|
Old Name |
New Name or Meaning |
| Lace Drawer |
Drew out the threads in lace making. Frequently child labour |
| Laceman |
Lace dealer. Commonly bought from the weavers in their homes, normally requiring them to have used his thread, and sold it at the lace markets |
| Lace-Master/Mistress |
Employed lace workers in factories or at home |
| Lace Runner |
Embroidered on lace |
| Lace Woman |
Lady's maid |
| Ladle Liner |
In ore dressing, smelting, and refining, a person who repairs and re-lines
pouring ladles used to transport molten metals, such as iron, steel, and
copper.
|
| Lagger |
Sailor |
| Lagraetmen |
Constable - contraction of Law Rightman |
| Lairman / Lairsman |
Looked after cattle during their brief stops at "lairages", which were the areas where cattle were temporarily housed while in transit to markets. |
| Lamplighter / Leerie |
Employed by the local council to go around the streets and light the (gas) street lamps, using a pole. Also often used to wake people up for work (as a "knocker-up") |
| Lamptrimmer |
In either Royal or Merchant Navy, originally responsible for keeping all oil lamps on the vessel in working order, later became a general assistant to the Boatswain and Storekeeper. A Petty Officer. |
| Lamp Exhauster |
Early 20c. Removed the air from the glass envelope of electric light bulbs. This is necessary to prevent the filament from burning up. |
| Landwaiter / Landing Waiter |
Customs official overseeing landed goods from ships More Info. |
| Lappett Maker |
Made
machine embroidered textiles in which the design was worked into
the cloth by a series of needles |
| Lardner |
Keeper of the cupboard (larder) |
| Laster |
Shoe maker (from his use of a last) |
| Lath Render |
Someone who rends (i.e splits) wood to form laths |
| Lattener / Lattensmith |
Brass worker. Latten was an alloy similar to brass |
| Lavender |
Washerwoman |
| Layer |
Paper mill worker - at a particular process |
| Leather Currier |
Tanned leather by incorporating oil or grease |
| Leavelooker |
Examined market foodstuffs - a sort of quality control |
| Leech |
Physician |
| Lederer |
Leather maker - from German |
| Legerdemainist |
Magician |
| Legger |
Canal boatman. (Barges had to be "legged" through tunnels by men lying flat on deck and "walking" along the roof or sides of the tunnel) |
| Leghorn Presser |
Pressed a type of straw hat known as a Leghorn |
| Leightonward |
Gardner. Leighton was the term for a garden |
| Lengthsman |
In rural areas, a lengthsman was a man who took pride in keeping his district neat and tidy, well swept and free from litter. On the canals, a lengthsman was responsible for patrolling his length, looking for leaks, seeing to routine maintenance, cutting back vegetation etc. |
| Letter Carrier |
The 18c. term for a postman, started in 1722 |
| Licensed Messenger |
Licensed couriers who delivered messages and documents. |
| Licensed Victualler |
A Tavern or Innkeeper or Publican- term still used today for someone who runs a Pub (Public House) |
| Lighterman |
Works (still) on lighters - flat bottomed barges |
| Limeburner |
Burned limestone (calcium carbonate) in kilns to produce lime for farmers, quicklime for making mortar and for tanneries to remove hair from hides |
| Limner |
1) Illuminator of books 2) Painter or drawer |
| Linener / Linen Draper |
Sold linens, calicos, flannels, blankets, sheets, sheetings, bed ticks, gloves, ribbons,
fancy ties, scarves etc. |
| Liner / Lyner |
Flax dresser |
| Linkerboy / man |
Carried a "link" or torch to guide people through the streets at night for hire. (Licensed in early 19c). Sometimes applied to general manservant |
| Lister / Litster |
Dyer |
| Litterman |
Horse groom |
| Loadsman / Lodesman |
Ship's pilot. Originally from the man "lodesman" who piloted a ship by heaving the lode (lead) to check the depth of water. Knowledgeable of the local waters, he navigated in this manner |
| Loblolly Boy |
1) Ship surgeon's assistant 2) Errand boy |
| Locker |
1) Employed in Customs bonded warehouses as a trusted person to keep charge of the elaborate locks [known as the King's - or Queen's] Locks 2) Fed a power driven flat lock machine with knitted fabrics etc 3) Separated and graded locks of fur in the hat trade 4) Cut and folded sheet tin before feeding it into a grooving machine 5) Worker in the mining industry |
| Lock Keeper |
(Still) Maintains and operates canal locks |
| Logwood Grinder |
Made a dye from logwood for the textile industry |
| Long Song Seller |
Street seller of popular printed song sheets |
| Loom Sweeper |
Child (originally) or small adult employed crawling under weaving looms to clean, whilst in operation. Dangerous work |
| Loom Winder / Tender |
Tended winding units attached to looms that automatically wind yarn onto quills More Info. |
| Looper |
Operates a looping machine to close the opening in the toe of seamless hose or to join knitted garment parts |
| Lorimer / Lormer |
1) Maker of horse gear 2) Maker of small ironware 3) Wrought iron worker |
| Lotseller |
Street Seller |
| Lum Swooper |
(Scottish) Chimney sweep |
| Lumper |
1) Dock worker unloading timber for a "Master Lumper" 2) Worker in salt making |
| Lungs |
Alchemist's assistant who fanned the fire |
| Lurryman |
Driver of a lurry - lorry or truck today. Lurry was the former spelling. |
| Luthier |
Made and repaired stringed instruments |
