Dictionary of Old Occupations

Click here to return to the index page of the Dictionary of Old Occupations

Definitions of jobs Labourer - Lattouner

Labourer: performed physical labour. Could have worked in many different industries. It is very common to come across labourers when researching a family tree.

Lace Drawer: worked in the lace making industry. Usually a child’s job, responsible for drawing threads.

Lace Man: a merchant who sold raw materials to home based workers, then peddled the lace goods they made.

Lace Master: employer of lace workers.

Lace Mistress: female Lace Master, who employed lace workers.

Lace Runner: embroidered lace items.

Lace Woman: alternate name for a Lady’s Maid.

Ladle Liner: repaired the ladles used to move molten metals.

Lady’s Maid: a personal attendant who waited on the Lady of the House. A servant responsible for make-up, shopping, clothes, jewellery etc.

Lady’s Tailor: seamstress or Dressmaker.

Lagger: alternate name for a sailor.

Lagraetman: Constable.

Laird: Scottish title, a member of the gentry.

Lairman: transported cattle to temporary holding pens prior to slaughter.

Lairsman: alternate spelling of Lairman, who transported cattle to lairage.

Lamp Exhauster: drained air from very early electric lightbulbs.

Lamp Trimmer: maintained oil lamps onboard ships. Large vessels required multiple Lamp Trimmers.

Lamplighter: Council employee who lit street gas lamps or an alternate term for a Knocker-up

Landing Waiter: worked for HM Customs overseeing the unloading of ship’s cargo. Seems to have been a popular job for the ex-military.

Lapidary: an expert on precious stones, who also engraved them.

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

Lappet Maker: a textile worker who made lappets, which are embroidered folds or flaps, used for clothing / hats.

Lardner: supplied meat to landowners and royalty in medieval times.

Laster: cobbler.

Lath Renderer: applied plaster to laths, which are strips of straight grained wood used to line walls and ceilings.

Lath Splitter: made wooden laths.

Latten Smith: made items from the alloy latten. By the early 19th century, latten was mainly used for decorative purposes.

Lattener: alternate name for a Lattern Smith, who made items from the alloy latten.

Lattouner: alternate spelling of Lattener.

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.

British (Sir Tony Robinson's Weird World of Wonders)

In Sir Tony Robinson's Weird World of Wonders British, Sir Tony Robinson takes you on a headlong gallop through time, pointing out all the most important, funny, strange, amazing, entertaining, smelly and disgusting bits about the British! It's history, but not as we know it!

Find out everything you ever needed to know in this brilliant, action-packed, fact-filled book, including:

- How to avoid scurvy
- Why bright red isn't the best colour for a soldier's uniform
- Why not being able to swim was considered an advantage, and
- How to cure the most gruesome tropical diseases

Buy Now


Finding our free resources helpful? You can support us by recommending our research services to your friends, or make a donation. Thank you.