Old Occupations and Their Meanings
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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 Burgomaster – Mayor 
Caulker - One who filled up cracks (in ships or windows) or seams to make them watertight by using tar or oakum-hem fibre produced by taking old ropes apart Chaise maker - Carriage maker Chandler - Dealer or trader; one who makes or sells candles; retailer of groceries, ship supplier Chiffonier - 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 and 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 currycomb; one who tanned leather by incorporating oil or grease Docker - Stevedore, dockworker 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 with fixed sides for carrying heavy loads Dresser - A surgeon's assistant in 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 Fellmonger - 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 woollen cloth by moistening, heating and pressing; one who cleans and finishes cloth Gaoler - A keeper of the gaol, 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 labourer 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
Keller – 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 - Inn keeper 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
Quarrier - 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 Schumaker – Shoemaker Scribler - A minor or worthless author Scrivener - Professional or public copyist or 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
Victualler - A tavern keeper, or one who provides an army, navy or ship with food 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 - Bleacher of cloth Wright - Workman, especially a construction worker Yeoman - Farmer who owns his own land
E-mail me if you would like a family occupation and its meaning added to this list.
 
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