over it. WALLER....A person who built walls either brick or dry stone, also a person who worked making coarse salt. WANTCATCHER....A person employed to catch moles. WARDER....A person in charge of prisoners. WAREHOUSEMAN....A person in charge of a warehouse or one employed in a warehouse. WARPER....A person who set the warp thread on the looms, also a person employed to move boats by hauling on the warps ( the ropes attached to the boats ) WARRENER....A person in charge of a portion of land used for breeding rabbits and other small game. WASTEMAN....A person employed in the mines to check the old workings for gas and maintaining them in good order. A person employed to remove waste. WATCH FINISHER....A person employed to assemble watches and clocks. WATER BAILIFF....An official in cahrge of the fishing rights on a stretch of water. A river policeman or in coastal towns a customs official. WATER CARRIER....A person who carted and sold fresh water. WATER GILDER....A person who trapped water fowl. WATER LEADER / LEDER / LODER....A person who transported and sold fresh drinking water. WATERMAN....A person who worked with or on boats usually on rivers. WATTLE HURDLE MAKER....A person who made a type of fence from wattle to keep the sheep in. WAULKMILLER....See Walker. WAVER....A weaver. WAY-MAKER....A person employed to make roads. WAY MAN....A surveyor of roads. WEATHERSPY....An astrologer. WEBSTER....A weaver ( originally a female weaver ) WEEDER....A person employed to remove the weeds from the gardens of the rich. WEIGHER....A person employed on the docks to weigh the cargo as it was unloaded. WELLMASTER....A person in charge of the local well with the responsibility of ensuring clean water for the village. WELL SINKER....A person who dug wells. WELL WRIGHT....A person who made the winding equipment used to raise the bucket in the well. WET GLOVER....A person who made leather gloves. WET NURSE....A woman employed to suckle tthe child of another ( common practice with the rich ) WETTER....A person employed to dampen paper during the printing process. A person in the glass industry who detached the glass by wetting. WHARFINGER....A person who owned or was in charge of a wharf. WHEELER....A wheel maker, a person in the textile industry that attended to the spinning wheel, a person who led the pit ponies that pulled the tubs underground in the mines. WHEELWRIGHT....A person who made wheels. WHEERYMAN....A person in charge of a wheery ( a small light rowing boat ). WHIG....A horse driver ( Scottish term ) WHIPCORD MAKER / WHIPMAKER....A person who made whips WHIPPERIN....A person who managed the hounds in a hunt. WHITEAR....A person who cleaned hides. WHIT COOPER....A person who made barrels etc from tin WHITE LIMER....A person who plastered walls using lime and water plaster. WHITENING ROLL MAKER....A person who made the whitening used in whitening walls of cottages. WHITENER / WHITESTER / WHITSTER....A person who bleached cloth. WHITESMITH....A tinsmith. WHITTAWER....A person who made saddles and harness' WILLOW PLAITER / WEAVER....A person who made baskets etc. WINDER....In the textile industry, a person who transferred the yarn from bobbins onto cheeses or into balls ready for weaving. In the mines a person who operated the pulley or winch. WINDSTER....A silk winder. WIRE DRAWER....A person who made wire from metal by drawing the metal through various size holes in a template. WOODBREAKER....A person who made wooden water casks. WOODRANGER / WOOD REEVE / WOODWARD....A person in charge of the forest or woods. WOOLCOMBER....A person employed in the woollen mills to operate the machines that separate the fibres ready for spinning. WOOL DRIVER....A person who brought the wool to market. WOOL FACTOR....A wool merchants agent. WOOL GROWER....A sheep farmer. WOOLEN BILLY PIECER....A person employed in the woolen mills to piece to-gether the broken yarns. WOOL MAN /WOOL SORTER / STAPLER....A person who sorted the wool into different grades. WOOLSTED MAN....From worsted man, a seller of woollen cloth. WOOL WINDER....A person who made up balls of wool for selling WORSTED MANUFACTURER / SHEARMAN....A person who made worsted. WRIGHT....A skilled worker in various trades. WRITER....A person employed to write. A scribe. A clerk etc. WYRTHA....A labourer. Top of the page X XYLOGRAPHER....A person who used and made wooden blocks used in printing illustrations. Top of the page Y YATMAN....A gate keeper. YEARMAN....A person contracted to work for a year. YEOMAN....A freeholder, the next class down from gentry. An assistant to an official. A ships officer in charge of stores. Top of the page Z ZOOGRAPHER....A person who describes and classifies animals. Top of the page Return to main page [LINK]-[IMAGE]