|
|
|
|
Our early American colonists did not have quite the same employment opportunities as we do today. There were no TV producers, car salesmen, rocket scientists, and certainly no computer programmers. The first emigrants to America had occupations concerned primarily with simple, basic survival in the New World. They were, for the most part, skilled laborers, who could make things most of us now only dabble in as hobbies.
Some occupational names were self-explanatory such as a blacksmith, locksmith, and gunsmith. Of course there were also occupations with names that are recognizable today - coroner, bookkeeper, barber, cabinet-maker, weaver, baker, brick-layer, accountant, printer and musician.
Other occupations included:
|A|
|B| |C| |D| |E|
|F| |G| |H| |I|
|JK| |L|
ACADEMIC: a scholarly person, of a university, etc. ACADEMICIAN: a member of an academy, especially of the Royal Academy of Arts. ACATER: supplied food provisions, such as a ships chandler
ACCIPITRARY: a falconer or keeper and tamer of hawks
ACCOMPANT: an accountant
ACCOUCHEUR / ACCOUCHEUS: a person, not always a qualified physician, who assisted women in child birth. ACCOUNTANT: a person involved in maintenance and auditing of accounts and financial matters ACCOUTREMENT MAKER / ACCOUTRE: a supplier of military accessories
ACRE-MAN / ACKERMAN: a man who ploughed or cultivated the land
ACTUARY: a statistician who computed insurance risks and premiums
ADMINISTRATOR: an appointee of the court who settles the estate of a deceased who died without leaving a will, or where an executor is unwilling or unable to serve as executor. ADVERTISEMENT CONVEYANCER: a sandwich board man. ADVOCATE DEPUTE: a Scottish law officer who could act as public prosecutor. ADVOWEE: a person who possessed an Advowson, normally a nobleman, who had the right to present a clergyman to a benefice. AERONAUT: a balloonist or a trapeze artist in the circus or music halls. AFFEEROR: an official in the manorial courts who assessed the monetary penalty. They also collected taxes and dues and were also called Assessor. AG LAB: see ARGICULTURAL LABOURER. AGENT: a person who acted on behalf of a company or another person
AGISTER: an official of the Royal Forest. In the New Forest, it is the title for the person in charge of the ponies. AGRICULTURAL LABOURER (Ag. Lab.): An unskilled worker on a farm. AGRICULTURIST: a person involved with land cultivation or animal husbandry
ALABASTERER: one who worked with alabaster ALBLASTERE: a crossbow man. ALCHEMIST: a medieval chemist who claimed to be able to turn base metals into gold ALDERMAN: a senior councillor one position down from Mayor in the local council. ALE CONNER: see ALE FOUNDER. ALE DRAPER: [obsolete] an ale-house keeper ALE FOUNDER: an official who tested quality and measure of ale served in public houses ALE TASTER: an English officer appointed in every court leet, and sworn to inspect ale beer, and bread, and examine the quality and quantity within his precints
ALE TUNNER: a person employed by the brewery to fill ale casks called "tuns" with ale
ALEWIFE a woman who kept an alehouse or tavern
ALL SPICE: grocer ALMANAC MAN: an official appointed by the Court of Sewers who warned the inhabitants of the Trent River area of higher than normal tides ALMONER: an officer who distributed charity or alms; by ancient law every monastery was to disperse a tenth of its income in alms to the poor, and all bishops were obliged to keep an almoner [2] The person in charge of an Almshouse. [3] The title of hospital managers until the 1970's.
ALMSMAN: a person supported by charity or one who lived on alms
ALNAGER: official who examined the quality of woolen goods and stamped them with the town seal of approval
AMANUENSIS: one who is employed to take dictation or to copy manuscript AMBER & JET CUTTER: a person who cut and polished amber and jet for jewellery. AMBER CUTTER: a person who cut ambergris AMBLER: an officer of the Royal Stable who broke in horses. AMEN MAN: a parish clerk. ANCHOR SMITH: one who made anchors
ANCHORESS: a female hermit or religious recluse
ANCHORITE: a person who has retired into seclusion for religious reasons ANGLE IRON SMITH: a person who made angle iron i.e. flat iron bars bent at right angles lengthways. ANILEPMAN: a smallholder (tenant of the manor). ANIMAL & BIRD PRESERVER: a taxidermist. ANKLE BEATER: a young person who helped to drive the cattle to market
ANNATTO MAKER: a person who worked in the manufacture of dyes for paint or printing
ANNUITANT: a person who received an annual income not from working e.g. pensioner. ANTIGROPELOS MAKER: a person who made waterproof leggings
ANVIL SMITH: a person who made anvils and hammers for blacksmiths
APIARIAN: a beekeeper
APOTHECARY: a druggist APPARITOR: an official who summoned witnesses in the ecclesiastical courts. APPRAISER: a person who appraised the value of goods i.e. a broker. APPRENTICE: one who was bound to a skilled worker for a specified time to learn a trade APRONEER: a slang term used in London for a shopkeeper. APRONMAN: [obsolete] a laboring man; a mechanic AQUARIUS (EWAR): a waterman. AQUAVITA SELLER: liquor seller
ARBITER: a witness or judge
ARCHER: a person skilled in using a bow and arrow
ARCHIATOR: a physician ARCHIL MAKER: a person who made a violet dye from lichens, used in the textile industry. ARCHIVIST: one who kept historical records
ARGOLET: a mounted bowman
ARKWRIGHT: a skilled craftsman who produced "arks" (wooden chests or coffers)
ARMIGER: one entitled to bear arms, such as knight or esquire
ARMOURER: one who made suits of armour or plates of armour for buildings or ships
ARPENTEUR: a land-surveyor
ARTIFICER: a blacksmith; one who made fuses, grenades, shells, etc.; [2] A contriver (q.v.); [3] An army or navy mechanic who does repairs to military equipment.
ARTISAN: a skilled tradesman ARTIST IN FIREWORKS: a person who prepared fireworks displays. ASHMAN: a dustman
ASSAY MASTER: a person who determined the amount of gold or silver to go in coins
ASSAYER: one who examined characteristics (weight, measure or quality) to determine a value
AUGER MAKER: one who made the carpenters augers for boring holes in wood
AULNAGER: See Alnager
AURIFABER / AURIFEX: a goldsmith
AVENATOR (PLANTIFENE): a hay and forage merchant
AVOWRY: term for the lord of the manor
AXLE TREE MAKER / AXLE TREE TURNER: one who made axles for coaches and waggons
BACKSTER: [obsolete] originally, a female baker; later, a baker of either sex
BACKWASHER: a person employed to clean the wool in the worsted manufacturing industry.
BACK'US BOY: kitchen servant
BADGER: a licensed pauper who wore a badge with the letter "P" on it and could only work in a defined area; a corn miller or dealer; an itinerant food trader; [2] A corn miller or dealer; [3] An itinerant food trader.
BADGY FIDDLER: a boy trumpeter in the military
BAGMAN: a travelling salesman; one who showed samples and solicits order for a manufacturer
BAGNIOKEEPER: a person in charge of a bath house or brothel BAILIE: see BAILIFF. BAILIFF: [1] a court attendant entrusted with duties such as the maintenance of order in a courtroom during a trial; [2] an official who assisted a British sheriff and who had the power to execute writs, processes, and arrests; [3] (chiefly British) an overseer of an estate; a steward BAILLEE: see BAILIFF. BAILLIE: see BAILIFF. BALISTER: [obsolete] a cross-bowman
BAIRMAN / BAREMAN: pauper, beggar
BALANCER: a person employed in the coal mines to operate the "balance" which is a slope with a pulley at the top where empty coal tubs pulled full tubs up the slope BAL MAIDEN: a female mine worker who worked on the surface (aka Pit Brow Lass). BALANCER: a person employed in the coal mines to operate the "balance" which is a slope with a pulley at the top where empty coal tubs pulled full tubs up the slope. BALER: one who bales of hay BALISTER: an archer most commonly a crossbow-man. BALLAD MONGER: one who sold printed ballads on the street BALLARD MASTER: the person in charge of loading the ballast into the hold of empty ships. BALLAST HEAVER: a person who loaded ballast into the hold of empty ships BALLER: a person who assisted the potter by measuring out the balls of clay. BALLER UP: see BALLER. BAND FILER: a metal worker in the gun making industry
BANDSTER: [obsolete] one who bound sheaves after reapers during a harvest
BANG BEGGAR: [slang] a constable who carried a strong staff
BANKER: a person who dug trenches and ditches to allow drainage of the land, placing the surplus earth in banks around the edge
BANKSMAN: a person employed in the mining industry being in charge of the cages at the pit head. Sometimes known as a: BANK MANAGER or BROWMAN.
BANQUETER: a broker or banker BARBER: a man who cuts men's hair and shaves beards, a men's hairdresser. See also BARBER SURGEON. BARBER-CHIRURGEON - a person who practiced surgery and was a barber; in the 18th century an Act was passed that limited Barbers to hair-cutting, shaving, dentistry and blood letting
BARD: a poet or minstral BAREMAN: a beggar or pauper. BARGE MATE: a Naval officer. BARGEE: See BARGEMAN. BARGEMAN: one who worked on or owned and operated a barge BARILLA MANUFACTURER: a person who made barilla, a substance obtained from burning saltworts, the resulting mixture of sodium salts being used in the glass and ceramics industry. BARKEEPER: a tollkeeper BARKER: See BARKMAN. BARKMAN: A person who tanned leather using the bark of trees, later the term was also used for a person employed to attract attention at fairgrounds by shouting details of the attraction. BARLEYMAN: See BYLAWMAN. BARMASTER: the arbiter of disputes in the lead mining industry. They were also in charge of the standard measure for the ore. BARM BREWER: a person who made yeast
BARREL FILER: a person employed in the gun manufacturing industry BARROWMAN: a person employed in the coal mines to push the barrow from the pit face to the shaft. BARTONER / BARTON: a person in charge of the monastic farm, also known as a barton
BASIL WORKER: a person who worked with sheep and goat skins
BASKETMAN: person who made baskets and furniture from wicker; one employed to empty the basket of coal being offloaded from the colliers into the barges BASS or BAST DRESSER: a person employed in dressing fibre or matting. BATHING MACHINE PROPRIETOR: one who owned and hired the changing huts used at the seaside in the 18th and 19th centuries by bathers
BATMAN: an officer's servant in the army BATT MAKER: a person who made the wadding used in quilt and mattress making. BATTLEDORE MAKER: a person who made the beaters used on clothes, carpets, etc. to remove the dust
BAWD: a procurer or procuress for a house of prostitution
BAXTER: [obsolete] a baker
BAYWEAVER: one who wove bay, a fine woollen fabric also known as baize BEAD PIERCER: a person employed to drill the holes in beads. BEADLE: a town crier or warrant officer; a lowly parish officer appointed to keep order in church, punish petty offenders, and act as a servant or messenger of the parish
BEAMSTER: the man who worked at the beam in a tannery BEADMAN: See BEDESMAN. BEADSMAN: See BEDESMAN. BEAMER: a person employed in the textile trade to wind the warp on the roller before putting it on the loom. BEARER: a person who worked underground carrying the coal to the bottom of the pit shaft and placed it in the containers for uplifting to the surface. BEATER: a person who cleansed and thickened the cloth by treading it underwater with fullers earth, aka Fuller. BEAVER: one who made felt used in hat making BEDEL(L): See BEADLE. BEDESMAN: [1] a person employed to pray for his employer. [2] the inhabitant of an almshouse / poorhouse / hospital. [3] a tenant employed by the manor for a specific service. BEDMAN: a sexton
BEDDER: [1] an upholsterer; [2] one who took care of the breeding or birthing of cattle; [3] a bed-maker BEDRAL: in Scotland, a minor church official. BEDWEVERE: a person who made the webbing for bed frames, also a person who wove quilts. BEEKEEPER: a person who kept bees for their honey. BEEMASTER: See BEEKEEPER. BEESKEP MAKER: a person who made beehives. BEETLER: a person who operated a beetling machine, used in the textile trade for embossing fabric. BELHOSTE: a tavern keeper. BELLEYETERE: a BELLFOUNDER BELLFOUNDER: one who made bells
BELL HANGER: the person who installed bells in churches
BELLMAN: a town crier employed to make public announcements in the streets
BELL RINGER: one in charge of ringing the town's church bells
BELLOWFARMER: person responsible for the care and maintenance of the church organ
BELLOWS MAKER: a person who made bellows used for organs or blacksmiths' fires
BELLY BUILDER: a person who built and fitted the interiors of pianos BELTER: See BELLFOUNDER. BENDER: a person who cut leather
BERNER: [obsolete] a man in charge of a pack of hounds
BESOM MAKER: [obsolete] one who made brooms BESSWARDEN: a person appointed by the parish to look after its animals. BIBLIOTHECARY: a librarian
BIDDY: female servant usually of Irish stock
BID-STAND: [obsolete] one who bade travelers to "stand and deliver"; a highwayman or robber
BILL POSTER: a person who put up notices, signs and advertisements BILLIARD-MARKER: a person who attends on players at billiards and records the progress of the game. BILLIER: See BILLYMAN. BILLITER: See BELLFOUNDER. BILLYMAN: a person who operated a Billy Roller, a machine used in the cotton industry to prepare the cotton for spinning. BINDER: one who bound items such as books
BIRD BOY: a person employed to scare away birds from crops
BIRD CATCHER; a person who caught birds for selling
BIRDS NEST SELLER: a person who sold birds nest collected from the wild complete with eggs; these were then hatched by domestic birds and sold as pets BIRLYMAN: in Scotland, a ground officer or parish arbiter. BLACKING MAKER: a person who made polish for shoes
BLACK BORDERER: a person who made black edged stationery for funerals BLACK TRAY MAKER: a person who made Japanned trays. BLADESMITH: swordmaker or knife maker BLAXTER: See BLEACHER. BLEACHER: a person who bleached cloth or paper pulp. BLEMMERE: a plumber BLENTONIST: a water diviner BLINDSMAN: a person employed by the Post Office to deal with incorrectly addressed letters and parcels. BLOCKER: [1] A person who made wooden blocks used in the hat trade. [2] A person who laid down the blocks on which a ships keel was laid. BLOCKCUTTER / BLOCKER: a person who made wooden blocks used in the hat trade; a person who laid down the blocks on which a ships keel was laid
BLOCK MAKER: a person who engraved the blocks used in the printing trade
BLOCK PRINTER: a printer who used wooden blocks for printing
BLOODLETTER / BLOODMAN: the person who used leeches for letting blood, thought to be a cure for many ailments
BLOOMER: a person who produced iron from ore
BLOWER: [1] a glass blower; [2] a person who operated a "blowing machine" used to clean and separate fibres in the textile trade; [3] a person who operated the bellows at a blacksmiths BLOWFEEDER: a person who fed the fibres into a "blowing machine". BLUE DYER or MAKER: a person who worked with blue dye used by calico printers and laundries to stop the white materials from discolouring. BLUESTOCKING female writer
BLUFFER: a landlord
BOARDING OFFICER: one who inspected ships before entering port BOARDMAN: [1] A truant officer who checked school attendance. [2] A tenant of manorial land who paid rent by maintaining the manor's table. BOARDWRIGHT: a carpenter
BOATMAN: a person who worked on a boat, predominately on rivers and canals; boat repairer
BOATSWAIN: an officer in charge of the sails and rigging
BOBBER: [1] a person who polished metals; [2] person who helped to unload fishing boats BOBBIN CARRIER: a person who worked in spinning and weaving sections of the mills. BOBBIN TURNER: a person who made the bobbins used in the spinning and weaving industry. BOBBY: a nickname for a policeman, usually of constable rank. BOCHER: [obsolete] butcher
BODEYS MAKER / BODY MAKER: a person who made bodices for womens garments
BODGER: a craftsman who made wooden chair legs and the spars
BOILERMAKER: one who worked with metal in any industrial setting
BOILER PLATER: a person who made rolled iron plate used to make boilers for steam engines BOLL: a person who looked after power looms in the weaving industry. BOLTER: a person who sifted meal
BONDAGER: a female worker on a farm who was bonded
BONDMAN: a person bonded to a master for the purpose of learning a skill or trade BONDSMAN: a person who stood bond or surety for another where a bond was required by law. BONE BUTTON TURNER: a person who made buttons using a lathe
BONE LACE MAKER: one who made pillow lace BONE MOULD TURNER: a person who made the moulds for button manufacturers. BONE PICKER: See Rag Picker
BONESETTER: a person who set broken bones
BONIFACE: an innkeeper
BOOK GUILDER: one who decorated books with gold leaf BOOK KEEPER: a person who looked after the accounts for businesses. BOOKHOLDER: the prompter in the theatre. BOOKMAN: a student. BOONMASTER: a surveyor of roads with the responsibilities of maintaining and repairing the road
BOOT-CATCHER: the person at an inn whose business was to pull off boots
BOOTBINDER: one employed to operate the machines which bound footware
BOOT CLOSER: an employee who worked in the shoe trade stitching together all the parts of a shoe upper
BOOTHMAN: a corn merchant
BORLERA/BORLER: a person who made cheap coarse clothing BORSHOLDER: a regional name (Kent) for a constable. BOTCHER: a cobbler; a tailor; an unskilled laborer
BOTTILER / BOTTLER: a person who made leather containers for holding liquids such as wine flasks or water bottles
BOTTLE BOY: a pharmacist's assistant BOTTOM KNOCKER: a sagger makers assistant in the pottery industry. BOTTOM MAKER: a person who moulded the bottoms for saggers in the pottery industry. BOTTOMER: a person who worked down the pits moving the ore etc to the bottom of the shaft for removal. BOWDLER: a person who worked with iron ore. BOWER: see BOWYER. BOWKER: a person who bleached yarn. A local term in some parts of Lancashire for a butcher. BOWLER: [1] a person who made bowls and dishes; [2] one who made the rounded part of spoons before casting
BOWLMAN: a dealer in crockery BOWLMINDER: a person in charge of the vats used for washing raw wool before processing. BOWYER: [archaic] a person in the bow trader; an archer BOZZLER: a parish constable. BRABENER: a weaver
BRACHYGRAPHER: a person who wrote short hand BRAIDER: a person who made cord by twisting threads or strips of leather. BRAILLER: a person who made girdles. BRAKEMAN / BRAKESMAN: a person who operated the winch at the pit head; a person who operated the braking mechanism on trains and trams
BRASIATOR: a brewer of ale BRASILER: a dyer. BRASS CUTTER: a person who made copperplate engravings
BRASS FINISHER: one who polished brass goods
BRASS FOUNDER: one who cast brass
BRAYER: a person who ground things up in a mortar
BRAZIER: one who works in brass
BREACH MAKER: a person who made the breach for guns BREAKMAN: a bricklayer. BREWSTER: a female brewer
BRICKBURNER / BRICKMAKER: a person who used a kiln to make bricks
BRICKMAN / BREAKMAN: a bricklayer
BRIDEWELL KEEPER: the person in charge of a lock-up or jail
BRIDGEMAN: a toll keeper at bridges BRIDGER: a toll keeper at bridges. BRIGHTSMITH: tinsmith
BROADCLOTH WEAVER: a person who operated a wide loom
BROAD COOPER: a person employed as a go-between for the brewery and the innkeepers BRODERER: an embroiderer. BROGGER: a wool merchant BROIDERER: an embroiderer. BROOM DASHER: a dealer in brooms
BROOM SQUIRE: one who made brooms from birch BROTHERER: an embroiderer. BROUGE MAKER: a shoemaker. BROW GIRL: a female employed at the pit head. BROWDERER / BROIDERER: an embroiderer
BROWNSMITH: a person who worked with copper or brass
BUCK WASHER: a laundress
BUCKLER / BUCKLESMITH: a person who made buckles
BUCKLE TONGUE MAKER: a person who made the metal points that go in the holes of a belt BUCKRAM MAKER: a person who worked with buckram (used in stiffening materials) e.g. belts, lapels and collars. BUDDLEBOY: a person employed to use and maintain the vats used in the lead and tin mines for washing the ore. BUFFALO SOLDIER: a soldier serving in a black regiment in the US Army in the West. BULLWHACKER: a bullock or oxen driver
BUMBOAT MAN: one who met ships at anchor, with goods for passengers and crew to purchase BUMMAREE: a person who acted as middle man between the wholesaler and the retailer at the fish markets. They would purchase the fish for reselling to the retailer. BUMMER: an army deserter. BUNTER: a rag and bone woman BURELER: a person who made borel, a woollen cloth with a coarse feel. BURGESS: a person who represented a borough at official levels. BURGOMASTER: a Mayor of Dutch or Flemish town. BURLER: one who dresses or readies cloth for sale by removing flaws, knots, or imperfections BURLER MENDER: a skilled finisher of woven fabrics. BURLEYMAN: See BYLAWMAN. BURMAIDEN: [also BOWERMAIDEN] - a chambermaid or lady in waiting BURNEMAN: a carrier of barm or water for brewers. BURYEMAN: a grave digger BUSHEL MAKER: a cooper. BUSHELER: a tailor's assistant
BUSKER: [obsolete] a hair dresser
BUSS MAKER: a maker of guns
BUTNER: button maker BUTTER CARVER: a person who made imprints in butter pats. BUTTON BURNISHER: a person who polished buttons. BUTTY: the person who negotiated mining contracts and supplied the labour. BYLAWMAN: an official of the manorial courts who enforced the courts orders.
CABBIE: driver of a small horse drawn passenger vehicle
CAD: a person employed to feed and water horses at coach stops
CADDY BUTCHER: horse meat butcher
CADGER: a beggar
CAINER: a person who made walking sticks
CALCINER: a person who burnt bones to make powdered lime
CALENDER: a person who listed documents
CALKER: an astrologer or magician
CAMBIST: a banker or one who dealt in notes and bills
CAMBRIC MAKER: a person who made a fine linen or cotton fabric called cambric
CAMERIST: a lady's maid
CANDLE MAKER / CANDLER: one who made and sold candles
CANDY MAN: [1] an itinerant candy salesman; [2] {England} a bailiff or process server
CANER: a person who made the seats for chairs out of woven cane
CANTER: a beggar or vagrant
CANTING CALLER: an auctioneer
CANVASER: a person who made canvas
CAPE MERCHANT: the head merchant in a factory
CAPER: a cap maker
CAPTAIN: [1] a person in charge of a ship or a group of soldiers; [2] an overseer
CARDER: one who carded wool
CARDMAKER: [1] A person who made the handheld implement used for carding wool and cotton; [2] the maker of playing cards
CARNIFEX: [obsolete] an executioner or butcher
CARTER: a wagoner, stable headman, or charioteer
CARTOGRAPHER: a map maker
CARTOMANCER: a fortune teller who used cards
CART WHEELER: one who made cart wheels
CARTWRIGHT: one who made carts or wagons
CASTER / CASTOR: maker of small bottles used for sprinkling salt, pepper, sugar, etc.
CASTRATOR: [also GELDER] one who castrated farm animals
CATTLE JOBBER: a person who bought and sold cattle
CAULKER: a person who made boats watertight by caulking the seams
CELLARMAN: one who looked after the beer, wines and spirits in public houses or the warehouse
CHAFFERER: a dealer in chaff
CHAISE MAKER: wicker cart maker
CHALONER: blanket maker
CHAMBERLAIN: a steward to either royalty or nobility, in charge of the household
CHAMBERMAID: a female servant who attended to the bedrooms in a house or inn
CHAMBERMASTER: a shoemaker who worked in his own home
CHANDLER: originally, one who made or sold candles; a retail dealer in provisions, groceries, etc.
CHANTY MAN: the sailor who led the singing on board ship
CHAPELER: a person who made and sold hats
CHAPMAN: an itinerant peddler or one who kept a booth in a marketplace
CHARCOAL BURNER: a person who made charcoal usually in the woods where the trees were cut
CHARWOMAN: a cleaning woman hired by the day
CHASER: engraver
CHEESEMAN / CHEESE MONGER: cheese dealer
CHRONOLOGIST: one who recorded official events of historical importance
CLICKER: a merchant's servant who would stand at the door and invite customers into the store; a foreman in a shoemaker's shop
CLOD-HOPPER: a ploughman or agriculture laborer
CLOGGER: one who made wooden shoes for sale
CLOTHIER / CLOTHESMAN: a person who made or sold clothes
CLOWER: a person who made nails
COACHMAN: a person who drove any coach
COAL HEAVER: one who unloaded coal from ships
COALMAN: a person who sold coal usually from a horse and cart, house to house
COALY: a coal heaver
COBBLER: a shoemaker
COCKFEEDER: a person who looked after fighting cocks
CODMAN: a fish seller
COGMEN: men who bought and sold a coarse cloth called cogware
COILLOR: [obsolete] a collector
COISTSELL: a groom in charge of the care of a knight's horse
COLLAR MAKER: a person who made collars
COLLIER: a coal miner or coal merchant
COLPORTEUR: an itinerant book salesman, most often one employed by a society to travel about and sell or distribute Bibles and religious writings
CONEY CATCHER: a rabbit catcher
CONFECTIONERY: a maker of sweets; sometimes, one who made medicines or poisons
CONNOR: one who tested, examined, or inspected
COOPER: one who made or repaired wooden casks, kegs or tubs
COPEMAN - [1] a dishonest merchant, especially in horses; [2] a receiver of stolen goods
COPER: a horse dealer
COPPERSMITH: one who worked with copper
CORDER: a colonial official whose duty was to verify cords of wood before sale
CORDWAINER: a shoemaker or worker of leather
CORK CUTTER: one who worked with cork
CORN CUTTER: a podiatrist
COSTERMONGER: originally, a seller of apples; a fruiterer, especially in the open street
COTELER / COTYLER: one who made and repaired knives
COUPER: one who bartered, dealt, or bought and sold
COURANTEER: a journalist, reporter, or newspaper publisher
COURTIER: the owner and driver of a horse and cart known as a court
COWHERD: a cow keeper; one who tended cows
COWPER: one who made wooden items
CRACKER BOY - a boy employed to clean and sort slate and other impurities from the coal crushed by the crackers (machines that crush anthracite coal)
CRAFTIMAN: a craftsman
CRAMER: a peddlar who sold books in the marketplace; a hawker
CRATE MAN: a person who sold eathenware door to door
CRIMPET MAKER: a person who baked crumpets
CROCKER: one who made crockery; potter
CROFTER: a tenant who worked a small piece of ground, having another vocation, such as fishing
CROOKMAKER: a person who made shepherd's crooks and walking sticks
CROPPER: a tenant who worked a piece of ground and got a portion of the crop in payment
CROWNER: a coroner
CURER: one who cured tobacco
CURRIER: a craftsman who treated animal skins with oil or grease
CUTLER: one who made, dealt, and sharpened knives, scissors, and other cutting instruments
DAIRYMAN: a man who rented, owned, or managed a dairy and made his living by selling dairy products
DAMSTER: in logging operations, one who supervised the building of a dam
DAY LABORER: a man who worked on a hire-by-the-day basis
DECOYMAN: a person employed to decoy the wild fowl, animals, etc. into a trap or within shooting range
DELVER: ditch digger
DIKER: one who built dikes or dug ditches or trenches
DISHER / DISH THROWER: a person who made bowls and dishes
DISH TURNER: one who made wooden bowls or dishes
DOCK MASTER: a person in charge of a dockyard
DOG BREAKER: dog trainer
DOG LEECH: a veterinarian
DOMESMAN: a judge
DOOR-KEEPER: a janitor, porter, or guard
DOWSER: a person who claimed to be able to find water using a forked stick or dowsing stick
DRAINER: a person who made drains
DRAPER: originally, a maker of woolen cloth, later a dealer in cloths of all kinds
DRAWER: one who drew and served liquor for tavern customers
DRAYMAN: one who drove a cart carrying heavy loads, often used in connection with a brewery
DRESSER: [1] one who dressed another (a tirewoman); [2] surgeon's assistant in a hospital
DRESSMAKER: clothing maker
DRIVER: the overseer of a group of slaves
DROVER: a driver of sheep and cattle
DRYSALTER - one who dealt in salted or dried meats, pickles, sauces, chemical, and dyes
DUFFER: a peddler or hawker who sold cheap or trashy goods
DUSTMAN: a janitor or garbageman
DYER: one who dyed material
EGGLER: an egg or poultry dealer
ELYMAKER: oilmaker
EMBOSSER: a person who moulded or carved designs that were raised above the surface of the material
EMPRESARIO: a man who performed a specific deed, such a importing a certain number of settlers, in return for land grants and power; land broker, settlement scheme promoter, showman
EMPTOR: a buyer
ENGRAVER / ETCHER: one who cut or carved designs or lettering in metal or stone
ENUMERATOR: census taker
EREMITE: hermit
ESSENCE PEDDLER: one who sold medicines, flavorings, elixirs, etc.
EXCISEMAN: a government official who collected excises (taxes)
EYER: a person who made eyes in needles used for sewing; also called a Holer
FACTOR: a commissioned agent; one who sold goods for another in his own name and received a commission
FAGETTER: a person who made up faggots into bundles; seller of firewood
FANNER: one who winnowed (separated the chaff from the grain by means of air movement) grain with a fan
FARRIER: a blacksmith or horse-shoer
FASHIONER: one who fashioned or formed anything, especially clothing
FEATHER-BEATER: one who cleaned feathers
FEATHER-DRESSER: a person who cleaned and prepared feathers for sale
FEATHERMAN: a dealer in feathers and plumes
FELLER: a woodcutter
FELLMONGER: one who removed hair or wool from hides in preparation for leather making; a dealer in animal skins and hides, especially sheepskin
FELTER: a worker in the hatting industry
FENCE VIEWER: a person legally appointed to inspect and report on the condition of fences.
FERRER: a smith who worked in iron
FISH FAG: a woman who sold fish
FLAX DRESSER: one who prepared flax prior to spinning
FLESHER: [1] a butcher; [2] one who worked in a tannery
FLESHMONGER: one who dealt in flesh; a pimp
FLETCHER: a maker of and dealer in bows and arrows
FLOATER: a vagrant
FLUSHERMAN: a person who cleaned out water mains
FLYING STATIONER: a street broadsheet seller
FOGGER: [1] a peddlar who carried small wares from village to village; [2] a low-class lawyer; [3] a middleman in the nail and chain trade; [4] an agricultural laborer who fed cattle
FOOT-BOY: a servant or attendent in livery
FOOT-MAIDEN: a female attendant
FOOTMAN: a servant who would run errands among his other duties
FORGER: blacksmith
FORESTALLER: one who bought goods before they come to market with the intention of raising the price
FOSSETMAKER: a person who made faucets for ale-casks
FRAME SPINNER: a worker on a loom
FRINGEMAKER: one who made fringes or ornamental borders of cloth
FRIPPERER: one who bought and sold old clothes
FRISEUR: a hair dresser
FRUITERER: a person who bought and sold fruit
FRUITESTERE: a female fruit seller
FULKER: a pawnbroker or money lender
FULLER: a person who fulled cloth by increasing the weight and bulk of fabric by shrinking, beating, or pressing it
FURBISHER: a person who polished armor
FURNER: a baker; one in charge of the ovens
FURRIER: one who bought, sold, and/or made furs
FUSTIAN WEAVER: a maker of corduroy
GAFFER: a headman or foreman of a work gang
GANGREL: a vagrant or roving beggar
GANNEKER: an alehouse keeper
GAOLER: [obsolete] a jailer
GARCION: a servingman or groom, usually a young man or boy
GATER: a watchman
GATWARD: a goat keeper
GAUNTER: a glover
GELDER: castrator of animals, especially horses
GILDER: one whose occupation was to overlay an item with gold leaf
GINOUR: an engineer
GIRDLER: one who made girdles
GLAZIER: a glass cutter; a person who glazed pottery, paper, etc.
GOLDSMITH: a banker; one who dealt in articles made of gold; a craftsman who makes vessels and ornaments of gold
GOOSE HERD: one who herded geese
GOOSE HERDER: an itinerant tailor
GRACE WIFE: a midwife
GRAFFER: a notary or scrivener
GRAINER: one who produced artifical grain in wood
GRANGER: a farmer, bailiff, or steward of a farm
GRAVER: one who carved or engraved letters or figures in stone
GRAZIER: one who pastured and raised cattle for market
GREEN GROCER: a retailer of greens
GREENSMITH: worker in copper or latten
GRINDER: one who operated a grinding machine in any of several trades
GUMMER: a person who improved old saws by deepening the cuts
HABERDASHER: a person who sold men's furnishings such as hats, shirts, neckties, handkerchiefs, gloves, etc.
HACKNER: one who made or used hoes, mattocks, etc.
HACKNEY MAN: one who rented horses and carriages
HAIRWEAVER: weaver of cloth composed wholly or partly of horsehair
HAND WOMAN: a midwife; a female attendant
HARLOT: [1] loose woman; [2] vagabond, beggar, rogue; [3] male servant, attendant or menial
HARPER: a performer on the harp
HATCHELER: one who cleaned or dressed flax
HAWKER: an itinerant peddler or huckster
HAYMONGER: a dealer in hay
HAYWARD: an officer formerly charged with the repair of cattle fences and the retention of cattle in the town common.
HEDGER: one who planted or trimmed hedges
HEELMAKER: one who made shoe heels
HENCHMAN: a horseman or groom
HEWER: a miner who cut coal, stone; a face worker in a mine
HIGGER: a person who peddled merchandise
HIGHWAYMAN: a robber who worked the public roads
HIND a farm laborer, household or domestic servant
HOBBLER: [1] a soldier on horseback; [2] one who towed a boat with a rope along a river bank
HOD: a bricklayer's laborer
HODMAN: a mason's helper
HOGGARD: a pig drover
HOOPER: a cooper; one who put the hoops on casks or tubs
HORNER: a worker in horn making spoons, combs, or musical horns
HORSE-CAPPER: a dealer in worthless horses
HORSE COPER: a horse dealer or breeder
HORSE COURSER: a man who keeps race horses
HORSE LEECH: veterinarian
HOSIER: a retailer of stockings, socks, gloves, nightcaps, etc.
HOSTLER: [1] a stableman or groom; [2] one who serviced railroad engines
HOSTELER: one who received and lodged guests
HOUSE JOINER: one who built house frames
HOUSEWRIGHT: a carpenter or house builder
HOYMAN: a person who engaged in the carriage of goods and passengers by water
HUCKSTER: a peddler or salesman
ICEMAN: an ice dealer; one who delivered ice to customers
INFIRMARIAN: a person in charge of an infirmary
INNHOLDER: an innkeeper
INTELLIGENCER: a spy
INTENDANT: a director of a public or government business
INTERFACTOR: a murderer
IRONMASTER: the owner or manager of an iron foundry
IRONMONGER: a dealer in iron and hardware
IRON SMITH: blacksmith; worker in iron
IVORY WORKER: one who made such things as piano keys, combs, billard balls, and buttons
JACK: a young male assistant, sailor, or lumberjack
JACKSMITH: a maker of lifting machinery
JAGGER: a carrier, carter, peddler or hawker; in mining, a man who carried ore on a pack-horse from a mine to the smelter; a boy who had charge of the jags or train or trucks in a coal mine
JAKES-FARMER: one who emptied cesspools
JOBBER: [1] a person who bought in quantity and sold to individual dealers; [2] one who worked by the job or did piecework; [3] a person who worked in an official capacity and was dishonest, using the office for his own gain
JOBMASTER: Supplied carriages, horses and drivers for hire
JOINER / JOYNER: a carpenter who did interior finish work by joining pieces of wood
JONGLEUR: an itinerant minstrel
JOURNEYMAN: one who served an apprenticeship and was no longer bound to serve a master
JOUSTER: hawker or peddler of fish
KEDGER: a fisherman, or one who peddled fish
KEELMAN: a bargeman
KEMPSTER: a wool comber
KIDDIER: [1] skinner; [2] dealer in young goats
KNACKER: [1] one who made har |
