OCCUPATIONS
- A - ACCOUNTANT a person involved in the maintenance and auditing of accounts and financial matters AGRICULTURAL LABOURER an unskilled worker on a farm. They were the lowest class in rural English society at a time when there was a large emphasis on class distinction. (see article) APPRENTICE a person who was bound to a skilled worker for a specified time to learn a trade. ARTIFICER an army or navy mechanic who does repairs to military equipment. - B - BOILERMAKER a craftsman who worked with metal in any industrial setting. The original occupation stemmed from making boilers and they were rivetted together, so the boilermakers were also rivetters. BRASS MOULDER a maker of moulds or castings in brass. BRICKMAKER a person who used a kiln to make bricks. - C - CARMAN a person who drove a vehicle used to transport goods. Carmen were often employed by railway companies for local deliveries and collections of goods and parcels. Modern day van driver. Also sometimes someone who drove horse-drawn trams was called a Carman. CARPENTER a skilled tradesman who worked with wood. The term covered a wide variety of jobs ranging from building house frames to coffins and furniture CHARWOMAN a cleaning woman. The word "char" was used to describe an odd job CHEMIST a person who prepared medications and sold them in a shop. CLOTHIER person who made or sold clothes. COAL AGENT a person who sold coal usually from a horse & cart, house to house. COPPERSMITH a person who worked with copper. CORDWAINER originally a term used for a person who worked with Cordovan, a special soft leather from Spain. Later it became the term used for a shoemaker. (see article) COTTON SPINNER a person who operated a spinning machine. (see article) - D - DRAPER dealer in fabrics, chiefly woollen and linen cloth, and sewing needs. Larger dealers also sold ready-made clothes. DRESSMAKER a person who made clothing. DRUGGIST a pharmacist. - F - FARM BAILIFF a land steward acting on behalf of the Landowner or Landlord FARM SERVANTS tended to be single people who lived on the farm and were paid by provision of their board, lodgings and wages. FITTER originally applied to a joiner. In 19c a common term for a person who assembled several portions of machinery together. FRAMEWORK KNITTERS see articles - G - GENTLEMAN a member of the gentry, a descendant from an aristocratic family whose income came from the rental of his land. GROCER a fruit and vegetable seller. - H - HAWKER [1] Street seller who cried his wares in town, [2] Often applied to country peddlers as a term of abuse, [3] Itinerant dealer who carried his wares on his back. HUSBANDMAN a man who cultivated land he rented. - I - IRON MONGER a dealer in hardware made of iron. Also known as a Feroner. - J - JOINER a craftsman who works with wood. A skilled carpenter. JOURNEYMAN a craftsman who had served an apprenticeship and was no longer bound to serve a master. Originally hired by the day. The name derives from the French for day - jour. - L - LAUNDERESS a washerwoman, a person who washed linen. - M - MAID a female domestic servant. Class included Scullery, Kitchen, House, General, Parlour, Nurse, Laundry, Lady's etc. MACHINE MINDER the operative in charge of the machine. MACHINIST a person employed to operate the machines which were used to make items such as boots or clothes. MALSTER a person who prepared malt for the brewing industry. (see article) MASTER one of three grades of skill recognised by the Guild of Crafts. A skilled workman or one in business on his own. MECHANIC [1] Manual labourer, working at a trade. [2] Operator of a machine (less skilled than an engineer). [3] A person who uses machinery to produce goods, e.g. frame-work knitter, spinner, weaver, etc. MERCHANT a person engaged in trade, ie a dealer, a shopkeeper or a tradesman MILLINER [1] Seller of fancy wares and articles of apparel. [2] Maker of ladies hats, bonnets, etc. - O - OILMAN a person who sold the oil for lamps. - P - PAINTER a person who painted things e.g. houses, wooden goods, engines etc PLUMBER a person who worked with lead. However as lead was the main metal used in pipes for water, gas, etc, it became the term used for a tradesman who installed or repaired pipes and drains of all types. PUBLICAN an innkeeper. - R - RAILWAY BRAKEMAN a person who operated brakes on trains or trams RAILWAY ENGINE DRIVER steam train driver RIVITER see boilermakers. - S - SALT DEALER a person who made or dealt in salt. SAWYER a person who worked in a timber mill or pit, sawing timber into boards. SHOEMAKER a person who made shoes. SILK DRESSER a person who prepared the silk for weaving. SILK HAND a person who operated a silk machine. SILK PIECER a person usually a child, who worked in a spinning mill, employed to piece together any threads which broke. STATIONARY ENGINE DRIVER a person who operated a steam engine which was used for pumping water or sewage, or driving machinery in an industrial environment, ie a factory, mill or mine. STOKER a person who tends the fire of an engine boiler. STRIPPER a person employed in the woollen trade to remove the rubbish from the carding machines. - T - TAILOR a person who made or repaired clothes. TOILINET MANUFACTURE a person who made toilinet (a kind of quilting). TRADESMAN a shopkeeper or skilled craftsman. TURNER a lathe operator ie in wood or iron. - W - WAINWRIGHT a person who built or repaired wagons. WAITER attendant on guests in a tavern, restaurant etc WAREHOUSEMAN a person in charge of a warehouse or one employed in a warehouse. WEAVER the operative of a loom which made cloth. WHEELWRIGHT a maker or repairer of wagon wheels. - Y - YEOMAN a man who cultivated his own land.