Dictionary of Old Occupations
Click here to return to the index page of the Dictionary of Old Occupations
Definitions of jobs Barber-Surgeon - Bayweaver
Barber-Surgeon: hairdresser / barber who was also a surgeon.
Bard: poet and / or singer.
Bare-Man: alternate spelling for Bairman, a Scottish legal term for a Pauper.
Bargee: alternate term for a bargeman, vague term referring to someone involved in working barges.
Bargemane: the owner or skipper of a barge or member of the crew.
Barilla Manufacturer: produced Barilla by burning saltwort. This was then used in the production of glass, soda and soap. Barilla was the primary source of sodium carbonate prior to the 19th century.
Barkeeper: another name for a Tollkeeper (Person who collected money from people using toll roads).
Barker: a person who used colourful talk to entice potential customers into a show, or a person who used tree bark in the leather tanning process.
Barkman: another name for a Barker.
Barleyman: Misspelling of Byrlawman, administered justice in Scotland or North England.
Barm Brewer: yeast grower and supplier.
Barmaster: holder of the lead mineral rights, who granted titles to new mines and noted their names in his book. He also measured out the land in meers, an ancient unit of measurement roughly 29 metres.
Barrel Filer: filed and polished gun barrels.
Barrow Man: a seller of fruit and vegetables from a barrow, or a person who collected baskets or barrows of coal from the coal face and loaded the coal ready to be taken to the surface.
Bartoner: person in charge of a barton (a monastic farm or demesne).
Basil Worker: used bark to tan the skins of lambs and sheep, the resulting leather was called basil and could be used to bind books.
Basin Maker: produced basins on a jolley which is similar to a potter's wheel. A pottery industry occupation.
Basketman: loaded barges with coal using a basket, or produced baskets and other household items from wicker which involved weaving slender willow branches or similar.
Bast Dresser: dressed woody fibres obtained from plants for use in mat making.
Bathing Machine Proprietor: rented out huts at the seaside which were used by bathers to change into swimming costumes. Some of these were horse drawn, with steps so that they could be moved to enable bathers to step straight into the water.
Bat Maker: produced divisions for saggers, which were clay boxes used in the pottery industry.
Batman: an officer’s servant / orderly. (army)
Batt Maker: produced batting the padding used in quilt making, and which was also used for mattresses.
Battledore Maker: made the bats used in the game battledore (which is similar to badminton), or produced the paddles used in early washing machines, or a rug beater maker.
Copyright: Jane Hewitt. This dictionary is authorised for use on www.familyresearcher.co.uk only.
Bauer: a peasant farmer, or a term referring to a neighbour.
Baven Maker: produced kindling.
Bawd: prostitute or brothel keeper.
Baxter: an old name for a baker.
Bayweaver: wove baize or bay as it was known. This fabric is still in use today as a covering on snooker tables.
This dictionary is my own work, and copyright Jane Hewitt. I sometimes find unauthorised (i.e. stolen) copies of my website content appearing on other people's websites. If you should read a group of identical glossary definitions elsewhere on the web, consider whether such sites are reputable or not.
Scottish Genealogy (Fourth Edition) by Bruce Durie
This fully revised and updated fourth edition of Scottish Genealogy is a comprehensive guide to tracing your family history in Scotland. Written by one of the most authoritative figures on the subject, the work is based on established genealogical practice and is designed to exploit the rich resources that Scotland has to offer. After all, this country has possibly the most complete and best-kept set of records and other documents in the world.
Addressing the questions of DNA, palaeography and the vexed issues of clans, families and tartans, and with a new chapter on DNA and genetic genealogy, Bruce Durie presents a fascinating insight into discovering Scottish ancestors. He covers both physical and electronic sources, explains how to get beyond the standard ‘births, marriages and deaths plus census’ research, and reminds the reader that there are more tools than just the internet.
Comparisons are made with records in England, Ireland and elsewhere, and all of the 28 million people who claim Scottish ancestry worldwide will find something in this book to challenge and stimulate. Informative and entertaining, this new edition is the definitive reader-friendly guide to genealogy and family history in Scotland.
