Dictionary of Old Occupations
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Definitions of jobs Marescallus - Medicus
Marescallus: French military rank of Marshall, dates back to the early 13th century.
Marine Rope Dealer: a merchant who traded in ropes, specifically for maritime use. Ropes were heavily used on boats for rigging, hauling fishing nets, loading and unloading cargo etc.
Marine Store Dealer: traded in scrap materials.
Mariner: old term for a man who served as a sailor.
Mark Maker: abbreviation of Hallmark Maker, who marked precious metals such as silver as proof of their purity.
Market Carrier: a labourer or porter working in a market.
Marksman: common usage refers to a man who was an excellent shot, therefore denoting a military occupation. The term dates back to the Middle Ages and was applied to royal bowmen. The term may also be seen in historical documents not as an occupation but in reference to someone who was unable to sign their name so made their mark instead.
Marl Grinder: loaded marlstone clay into the mill for use in brick making.
Marshall: US term for an officer of the law who carried out court judgements, the term may also refer to a Farrier.
Marshman: collected reeds for use in roof thatching, or a person who worked in the marshes tending grazing animals.
Mashmaker: worked in the brewing industry.
Mashrudder: worked in the brewing industry, mixed malts / mash.
Mason: craftsman expert with brick and stone.
Masser: a priest who read the Mass, or a textile dealer (Mercer).
Master: a highly proficient and experienced tradesman running his own business, often in charge of one or more apprentices.
Master Lumper: supplied cheap labour for manual work such as unloading vessels in port.
Master Mariner: person qualified to captain a ship. In England the term dates back to the 13th century, in the US it dates back to the 19th.
Match Maker: made friction matches from the 19th century onwards. Such matches were commonly called congreves or lucifers.
Copyright: Jane Hewitt. This dictionary is authorised for use on www.familyresearcher.co.uk only.
Matchet Forger: a metalworker who forged blades for large knives. The matchet is commonly known as machete.
Matchet Mounter: a Cutler.
Matchgirl: 19th century term for a woman working in a factory making matches. In 1888 a Matchgirls strike took place in London in response to awful working conditions at the Bryant and May match factory, and the Matchgirls Union was formed.
Mather: mowed hay and straw for use in thatching, animal feed and bedding.
Mawer: alternate spelling or mower, person who mowed hay and straw for use in thatched roofs, for bedding or for animal feed.
Mealman: a grain merchant.
Mechanic: a machine operator or repairman.
Medicus: Latin term for a doctor or physician.
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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