Do you know what type of work individuals in the following occupations preformed???
Do you know what people that herded cows, or performed the duties of customs inspector or street sweeper were called????
If not, investigate what occupations of yesterday were called in the listing below.
This List will help you in determining what the meaning of various occupations were that appeared in older (especially pre-1900) records.
The majority of the occupations were compiled by Daniel H. Burrows for the Orange County, New York, Genealogical Society, and is included here with his permission. Other items noted by "*" were submitted by Fred Smoot.
| OCCUPATION | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| Accomptant | Accountant |
| * Alienist | A physician who treats mental disorders |
| Almoner | Giver of Charity to the Needy |
| Amanuensis | Secretary or Stenographer |
| * Arrowsmith | Maker of arrows - Old English |
| Artificer | A Soldier Mechanic Who Does Repairs |
| Bailie | Bailiff |
| Baxter | Scottish for Baker |
| Bluestocking | Female Writer |
| Boniface | Keeper of an Inn |
| * Bookmonger | Seller of books - |
| * Bottger | German, barrel maker - Used in early Pennsylvania. Today, we see it as the surnamd "Betcher" |
| Brazier | One Who Works With Brass |
| Brewster | Beer Manufacturer |
| Brightsmith | Metal Worker |
| Burgonmaster | Mayor |
| * Carver | Wood carver |
| Caulker | One Who Filled Up Cracks (in Ships or Windows or Seems 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; retailerof 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 |
| * Coachmaker | Maker of coaches |
| * Coaler | Maker of charcoal - Used in early Pennsylvania |
| * Cobbler | Shoemaker |
| 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 currycomb; 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 |
| * Driver | Coachman, one who drives a coach or one who drives a "waggon" - In England, also used to indicate a locomotive engineer |
| Drover | One who drives cattle, sheep, etc. to market; a dealer in cattle |
| Duffer | Peddler |
| * Drummer | Whiskey salesman |
| 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 |
| * Ferryman | Operator of a ferry crossing a river |
| 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 |
| * Granny Woman | Midwife - Used in Appalachia |
| * Grower | Plantation Owner |
| Hacker | Maker of hoes |
| * Handwoman | Midwife - Used in Appalachia |
| Hatcheler | One who combed out or carded flax |
| Hawker | Whiskey salesman |
| 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 in |
| 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 |
| * Keelboatman | Crewman on a keelboat |
| Keeler | Bargeman |
| Kempster | Wool comber |
| * Lamp Lighter | One who lights street lamps |
| * Landsman | Farmer or neighbor |
| 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 |
| * Mathematician | Early surveyor, usually the best schooled ones |
| Mintmaster | One who issued local currency |
| Monger | Seller of goods (ale, fish) |
| Muleskinner | Teamster |
| Neatherder | Herds cows |
| * Neighbor Lady | Midwife - Used in Appalachia |
| 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 |
| * Peddler | Whiskey salesman |
| Peregrinator | Itinerant wanderer |
| Peruker | A wig maker |
| Pettifogger | A shyster lawyer |
| Pigman | Crockery dealer |
| * Planter | Southern plantation owner |
| Plumber | One who applied sheet lead for roofing and set lead frames for plain or stained glass windows. |
| Porter | Door keeper |
| * Post Rider | Carries mail by horseback |
| * P'troon (Parton) | Skipper of a large keelboat |
| Puddler | Wrought iron worker |
| Quarrier | Quarry worker |
| * Raggies | Charcoal makers - used in early Connecticut |
| Rigger | Hoist tackle worker |
| Ripper | Seller of fish |
| * River Lumberman | A riverman who navigates a log float down river. Used on the Mississippi. - On the Pend Oreille River in Idaho, the river lumberman were known as "river pigs" |
| * Rivermen | River boat men |
| 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 |
| * Shipwright | Builder of wooden ships |
| 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 gown | Junior barrister |
| 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 |
| * Taylor | Tailor |
| Teamster | One who drives a team for hauling |
| Thatcher | Roofer |
| Tide waiter | Customs inspector |
| Tinker | Am 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 |
| Vulcan | Blacksmith |
| Wagoner or Waggoner | 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. |
| * Whisky Drummer | Whiskey salesman - early spelling |
| Whitesmith | Tinsmith; worker of iron who finishes or polishes the work |
| Whitewing | Street sweeper |
| Whitster | Bleach of cloth |
| Wright | Workman, especially a construction worker |
| * Yager (Jager) | German for hunter - Used in early Pennsylvania |
| Yeoman | Farmer who owns his own land |
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