Dictionary of Old Occupations

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Definitions of jobs Daguerrotype Artist - Designer

Daguerreotype Artist: daguerreotype was a French invention; a 19th century photographic technique. The occupational title describes a photographer.

Dairyman: a worker in a dairy, or the dairy owner.

Damster: worked in the logging industry, building river dams. Rivers were used for transportation.

Danter: a woman working in the textile industry supervising the silk winding room.

Dareman: alternate spelling of Dairyman, owner or worker in a dairy.

Dauber: made walls from ‘wattle and daub’. While this practice is thought to date back 6000 years, if you find mention of it on census returns whilst undertaking genealogical research, it will likely refer to a speciality craftsman employed by wealthier home owners. The occupation died out in the 18th century with the prevalence of modern building materials.

Daunsel: a squire.

Dawber: alternate spelling of dauber, who made / repaired wattle and daub walls in wealthy houses.

Day Labourer: a generic term for a manual labourer who was paid on a daily basis. Sometimes an ancestor can have a specific occupation which is formally recorded as a Day Labourer, but is also known by a colloquial term, such as a Junky who stripped valuable parts from items in junk yards, loaded them onto horse and wagon for sale elsewhere - even though in this example pay was on a commission basis rather than an a day rate.

Day Man: a labourer employed as a casual worked, paid a fixed rate per day’s work.

Daytaleman: alternate title for a Day Man, a man paid for a day’s labour with no job security or prospects. The coal mining industry employed men on this basis to repair roadways. Alternate spellings include Dateler and Dataller.

Dataller: Alternate spelling of Daytaleman, a casual worker employed on a day rate with no job security. For example, a man employed at a coal mine on this basis to construct and maintain mining roadways.

Deal Porter: worked in the London docks. A dangerous and physically demanding job, stacking softwood up to 18 metres in warehouses.

Deathsman: hangman or executioner.

Decimer: represented householders at a Court Leet.

Decoyman: assisted with hunting by decoying game.

Decretist: consulted on matters of ecclesiastical law.

Deemer: an alternate name for a Dempster, sometimes spelt as Deemster. Refers to a judge.

Delaine Weaver: worked in the textile industry. Wove fabric for female clothing.

Delfman: worked in a mine or quarry, also referred to as a delve. Alternatively, may refer to a merchant selling glazed earthenware pottery originally from Delft in Holland and later copied and manufactured elsewhere. This occupation title is sometimes spelt Delfsman or Delphesman.

Copyright: Jane Hewitt. This dictionary is authorised for use on www.familyresearcher.co.uk only.

Delver: could refer to any sort of excavating role, such as mining, quarrying, ditch digging or pit digging.

Dempster: a judge of the shire, baron-bailie or parliament. Sometimes spelt as Demster.

Dental Mechanic: an artisan who crafted false teeth.

Depater: a refiner who worked with precious metals.

Deputy: any assistant role across many industries.

Derrickman: mined oil.

Designer: craftsman who worked in the pottery industry making moulds for clay items.

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.

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