Dictionary of Old Occupations

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Definitions of jobs Buckle Tongue Maker - Byrlawman

Buckle Tongue Maker: produced the pointed metal (tongue) part of belt buckles.

Buckler: an alternate term for a Bucklesmith or a specialist occupation within the shoemaking industry.

Buckler and Lacer: a shoemaking occupation; prior to dispatching shoes for sale this person threaded shoe laces through buckle straps and eyelets.

Bucklesmith: made metal buckles for belts.

Buckram Maker: produced buckram, a stiffening agent commonly glue-based, used like starch on fabric prior to embroidery.

Buck Washer: defined on countless internet lists as a Laundress. Have yet to find evidence to confirm this.

Buddleboy: responsible for the upkeep of vats used to wash ore in the tin (or possibly lead) mining industry.

Buddler: an ore washer, as used in the tin or lead mining industries. This job was done by both women and children.

Bullion Pearler: found on census records as a spelling variation of Bullion Purler, a specialist embroiderer.

Bullion Purler: added decorative trim, hems, embroidered borders or bullion fringes to fabric. A modern example of bullion is decorative fringes on the bottom of sofas.

Bullwhacker: a wagon driver. They acquired this name because they whacked the oxen to keep them moving.

Bum Bailiff: a person who arrested debtors.

Bumboat Man: a trader who operated a small boat ferrying goods for sale to larger ships anchored nearby.

Bummaree: typically a London occupation, speculative traders at a fish market buying fish stocks to resell to small traders.

Bummer: a soldier who scrounged food and other needed items from the locals.

Bump Mill Hand: worked to produce candlewick yarn, known as bumb, which was woven from waste flax.

Bunter: a rag and bone woman; a scrap merchant.

Bureler: produced borel, which is a coarse woollen material used to make cheap clothing.

Burgermeister: master of a borough or town. Equivalent to a mayor.

Burgess: a citizen of a borough, or a Freeman.

Burgomaster: alternate spelling of Burgermeister, similar to a mayor.

Burler: worked in the textile industry, dressed cloth by removing slubs, knots and loose threads.

Burmaiden: alternate spelling of Bower Maiden, a lady in waiting or Chambermaid.

Burneman: carried the yeasty barm for brewers.

Burnisher: metal polisher.

Burye Man: a burial worker or grave digger.

Bushel Maker: Cooper (cask or barrel maker). A bushel was a precise size, equivalent to eight gallons and was used as a measure for trading purposes.

Busheler: tailor's assistant who repaired clothing.

Busker: a hair dresser or a street performer.

Buss Maker: commonly means a gunsmith, although the word buss also refers to a herring boat.

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

Butler: normally Head of the household servants reporting to the master, mistress or in some cases the Housekeeper.

Butner: a Cooper (cask and barrel maker), or a misspelling of button maker.

Button Carder: sewed buttons onto printed cards ready for sale.

Butter Carver: carved designs into butter pats.

Butty: supplied and paid his own workers to mine an agreed amount of coal for a fee.

Byrlawman: appointed by the Court Leet, administered petty justice and enforced court orders in Scotland or northern England.

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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