Hall Genealogy Old Occupation Names
The Flag of St George & England
Updated Mon, 17-Dec-2012
 
D  
Old Name
New Name or Meaning
Daguerreotype Artist Early photographer - derived from Daguerre's method
Damster Dam builder - for logging
Danter Female overseer in silk winding room
Dateler/Dataller/Day Man/ Daytaleman/Day Labourer Casual worker, employed on a daily basis
Dauber/Dawber Made Wattle & Daub walls using 'Lute', a tenacious clay.
Day-maid Dairymaid
Deal Porter A specialistworker in the docks - mainly London, handling baulks of softwood or "deal" between ship and shore.
Deathsman Executioner - very popular!
Decimer / Dozener Elected by householders in a street to represent them at the Court Leet
Decoyman Decoyed wild fowl, animals, into a trap or within shooting range
Decretist Knowledgeable in decrees (decretals)
Deemer/Deemster/
Dempster/Demster
Judge
Delaine Weaver Made delaine, a light all-wool cloth of plain weave, usually printed. From the French laine, meaning wool. De laine - 'from wool'
Delfman Sold "Delf", which is earthenware from Delft, Holland. 
Delfsman / Delphman Worker in quarries or open pits, usually quarrying stone
Delver Ditch digger - also a worker in a stone quarry.
Dental Mechanic Made false teeth - a very skilled job (Mechanic meant a craftsman or artisan)
Depater Refined precious metals
Deputy Pit workers' safety officer
Devil Printer's errand boy
Deviller Operated a "devil" - a machine that tore rags in the textile industry
Dexter Dyer
Dey Wife Female dairy worker
Die Sinker When forging metals, lays out, machines, and finishes impression cavities in die blocks to produce forging dies, following blueprints and applying knowledge of die sinking
Digger 1) Coal face worker 2) Day labourer in slate of stone quarries
Dikeman / Dykeman Ditch digger or hedger
Dipper Glazed goods in the pottery
Disher / Dish Thrower Made bowls and dishes from clay
Dish Turner Made wooden bowls and dishes on a lathe
Distributor Parish official who attended to the secular needs of inmates of the poorhouse / workhouse
Docker / Dock Walloper Stevedore, dock worker who loads and unloads cargo
Dock Foyboatman A shore-based seaman who worked a "foy" to give assistance to vessels entering port - running lines from the ship to shore, towing small vessels etc. Foy is a corruption of fee, which was what the boatman charged
Docket Room Hand Employed in a print works, processing the dockets which contain all the details, copy and pictures for a print job
Dockmaster In charge of a dockyard
Doffer Worked in the spinning mills, replacing the full yarn bobbins with empties on the looms.  More Info.
Dog Breaker Dog trainer
Dog Killer Employed by the parish to round up and kill stray dogs
Dog Leech Veterinarian
Dog-Whipper Drove dogs away from the church. The dogs would be attracted by the custom of nailing fox tails to the church door as proof for collecting bounty on them
Domesman Judge
Dominie Cleric or schoolmaster
Donkey Man/Boy Passenger carriage driver
Dorcas Seamstress
Doubler Operated a machine twisting yarn in cotton/woolen mills. The yarn on different bobbins is combined onto another bobbin
Dowser / Diviner Finds water using a rod or witching stick
Dragman Fisherman who dragged a net along the sea bed (trawling)
Dragoman Interpreter for Turkish or Arabic
Dragoon Cavalryman
Dragsman Public transport/hire coach/carriage driver
Drainer Dug drains
Draper Dealer in fabrics and sewing goods - in use today. From the French "drap-de-Berry", a woollen cloth coming from Berry in France
Drapery Painter Second-rate painters employed painting the clothes (drapery) onto a painter's subject
Drawboy Weavers assistant - sat on the looms to lift the heavy warps
Drawer 1) Made wire by drawing the metal through a die 2) Raised the coal up the mineshaft
Drawer In Draws the warp yarn through loom parts to arrange warp for weaving specified pattern More Info
Drayman Drove a long strong cart without fixed sides for carrying heavy loads, such as beer kegs
Dredgerman 1) Collected flotsam from the Thames for sale 2) Oyster fisherman
Dresser 1) A surgeon's assistant in a hospital  2) Operator who assembled the yarns or threads prior to weaving of cloth 3) Assistant to a noble person, preparing clothes etc. 4) In an Iron Foundry,  the person who removed the flash and unwanted bits from castings
Dressing Machine Maker Sewing machine maker
Drift Maker Made fishermen's drift nets
Drillman Agricultural worker who operated a seed drill
Dripping Man Dealer in dripping - fat from cooking meat
Driver Literally, a slave driver
Drover Drove cattle, sheep, etc. to market; a dealer in cattle
Drowner A Waterman who understood the secrets of irrigation See
Drugger Pharmacist
Drum Battledore Maker Made galvanized drums with battledores (bat-shaped paddles), used as washing machines
Drummer Travelling salesman (drumming up business)
Dry Salter 1) Dealt in dried meat, sauces, pickles 2) Dealt in dyes for fabrics etc.
Dry Stone Waller /
Dry Stane Dyker (Scottish)
Builds walls with stones from the fields. The art involves no mortar or cutting, but the ability to see where the stones should fit. Served the dual purpose of disposing of the stones from the fields and building the boundary walls
Dubber Cloth dubber - raised the nap of cloth
Duffer Peddler of cheap goods
Dunner Debt collector
Dyer Fabric dyer
Dykeman Hedger or Ditcher
Dyker (Scottish) Stonemason
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