Dictionary of Old Occupations

Definitions of jobs Machine Boy - Marbler

Machine Boy: worked in the printing industry, a printer's assistant.

Machine Breaker: not an occupation, but a term you might find in historical documents. It refers to a Luddite, a member of a 19th century social movement who violently resisted the introduction of machine technology in the textile industry.

Machine Man: generic term for a man who operated a machine; a machinist.

Maderer: listed on numerous internet sites as a person who collected garlic for sale. Have yet to find evidence to confirm this.

Maid: as an occupational title it refers to a female Domestic Servant. If the term is found in other contexts it may refer to an unmarried girl.

Mail Agent: an employee of the Royal Mail responsible for the safe delivery of mail whilst in transit by ship.

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

Mail Guard: an officer employed to guard mail during transport by train or coach.

Majolica Maker: a pottery industry worker who made ceramic items finished with majolica glaze. Popular in 19th century England.

Maker: worked in the pottery industry, making hollowware on a potters wheel.

Maker-Upper: worked in the textile industry.

Male-Maker: made leather travelling bags.

Mallender: a corm miller.

Malster: alternate term for a Maltster, who produced malt for use in brewing.

Maltster: worked in a malthouse, soaked grain in water to make malt, which was used for brewing etc.

Manchester Warehouse Man: traded wholesale cloth and linen produced in factories from the Manchester area.

Manciple: responsible for purchasing food, and possibly the preparation of food, for a court, monastery or other institution.

Mangle Keeper: charged housewives for the use of her mangle (wringer) to press linen and cloth.

Mangle Woman: alternate term for a Mangle Keeper, a woman who kept a mangle for hire.

Mangler: operated a mangle, a machine to press cloth or linen. The US name for a mangle is a wringer.

Mango: Latin term which could mean refer to a slave trader or slave dealer, or more generally to a dealer in any product.

Mantle Cutter: may refer to a stone cutter who produced mantles for fireplaces, a person who made mantles from cotton soaked in nitrates to be fitted to gas lamps or a person who made a type of cloak called a mantle, which was worn over other clothes.

Mantua Maker: made female clothing called a mantua, which was a loose gown or robe worn with a petticoat. Popular from the late 1600s through to the 1700s.

Marble Polisher: possibly a stonemason. May refer to a person who polished stone for fire surrounds or for use in construction.

Marbler: may refer to someone working in the paper making industry who stained paper to produce a marble effect. The term can also generically refer to anyone who stained items in order to produce a marbled effect. This includes marbling stone in order to produce faux marble for use in churches and other buildings.

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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