Genealogy Chat

Top tip - using the Genes Reunited community

Welcome to the Genes Reunited community boards!

  • The Genes Reunited community is made up of millions of people with similar interests. Discover your family history and make life long friends along the way.
  • You will find a close knit but welcoming group of keen genealogists all prepared to offer advice and help to new members.
  • And it's not all serious business. The boards are often a place to relax and be entertained by all kinds of subjects.
  • The Genes community will go out of their way to help you, so don’t be shy about asking for help.

Quick Search

Single word search

Icons

  • New posts
  • No new posts
  • Thread closed
  • Stickied, new posts
  • Stickied, no new posts

Unusual Occupations

Page 2 + 1 of 7

  1. «
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. 5
  7. 6
  8. 7
  9. »
ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

Cleo

Cleo Report 20 Oct 2003 19:13

Does anyone have any idea what an ind.. Superintendant is. This was my gt Grandfathers occupation on the 1891 Census. By 1901 he was a Billiard Marker which appears to be something like a card sharp but with Billiards. I wondered if the ind.. was short for industrial but why Superintendant - would that be like a supervisor? Any suggestions greatfully received. Cleo

Mike. The Leicester Lad.(GC)

Mike. The Leicester Lad.(GC) Report 20 Oct 2003 16:46

Angela. . . . . There's your answer....... HEWER - miner who cut coal, stone, etc., a face worker in a mine Hope this helps you Good luck in your search. MIKE.

Angela

Angela Report 20 Oct 2003 14:56

Hope you can help me. I'm struggling with my Great Grandfather Arthur Allott who evidently wouldn't tell any of the family about himself or where he originally came from. (must have been a black sheep!!!) but I've been searching for him on the 1901 census. I know he worked in the coal trade but the only one that sounds likely is a man by the same name who was a COAL MINER HEWER. However I've no idea what that is. Could you please help me otherwise I'm a bit stuck on this one. Thank you

Mike. The Leicester Lad.(GC)

Mike. The Leicester Lad.(GC) Report 20 Oct 2003 13:44

Thought I'll give this a shove before we need a search engine to recover it . . .lol ANKLE BEATER - young person who helped to drive the cattle to market. APRONEER - term used in London for a shopkeeper. BACK WASHER - employed to clean the wool in the worsted manufacturing industry. BADGER - licensed pauper who wore a badge with the letter P on it and could only work in a defined area (the term "Badgering comes from this"). A corn miller or dealer or an itinerant food trader. One for our Mr Blair :- BAIRMAN / BAREMAN - pauper or beggar. BALISTER - archer most commonly a crossbowman. BEDMAN – sexton. BLINDSMAN - employed by the Post Office to deal with incorrectly addressed letters and parcels. BLUESTOCKING - female writer. BOOT CATCHER - servant at inn who pulled off traveller’s boots. BOTTOM MAKER - moulded the bottoms for saggers in the pottery industry. BOTTOM KNOCKER - sagger makers assistant in the pottery industry. BROTHERER / BROWDERER / BRODERER / BROIDERER – embroiderer. CAIRD - another term for a tinker. CAMERIST - lady's maid. CARTOMANCER - Fortuneteller who used cards. CHAPELER - made and sold hats. CLAPMAN - town crier. COLLAR MAKER - made horse collars and one who made shirt collars. DEATHSMAN – executioner. DOCK WALLOPER - dockworker, longshoreman. DOG LEECH – veterinarian. DRAGSMAN - driver of a small stagecoach or carriage used for public transport or private hire. DUFFER - peddler of cheap goods. FAGETTER - made up faggots into bundles, seller of firewood. FLASHER - specialist process worker in the glass industry. FRISEUR - Hairdresser. GLASS COACHMAN - driver of two-horse carriage hired out for the day. GLIMMER MAN - in Dublin, the man who would turn out (or down) the gas street-lights and also warns people turn out lights in their houses to ensure blackouts during bombing raids at Wartime. GUINEA PIG - an unattached, or roving person whose fee was usually a guinea. HANKYMAN - a travelling magician in Victorian/Edwardian England. KNOCKKNOBBLER - Dogcatcher. LAVENDER - Washerwoman. MUDLARK - sewer cleaner, riverbank scavenger. MULE MINDER - minded the spinning mules in the cotton mills. NECESSARY WOMAN - servant responsible for emptying and cleaning chamber pots. PALING MAN - seller of eels. PARDONER - seller of indulgences. PEDASCULE – schoolmaster. PRECEPTRESS - Schoolmistress. PRICKER - witch hunter, pattern maker or a horseman. SHEPSTER – dressmaker. SNOBSCAT - one who repair shoes. TWEENIE / TWEENY - maid who worked "between the stairs" she assisted the cooks and the housemaids. WET NURSE - woman employed to suckle the child of another (common practice with the rich).

Janet

Janet Report 30 Sep 2003 11:04

This is too interesting to get lost! Janet

Janet

Janet Report 29 Sep 2003 15:36

Well ...... that explains that then ........ I think! Janet

Mike. The Leicester Lad.(GC)

Mike. The Leicester Lad.(GC) Report 28 Sep 2003 20:48

VANDA & ANNE. Found the following......... CHAPTER V CURE OF SOULS IN PARISHES HAVING NO PARISH CHURCH, BUT IN WHICH THERE ARE PROPRIETARY OR OTHER NON-PAROCHIAL CHURCHES. Licence to minister of trustee or other church in a parish to serve the cure of souls therein 1. Wheresoever any parish has been or is intended to be duly constituted a separate parish by and under the authority of the Church of Ireland, and in which there is not a parish church, but where a proprietary or other church or chapel (not being a parochial church) has been or shall be erected or appropriated for the celebration of Divine Service according to the liturgy and rites of the Church of Ireland, and has been or shall be duly consecrated or licensed by the bishop of the diocese wherein such church or chapel is situate, it shall be lawful for the bishop, upon the application of the synod or council of the diocese, to license the duly appointed minister of such church or chapel, with his consent, and with the consent of the patrons, proprietors, trustees, or other governors of such church or chapel, to serve the cure of souls in such parish, for such time as he shall continue minister of such church or chapel. 2. Every clergyman licensed as aforesaid shall, during the continuance of his licence, be entitled to the style of curate in charge of the parish, and shall possess all the rights and privileges, and be bound to discharge all the duties, of such curate in charge, so far as may be consistent with the due discharge of his duties as minister of the church or chapel aforesaid, and upon such terms and subject to such conditions as may be prescribed in accordance with the Constitution. Further information can be obtained by typing in the following in your search engine..... www . ireland . anglican . org / contitution / chapter_V . htm remove the spaces but leave the under sore dots & slashes in Where the full details can be found. MIKE.

Shirley

Shirley Report 28 Sep 2003 18:03

One of my relations was a mangler. No she did not come from Boston. Another was a collar ironer. When I told my husband he remarked.When someone asked for their shirt to be ironed did she reply "I'll iron your collar but you can do the rest yourself." I had to tell him that collars came separate in those days. Shirl.

Penelope

Penelope Report 28 Sep 2003 16:59

Hi Mike Thanks for that - I never thought of horse hair - my imagination is running riot now!! Penny

Mike. The Leicester Lad.(GC)

Mike. The Leicester Lad.(GC) Report 28 Sep 2003 15:09

Penelope. . . . FLAXDRESSER Prepared flax prior to spinning. Hair dresser could be the same as we know now, but it could also relate to a Horse hair dresser in the Upholstery Trade. MIKE.

Penelope

Penelope Report 28 Sep 2003 14:55

Hi Anne I've just received a marriage certificate dated 1853 and the bride's fathers occupation is listed as 'hair dresser'! The other father was a flax dresser. Was a hair dresser in 1853 the same as now or was it somwething different? Perhaps your book could help. Penny

Mike. The Leicester Lad.(GC)

Mike. The Leicester Lad.(GC) Report 28 Sep 2003 14:47

VANDA & Anne. . . . I've sent an S O S to my Church Minister hope for a reply back soon . MIKE.

Janet

Janet Report 28 Sep 2003 13:37

Hi Anne (again) You sorted out my Engineer (Artz) for me, and now I've found another one (my family seem to be full of Engineers). This one is 'Engineer (S M)' - found on the 1881 census. Any ideas? Janet

Maz (the Royal One) in the East End 9256

Maz (the Royal One) in the East End 9256 Report 28 Sep 2003 10:19

After finding a 'pot dealer' earlier, I have now seen a 'joint maker'! Perhaps people were a bit more honest about their activities in those days! Maz. XX

Vanda

Vanda Report 28 Sep 2003 07:54

Hi Anne, Thanks for the offer. Could you please tell me what is a CURATE WITHOUT CURE OF SOULS, (found on LDS 1881 census so suppose could have been mistranscribed). We all know what a curate is, but it's the "without cure of souls" bit that intrigues me. Thanks again - Vanda

Mike. The Leicester Lad.(GC)

Mike. The Leicester Lad.(GC) Report 27 Sep 2003 21:39

Hi Anne….. Nope. See we’re back on the " Honey Carts" again….lol Some more in the same theme….. JAKES-FARMER Person who emptied cesspools. 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

Anne

Anne Report 27 Sep 2003 21:28

Thought you'd given up Mike Here are a few more strange ones Wuzzer...a person who dried out wet wool in the weaving industry by whirling it round and round Viro....boatman Villanus...Common worker Vaginarius...same as a shether...a Medieval maker of sheaths and scabbards Tumbrel man....man who operates a dung cart Anne

Martin

Martin Report 27 Sep 2003 18:19

[http :// www . gendocs . demon . co . uk / trades.html ]

Mike. The Leicester Lad.(GC)

Mike. The Leicester Lad.(GC) Report 27 Sep 2003 18:05

Just to Nudge this one up And a giggle or two….. BACK WASHER A person employed to clean the wool in the worsted manufacturing industry. BALLAD MONGER A person who sold printed ballads on the street. BANG BEGGAR An officer of the parish who controlled the length of stay of any stranger to the parish. BAREMAN A pauper, beggar. BEDESMAN A person employed to pray for his employer. BRAZIER A person who made or repaired household items made from brass. LUNGS An alchemist's servant whose duty was to fan the fire. MILESTONE INSPECTOR A vagrant, a gentleman of the road. ONE FOR “ FAULTY TOWERS FANS ” . . . . . . . BASIL WORKER A person who worked with sheep and goat skins

Eileen

Eileen Report 18 Sep 2003 12:29

On a frivolous note - this reminds me of the time my elderly aunt obtained a certificate from the 1850s. It was a photocopy of the original and she read the beautiful copperplate capital T as an S. She was most bemused that her great-grandfather should have given his occupation as "Sinner"! No, really, it's true!