Ever run across an occupation of an ancestor and wonder what in the world it was? This is a list of occupations and their descriptions found throughout the web. If you have any others, please contact us and they will be added to the list.

Job Explanation
Accomptant An Accountant
Almoner One who gave charity to the needy
Amanuensis A Secretary or Stenographer
Artificer A soldier mechanic who does repairs
Bailie A Bailiff
Baxter A Baker
Bluestocking A Female Writer
Boniface An Inn Keeper
Brazier One who works with brass
Brewster A beer manufacturer
Brightsmith A Metal worker
Burgonmaster A Mayor
Caulker One who filled up cracks (in ships or windows) or seems to make them watertight by using tar or oakum
Chaisemaker A Carriage maker
Chandler A Dealer or trader One who makes or sells candles A retailer of groceries
Chiffonnier A Wig maker
Clerk A Clergyman or 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 A Priest
Collier A Coal miner
Colporteur A 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 A Peddler of fruits and vegetables
Crocker A Potter
Crofter One who farmed another’s land and receives part of the crop Used more in societies of immigrants It differs little from the ‘Tenant Farmer’ of America and, though some land owners may have been benevolent it was basically just legal slavery
Crowner A Coroner
Currier One who dresses the coat of a horse with a curry comb One who tanned leather by incorporating oil or grease
Docker A 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
Drover One who drives cattle, sheep, etc to market A dealer in cattle
Duffer A Peddler
Factor An Agent, A Commission merchant One who acts or transacts business for another A Scottish steward or bailiff of an estate
Farrier A blacksmith, one who shoes horses
Faulkner A Falconer
Fell Monger One who removes hair or wool from hides in preparation for leather making
Fletcher One who made bows and arrows
Glazier A Window glassman
Hacker A Hoe Maker
Hatcheler One who combed out or carded flax
Haymonger A Dealer in hay
Hayward A Keeper of fences
Higgler An Itinerant peddler
Hillier A Roof tiler
Hind A farm laborer
Holster A groom who took care of horses, often at an Inn
Hooker A Reaper
Hooper One who made hoops for casks and barrels
Huckster A peddler of small wares
Husbandman A farmer who cultivated the land
Jagger A 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
Keeler A Bargeman
Kempster A Wool comber
Lardner A Keeper of the cupboard
Lavender A Wash Woman
Lederer A Leather Maker
Leech A Physician
Longshoreman A Stevedore
Lormer A Maker of horse gear
Machinist A worker who fabricates, assembles, or repairs machinery or a craftsman skilled in the use of machine tools, or one who operates a machine
Malender A Farmer
Maltster A brewer, a beer maker
Manciple A steward
Mason A bricklayer One who builds things from stone
Millwright One whose occupation is planning and building mills or setting up their machinery One who maintains and cares for mechanical equipment, as of a mill or factory
Mintmaster One who issued local currency
Monger A Seller of goods, usually fish and ale
Muleskinner A Teamster
Neatherder A cattle hearder
Ordinary Keeper An 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
Peregrinator An Itinerant wanderer
Peruker A Wig maker
Pettifogger A shyster lawyer
Pigman A Crockery dealer
Plumber One who applied sheet lead for roofing and set lead frames for plain or stained glass windows
Porter A Door Keeper
Puddler Wrought iron worker The skilled man who supervised the moten mass, deciding when it was ready for shingling, hammering and rolling
Quarrier A Quarry worker
Rigger A Hoist tackle worker
Ripper A Seller of fish
Roper A Maker of rope or nets
Saddler One who makes, repairs or sells saddles or other furnishings for horses
Sawbones A Physician
Sawyer One who saws A Carpenter
Schumacker A Shoemaker
Scribler A minor author
Scrivener A Professional or public copyist or writer A Notary public
Scrutiner An election judge
Shrieve A Sheriff
Slater A Roofer
Snobscat/Snob One who repaired shoes
Sorter A Tailor
Spinster A woman who spins or an unmarried woman
Spurrer A maker of spurs
Squire A Country gentleman, A Farm owner, The Justice of the Peace
Stuff Gown A Junior barrister
Stuff Gownsman
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 A Reaper
Teamster One who drives a team for hauling
Tenant Farmer One who leases or purchases a small plot of land from another and then must make the payments from his crops or other means of work Southern States primarily (but most to some extent) used this as a means to maintain a cheap labor pool for their own larger land owners It differed little from actual slavery and any attempt to address the poverty of these people was vigorously fought
Thatcher A Roofer
Tide Waiter A Customs inspector
Tinker An itinerant tin pot and pan seller and repairman
Tipstaff A Policeman
Travers Toll bridge collection
Traymaker A maker of wooden household implements
Tucker A 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 supplies
Vulcan A Blacksmith
Wagoner A Teamster not for hire
Wainwright A Wagon Maker
Waiter A Customs officer or tide waiter One who waited on the tide to collect duty on goods brought in
Waterman A Boatman who plies for hire
Weaver Applied to those who weave cloth with a loom or spinning wheel and also those who wove baskets
Wheelwright One who made or repaired wheels, wheeled carriages, etc
Whitesmith A Tinsmith A worker of iron who finishes or polishes the work
Whitewing A Street Sweeper
Whitster A bleacher of cloth
Wright Workman, especially a construction worker
Yoeman A Farmer who owns his own land