OCCUPATIONS OF OUR ANCESTORS
| Accomptant |
Accountant |
| Almoner |
Giver of charity to the needy |
| Amanuensis |
Secretary or stenographer |
| Artificer |
A soldier mechanic who does repairs |
| Bailie |
Bailiff |
| Baxter |
Baker |
| Bluestocking |
Female writer |
| Boniface |
Keeper of an inn |
| Brazier |
One who works with brass |
| Brewster |
Beer manufacturer |
| Brightsmith |
Metal Worker |
| Burgonmaster |
Mayor |
| Caulker |
One who filled up cracks (in ships or windows) or seams to make them watertight by using tar or oakum-hemp fiber produced by taking old ropes apart |
| Chaisemaker |
Carriage maker |
| Chandler |
Dealer or trader; one who makes or sells candles; retailer of groceries |
| Chiffonnier |
Wig maker |
| Clark |
Clerk |
| Clerk |
Clergyman, cleric |
| Clicker |
The servant of a salesman who stood at the door to invite customers; one who received the matter in the
galley from the compositors and arranged it in due form ready for printing; one who makes eyelet holes in boots
using a machine which clicked. |
| Cohen |
Priest |
| Collier |
Coal miner |
| Colporteur |
Peddler of books |
| Cooper |
One who makes or repairs vessels made of staves & hoops,
such as casks, barrels, tubs, etc. |
| Cordwainer |
Shoemaker, originally any leather worker using leather from Cordova/Cordoba in Spain |
| Costermonger |
Peddler of fruits and vegetables |
| Crocker |
Potter |
| Crowner |
Coroner |
| Currier |
One who dresses the coat of a horse with a curry comb; one who tanned leather
by incorporating oil or grease |
| Docker |
Stevedore, dock worker who loads and unloads cargo |
| Dowser |
One who finds water using a rod or witching stick |
| Draper |
A dealer in dry goods |
| Drayman |
One who drives a long strong cart without fixed sides for
carrying heavy loads |
| Dresser |
A surgeon's assistant in a hospital |
| Drover |
One who drives cattle, sheep, etc. to market; a dealer in cattle |
| Duffer |
Peddler |
| Factor |
Agent, commission merchant;one who acts or transacts business for another;
Scottish steward or bailiff of an estate |
| Farrier |
A blacksmith, one who shoes horses |
| Faulkner |
Falconer |
| Fell monger |
One who removes hair or wool from hides in preparation for leather making |
| Fletcher |
One who made bows and arrows |
| Fuller |
One who fulls cloth; one who shrinks and thickens woolen
cloth by moistening, heating, and pressing; one who cleans
and finishes cloth |
| Gaoler |
A keeper of the goal, a jailer |
| Glazier |
Window glassman |
| Hacker |
Maker of hoes |
| Hatcheler |
One who combed out or carded flax |
| Haymonger |
Dealer in hay |
| Hayward |
Keeper of fences |
| Higgler |
Itinerant peddler |
| Hillier |
Roof tiler |
| Hind |
A farm laborer |
| Holster |
A groom who took care of horses, often at an inn |
| Hooker |
Reaper |
| Hooper |
One who made hoops for casks and barrels |
| Huckster |
Sells small wares |
| Husbandman |
A farmer who cultivated the land |
| Jagger |
Fish peddler |
| Journeyman |
One who had served his apprenticeship and mastered his
craft, not bound to serve a master, but hired by the day |
| Joyner / Joiner |
A skilled carpenter |
| Keeler |
Bargeman |
| Kempster |
Wool comber |
| Lardner |
Keeper of the cupboard |
| Lavender |
Washer woman |
| Lederer |
Leather maker |
| Leech |
Physician |
| Longshoreman |
Stevedore |
| Lormer |
Maker of horse gear |
| Malender |
Farmer |
| Maltster |
Brewer |
| Manciple |
A steward |
| Mason |
Bricklayer |
| Mintmaster |
One who issued local currency |
| Monger |
Seller of goods (ale, fish) |
| Muleskinner |
Teamster |
| Neatherder |
Herds cows |
| Ordinary Keeper |
Innkeeper with fixed prices |
| Pattern Maker |
A maker of a clog shod with an iron ring. A clog
was a wooden pole with a pattern cut into the end |
| Peregrinator |
Itinerant wanderer |
| Peruker |
A wig maker |
| Pettifogger |
A shyster lawyer |
| Pigman |
Crockery dealer |
| Plumber |
One who applied sheet lead for roofing and set lead
frames for plain or stained glass windows. |
| Porter |
Door keeper |
| Puddler |
Wrought iron worker |
| Quarrie |
Quarry worker |
| Rigger |
Hoist tackle worker |
| Ripper |
Seller of fish |
| Roper |
Maker of rope or nets |
| Saddler |
One who makes, repairs or sells saddles or other furnishings for horses |
| Sawbones |
Physician |
| Sawyer |
One who saws; carpenter |
| Schumacker |
Shoemaker |
| Scribler |
A minor or worthless author |
| Scrivener |
Professional or public copyist or writer; notary public |
| Scrutiner |
Election judge |
| Shrieve |
Sheriff |
| Slater |
Roofer |
| Slopseller |
Seller of ready-made clothes in a slop shop |
| Snobscat / Snob |
One who repaired shoes |
| Sorter |
Tailor |
| Spinster |
A woman who spins or an unmarried woman |
| Spurrer |
Maker of spurs |
| Squire |
Country gentleman; farm owner; justice of peace |
| Stuff gownsman |
Junior barrister |
| Supercargo |
Officer on merchant ship who is in charge of cargo and the
commercial concerns of the ship |
| Tanner |
One who tans (cures) animal hides into leather |
| Tapley |
One who puts the tap in an ale cask |
| Tasker |
Reaper |
| Teamster |
One who drives a team for hauling |
| Thatcher |
Roofer |
| Tide waiter |
Customs inspector |
| Tinker |
An itinerant tin pot and pan seller and repairman |
| Tipstaff |
Policeman |
| Travers |
Toll bridge collection |
| Tucker |
Cleaner of cloth goods |
| Turner |
A person who turns wood on a lathe into spindles |
| Victualer |
A tavern keeper, or one who provides an army, navy, or ship with food supplies |
| Vulcan |
Blacksmith |
| Wagoner |
Teamster not for hire |
| Wainwright |
Wagon maker |
| Waiter |
Customs officer or tide waiter; one who waited on the tide
to collect duty on goods brought in |
| Waterman |
Boatman who plies for hire |
| Webster |
Operator of looms |
| Wharfinger |
Owner of a wharf |
| Wheelwright |
One who made or repaired wheels; wheeled carriages, etc. |
| Whitesmith |
Tinsmith; worker of iron who finishes or polishes the work |
| Whitewing |
Street sweeper |
| Whitster |
Bleach of cloth |
| Wright |
Workman, especially a construction worker |
| Yeoman |
Farmer who owns his own land |
