MY ANCESTOR WAS A WHAT???

How many times have you come across an occupation in the census or other record and all you could do was scratch your head. This list was compiled by Dan Burrows and graciously has allowed us to post this. Thank you Dan for your hard work in putting this collection of occupations together!
bullet Accomptant - Accountant
bullet Almoner- Giver of charity to the needy
bullet Amanuensis - Secretary or stenographer
bullet Artificer - A soldier mechanic who does repairs
bullet Bailie - Bailiff
bullet Baxter - Baker
bullet Bluestocking -  Female writer
bullet Boniface - Keeper of an inn
bullet Brazier - One who works with brass
bullet Brewster - Beer manufacturer
bullet Brightsmith - Metal Worker
bullet Burgonmaster - Mayor
bullet Caulker - One who filled up cracks (in ships or windows or seems to make them watertight by using tar or oakum-hem fiber produced by taking old ropes apart.
bullet Chaisemaker - Carriage maker
bullet Chandler - Dealer or trader; one who makes or sells candles;retailer of groceries, ship supplier
bullet Chiffonnier - Wig maker
bullet Clark - Clerk
bullet Clerk - Clergyman, cleric
bullet 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.
bullet Cohen - Priest
bullet Collier - Coal miner
bullet Colporteur -  Peddler of books
bullet Cooper - One who makes or repairs vessels made of staves & hoops,such as casks, barrels, tubs, etc
bullet Cordwainer - Shoemaker, originally any leather worker using leather from Cordova/Cordoba in Spain
bullet Costermonger - Peddler of fruits and vegetables
bullet Crocker - Potter
bullet Crowner - Coroner
bullet Currier - One who dresses the coat of a horse with a currycomb;one who tanned leather by incorporating oil or grease
bullet Docker - Stevedore, dock worker who loads and unloads cargo
bullet Dowser - One who finds water using a rod or witching stick
bullet Draper - A dealer in dry goods
bullet Drayman - One who drives a long strong cart without fixed sides for carrying heavy loads
bullet Dresser-  A surgeon's assistant in a hospital
bullet Drover - One who drives cattle, sheep, etc. to market; a dealer in cattle
bullet Duffer - Peddler
bullet Factor - Agent, commission merchant; one who acts or transacts business for another; Scottish steward or bailiff of an estate.
bullet Farrier - A blacksmith, one who shoes horses
bullet Faulkner-  Falconer
bullet Fellmonger - One who removes hair or wool from hides in preparation for leather making
bullet Fletcher - One who made bows and arrows
bullet Fuller - One who fulls cloth;one who shrinks and thickens woolen cloth by moistening, heating, and pressing; one who cleans and finishes cloth
bullet Gaoler - A keeper of the goal, a jai
bullet Glazier - Window glassmanHacker - Maker of hoes
bullet Hatcheler - One who combed out or carded flax
bullet Haymonger - Dealer in hay
bullet Hayward - Keeper of fences
bullet Higgler - Itinerant peddler
bullet Hillier - Roof tiler
bullet Hind-  A farm laborer
bullet Holster - A groom who took care of horses, often at an inn
bullet Hooker - Reaper
bullet Hooper - One who made hoops for casks and barrels
bullet Huckster - Sells small wares
bullet Husbandman - A farmer who cultivated the land
bullet Jagger - Fish peddler
bullet Journeyman - One who had served his apprenticeship and mastered his craft,not bound to serve a master, but hired by the day.
bullet Joyner / Joiner - A skilled carpenter
bullet Keeler - Bargeman
bullet Kempster - Wool comber
bullet Lardner - Keeper of the cupboard
bullet Lather - Installer of lath strips in old-time walls
bullet Lavender - Washer woman
bullet Lederer - Leather maker
bullet Leech - Physician
bullet Longshoreman - Stevedore
bullet Lormer - Maker of horse gear
bullet Malender - Farmer
bullet Maltster - Brewer
bullet Manciple - A steward
bullet Mason - Bricklayer
bullet Mintmaster - One who issued local currency
bullet Monger - Seller of goods (ale, fish)
bullet Muleskinner - Teamster
bullet Neatherder - Herds cows
bullet Ordinary Keeper-  Innkeeper with fixed prices
bullet 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
bullet Peregrinator - Itinerant wanderer
bullet Peruker - A wig maker
bullet Pettifogger - A shyster lawyer
bullet Pigman - Crockery dealer
bullet Plumber - One who applied sheet lead for roofing and set lead frames for plain or stained glass windows.
bullet Porter - Door keeper
bullet Puddler - Wrought iron worker
bullet Quarrier-  Quarry worker
bullet Rigger - Hoist tackle worker
bullet Ripper - Seller of fish
bullet Roper - Maker of rope or nets
bullet Saddler - One who makes, repairs or sells saddles or other furnishings for horses.
bullet Sawbones- Physician
bullet Sawyer - One who saws; carpenter
bullet Schumacker - Shoemaker
bullet Scribler - A minor or worthless author
bullet Scrivener - Professional or public copyist or writer; notary public
bullet Scrutiner - Election judge
bullet Shrieve / SheriffSlater - Roofer
bullet Slopseller- Seller of ready-made clothes in a slop shop
bullet Snobscat / Snob - One who repaired shoes
bullet Sorter - Tailor
bullet Spinster - A woman who spins or an unmarried woman
bullet Spurrer - Maker of spurs
bullet Squire - Country gentleman; farm owner; justice of peace
bullet Stuff gown - Junior barrister
bullet Stuff gownsman - Junior barrister
bullet Supercargo - Officer on merchant ship who is in charge of cargo and the commercial concerns of the ship.
bullet Tanner - One who tans (cures) animal hides into leather
bullet Tapley - One who puts the tap in an ale cask
bullet Tasker - Reaper
bullet Teamster - One who drives a team for hauling
bullet Thatcher - Roofer
bullet Tide waiter - Customs inspector
bullet Tinker - An itinerant tin pot and pan seller and repairman
bullet Tipstaff - Policeman
bullet Travers - Toll bridge collection
bullet Tucker - Cleaner of cloth goods
bullet Turner - A person who turns wood on a lathe into spindles
bullet Victualer - A tavern keeper, or one who provides an army,navy, or ship with food
bullet Vulcan - Blacksmith
bullet Wagoner - Teamster not for hire
bullet Wainwright - Wagon maker
bullet Waiter - Customs officer or tide waiter; one who waited on the tide to collect duty on goods brought in.
bullet Waterman - Boatman who plies for hire
bullet Webster - Operator of looms
bullet Wharfinger - Owner of a wharf
bullet Wheelwright - One who made or repaired wheels; wheeled carriages,etc.
bullet Whitesmith - Tinsmith; worker of iron who finishes or polishes the work
bullet Whitewing - Street sweeper
bullet Whitster - Bleach of cloth
bullet Wright - Workman, especially a construction worker
bullet Yeoman - Farmer who owns his own land

Compiled by Dan Burrows
"I put these 130 items together from many sources and used it as a handout for our local Orange County (NY) Genealogical Society."
Dan Burrows -