Job titles & descriptions

Members of the interconnected by marriage families featured on this site were, at various times, engaged in many trades or occupations. The following details some of those jobs & what the person actually did. Many of the more obvious job titles are not included because they are self-evident, i.e. the majority can understand what the job entails when it is described as a "Window Cleaner" or "Road Sweeper."

Military terms are not included in this list, you can find Military job titles/descriptions in the Military section of this site

Job Title

What they actually do/did
Ag Labourer Or Agricultural Labourer: Farm Labourer, does all the chores on a farm including looking after the land, crops, animals, carts/vehicles and may have additional specific skills (or none). Ag Labourers are/were the backbone of British farming. Generally, the Farmer makes the decisions and the Ag Labourers do the work.
Blacksmith A metalsmith who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut metal. While there are many people who work with metal the blacksmith had a general knowledge of how to make and repair many things, from the most complex of weapons and armour to simple things like nails or lengths of chain.
Bus Conductor aka Clippies (so-called because the clipped passenger's tickets): A very British institution, Bus Conductors were the second person on a public omnibus (bus) - usually, double-deckers, whose job it was to collect fares, issue tickets & regulate the flow of passengers on/off the bus safely. In many cities, double-decked rear open-platform buses were operated, particularly in London. The rear platform was where the Bus Conductor stood when not carrying out fare collection/ticket issuing/checking duties.
Cellarman Looked after the beer, wines and spirits in public houses (pubs, beer houses, beer halls, inn's), brewery or large house (private, royal or state-owned). Usually associated with beers & ales and refers to the person charged with changing barrels and cleaning the pipes/delivery system to ensure the beer/ale is kept in perfect condition to be sold/consumed
Char Woman (Char, Chargirl, Charlady) A (paid) domestic or commercial servant/cleaner. Originally thought to be a British term but recognised in the USA.
Cheesemonger A merchant who specialises in selling cheese
Coach Wheeler aka Wheel Maker: receives hubs (stocks), spokes and felloes ready-made; mortices hub by hand or machine; fits spokes into holes thus made; mortices felloes to take other ends of spokes and fits felloes to spokes; drives wooden or steel wedges into morticed holes to fix spokes firmly; smooths overwork with the plane, rasp, and sandpaper in readiness for tyre-smith. in some cases may also make spokes, hubs and felloes. Employed in the Carriage & Coachbuilding trade originally but transferable into early motor vehicle manufacture.
Confectioner Although this is a term known outside of Britain, from the mid-1800s onwards, in Britain, it generally refers to the manufacturer of sweets (candies in US & Canada, lollipops in Australia & New Zealand). These sweets can include chocolate products.
Cooper (Wooden) Barrel maker, usually for Beer or Vinegar Brewers
Cotton Twister A person who operated the machine used for twisting yarns and threads together in a Cotton Mill
Creeler A creel is a bobbin of thread used either for warp or weft. If used for warp it went on to the Beamer, if for the weft it went straight to the weaving shed. Also known as a Quill. A Creeler winds thread onto these bobbins. Also known as a Reeler in some locations.
Deal Carrier When a ship or a lighter (a type of flat-bottomed barge used to transfer goods and passengers to and from moored ships, often lighters were not powered) arrived at a Gloucester timber yard, a gang of men were employed to carry the deals to be piled up in the yard. Two men lifted one or more deals on to another man's shoulder, and he ran along a line of planks to the pile where that size of "deal" was being stacked. A leather pad was worn to protect the shoulder, but it could still be very painful until the skin became hardened. As the planks flexed when the carrier ran over them, he had to develop a knack of allowing for that movement or he could be thrown off. When the carrier reached the right pile, he dropped his load, and another man positioned each deal tidily while the carrier ran back for more. Meanwhile, the next carrier arrived and dropped his load - and so on. It was very hard work, but those who were fit enough to do it were comparatively well paid. When the wood was sold, the process was reversed and the deals were loaded into railway wagons or canal boats to be sent away.
Drysalter Drysalters were dealers in a range of chemical products, including glue, varnish, dye and colourings. They might supply salt or chemicals for preserving food and sometimes also sold pickles, dried meat or related items.
Fishmonger A merchant who specialises in selling all types of fish (usually freshly caught but presented dead)
Flax Dresser A person who breaks and swingles flax, or prepares it for the spinner
Flax Swingle A wooden tool for beating flax and removing the woody parts from it
Gloveress A female Glove Maker (a big industry around Worcester, England)
Greengrocer A person who sells fresh vegetables and fruit. This is a very British term and many greengrocers are independent (ma & pa type) operations. Some greengrocers are specialists in specific produce from specific countries or regions, for example, there are greengrocers who specialise in imported African fresh vegetables & fruits & others who specialise in Caribean vegetables & fruits and others who specialise in Chinese fresh produce. Supermarkets & convenience stores include greengrocery.
Grocer Or Purveyor: A person who purchases & then sells groceries (foodstuffs and household items) retail from a grocery. Beginning as early as the 14th century, a grocer was a dealer in comestible dry goods such as spices, pepper, sugar, and (later) cocoa, tea and coffee. These items were bought in bulk, hence the term grocer from the French "grossier" meaning wholesaler. As increasing numbers of staple foodstuffs became available in cans and other, less-perishable, packaging, the trade expanded its province. Today, grocers deal in a wide range of staple food-stuffs including such perishables as meats, produce and dairy products. Such goods are, hence, groceries.
Hewer Coal Mine coal face worker - hewed or cut the coal from the rock/earth
Iron Planer Put flat (plane) surfaces onto, usually, iron castings, required for seatings etc where the castings fitted on to other parts of the structure.
Journeyman A journeyman is a worker, skilled in a given building trade or craft, who has successfully completed an official apprenticeship qualification. Journeymen are considered competent and authorized to work in that field as a fully qualified employee.
Plaiter Makes straw plaits for hat-making
Platelayer A Railway construction/maintenance job. (Alternative Trackman). A railway employee whose job is to inspect and maintain the permanent way (track/rails) of a railway. Platelayer derives from early wagon/trackways that were made from cast iron plates connected together to form the route.
Presser Man A cotton warehouseman employee who gave garments their final pressing before packing.
Reeler Cotton weaving term - see Creeler
Roadman Worked on building and or maintaining roads - often had a stretch of road which he was responsible for filling in potholes etc. - usually a mile. Employed by the landowner or road owning company and/or local/regional or national government - depending on the circumstances. For example, "The Highways Act 1555", was an Act of Parliament of the Parliament of England passed in 1555 (and extended by the Highways Act 1562). It placed the burden of upkeep of the highways on individual parishes.
Shepherd Or sheepherder - a person who tends, herds, feeds, or guards herds of sheep.
Staymaker Corset maker (female garment)
Steeplejack One who climbs steeples (churches) to do repairs. Also commonly employed to repair the tall chimneys attached to factory's & mills
Stockman A man who cares for the daily needs of animal stock, usually cattle, on a farm - often described as the person who raises the stock
Warrener A person who farms or hunts rabbits professionally; the keeper of a rabbit warren/s. Almost always would also keep/train dogs & ferrets, posses and maintain nets & guns and may have some veterinary skills to care for sick/injured animals.
Yeoman A man holding and cultivating a small landed estate; a freeholder. Historically (England) a servant in a royal or noble household, ranking between a sergeant and a groom or a squire and a page.