Olde Occupations
H - L

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Haberdasher seller of men's clothing
Hacker maker of hoes
Hackler separated the coarse part of flax or hemp with a hackle
Hackman separated the coarse part of flax or hemp with a hackle
Hackney Man renter of horses & carriages
Hair Seating & Curled Hair Merchant dealer in horse-hair stuffing used in upholstery
Hairman weaver of cloth composed wholly or partly of horsehair
Hairweaver weaver of cloth composed wholly or partly of horsehair
Halbert Carrier soldier or halberdier armed with a halberd
Hamberghmaker horse collar maker
Hamberow horse collar maker
Hammerman hammerer; a smith; worked in the tinplate manufacturing industry
Hand Flowerer ladies who embroidered flowers or similar designs on muslin or cambric
Handle Sticker put handles on cast ceramic cups, pitchers, etc
Handseller street vendor
Handwoman midwife or female attendant
Hanger-On hung corves (baskets) on rope at the pit-bottom; later - pushed tubs of coal into the mine-shaft cage
Hankyman traveling magician in Victorian/Edwardian England
Hansard weapon maker or seller
Harlot vagabond; beggar; rogue; (14th century) male servant; attendant or menial; (15th century) loose woman
Harmer Beck constable
Harper performer on the harp
Hatcheler combed out or carded flax
Hatchler combed out or carded flax
Hatter maker of or dealer in hats
Haulier employed in coal mine, dragged a dram
Hawker peddler
Haymonger dealer in hay
Hayward keeper of fences
Headborough constable
Headsman executioner
Headswoman midwife
Heald Knitter operator of a machine which produced a jersey type of fabric as opposed to woven fabric
Heater employed in iron works
Heck Maker maker of a part of a spinning machine by which the yarn is guided to the reels
Heckler separated the coarse part of flax or hemp with a hackle
Hedge Looker supervised good repair of fence and enclosures
Hedger hedge trimmer
Heelmaker made shoe heels
Hellier tiler or slater
Hello Girl telephone employee in the early 1900s
Helper-Up young boy employed in Durham pits to help other workers
Hempheckler flax worker
Henchman horseman or groom
Hensman horseman or groom
Henter thief
Herd shepherd or herdsman
Hetheleder provider of heather for fuel
Hewer miner who cut coal, stone, etc., a face worker in a mine
Higgler itinerant peddler; haggles or bargains; similar to cadger
Highwayman robber who preys on public roads
Hillard tiled roofs with slate; tiler
Hiller tiled roofs with slate; tiler
Hillier tiled roofs with slate; tiler
Hind farm laborer
Hired Man gardener; farmhand; or stableman
Hitcher in charge of the cage at the pit-bottom
Hobbler boat tower on a river or canal
Hodsman mason's assistant
Hoggard pig drover
Hogger railroad engineer or train driver
Hoghead railroad engineer or train driver
Holster groom who took care of horses, often at an inn; reaper
Honey Dipper extracted raw sewage from catch basins and out-houses
Hoofer dancer
Hooker (16th century) reaper; (19th century) worker in textile industry who operated a machine which laid fabric flat in uniform folds of any required length; worked in the tinplate  manufacturing industry
Hooker-On hung corves (baskets) on rope at the pit-bottom; later - pushed tubs of coal into the mine-shaft cage
Hooper made hoops for casks and barrels
Horner worker in horn making spoons, combs, or musical horns
Horse Capper dealer in worthless horses
Horse Courser owner of race horses
Horse Knave groom
Horse Leech veterinarian, farrier
Horse Marine man-handled barges on canals when horses could not be used
Horse-Hair Curler dressed horse hair which was used extensively in the upholstery trade
Horsler hostler (stableman or groom), horse servant at an inn
Hosier retailer of stockings, socks, gloves, nightcaps
Hosteler innkeeper
Hostler groom who cared for horses
Hotpresser worker in paper or textile industries
House Joiner house framer
House Wright house builder
Howdy Wife midwife
Hoyman carries goods and passengers by water (Hoy = small coastal vessel or sloop)
Huckster peddler
Huckster sells small wares
Huissher usher or door attendant
Hurdleman hedge-maker, of wattled framework fencing
Hurdler hedge-maker, of wattled framework fencing
Hurriers term applied to the girls aged 5-18 who were employed as coal-drawers in the coal industry
Husbandman a farmer; animal husbandry; tenant farmer
Hush Shop Keeper brewed and sold beer without a license (usually as a side line)
Iceman seller or deliverer of ice
Idleman gentleman of leisure
Indentured servant has committed to working for someone for a fixed number of years
Infirmarian in charge of an infirmary
Intelligencer spy
Intendent director of a public or government business
Interfactor murderer
Iron Founder founds iron
Iron Master owner or manager of a foundry
Iron Monger dealer in hardware made of iron (also known as a feroner)
Iron moulder   foundry worker who produced the sand molds into which the molten iron was poured to produce a cast metal/iron object
Ivory Workers included makers of combs, boxes, billiard balls, buttons, and keys for pianofortes
Jack young male assistant, sailor, or lumberjack
Jack-Frame Tenter cotton industry worker who operated a jack-frame, used for giving a twist to the thread
Jack-Smith maker of lifting machinery and contrivances
Jagger carrier; carter; peddler or hawker of fish; (19th century) young boy in charge of 'jags' or train of trucks in coal mine; man in charge of pack horse carrying iron ore to be smelted
Jakes-Farmer emptied cesspools
Japanner covers with a hard brilliant coat of any of several varnishes
Jerquer custom house officer who searched ships
Jersey Comber worker in woolen manufacture (Jersey = wool which has been combed but not spun into yarn)
Jiggerman operated a spinning wheel (Jigger) to form the foot (back side) of a ceramic plate
Jobber a buyer in quantity to sell to others, a pieceworker
Jobling Gardener employed on a casual basis
Jobmaster supplied carriages, horses and drivers for hire
Joiner skilled carpenter
Jongleur traveling minstrel
Jorman journeyman
Journeyman not bound to serve a master, but hired by the day
Jouster fish monger
Joyner skilled carpenter
Kedger fisherman
Keeler bargeman
Keelman bargeman
Keeper colliery official who checked quantity and quality of coal output or weighman
Keeper controlled the quantities of ore and fuel, regulated the blast and tapped the molten metal from the furnace
Keller salt keeper
Kellogg slaughter man
Kempster wool comber
Kepegest innkeeper
Kiddier skinner or dealer in young goats
Kilner limeburner, in charge of a kiln
Kisser made cuishes and high armor
Knacker harness maker, buyer of old horses and dead animals
Knappers dressed and shaped flints into required shape and size
Kneller chimney sweep who solicited custom by knocking on doors
Knocker-Up man paid to wake up northern mill and factory workers on early shifts
Knocknobbler dog catcher
Knoller toller of bells
Knuller chimney sweep who solicited custom by knocking on doors
Lace Runner young worker who embroidered patterns on lace
Lace-Drawer child employed in lace work, drawing out threads
Laceman collected lace and sold it in the lace markets
Lace-Master/Mistress employed workers in factories or in their homes for the production of lace
Lacewoman lady's maid
Lagger sailor
Lagreatman local constable (Law-Rightman)
Lampa glass blower
Lampe glass blower
Landguard group of customs men stationed along a coast to prevent landing of smuggled goods
Landwaiter customs officer whose duty was to wait or attend on landed goods
Lardner keeper of the cupboard
Laster shoe maker
Lath render put the plaster on walls and ceilings; split withies or pieces of timber to make laths
Latouner worker in latten (a metal resembling brass)
Lattener brass worker
Launderer washer
Lavender washer woman
Layer worker in paper mill responsible for a particular stage in paper-making process
Leavelooker examined food on sale at market
Lederer leather maker
Leech physician
Legerdemainist magician
Legger canal boatman
Lehrer teacher
Leightonward gardener (leighton - a garden)
Lengthman ; employee of Great Western Railway - walked specified length of track carrying out minor repairs and reporting more major work necessary
Lengthsman railway worker who had a length of railway track to keep in good order
Lighterman worker on a flat-bottomed boat
Limeburner maker of lime
Limner draughtsman; illuminator of books, painter or drawer
Linener linen draper, shirt maker
Liner flax dresser
Linkerboy/man carried a link or torch to guide people through city streets at night for a small fee
List Boys worked in the tinplate manufacturing industry
Lister dyer; worked in the tinplate manufacturing industry
Litster dyer; worked in the tinplate manufacturing industry
Litterman groom (of horses)
Loadsman ship's pilot
Loblolly Boy ship's doctor's assistant or errand boy
Lock Keeper overseer of canal locks
Locker customs officer who guarded a bonded warehouse
Lokeer locksmith
Long Song Seller street seller who sold popular song sheets printed on paper
Longshoreman stevedore
Lorimer maker of horse gear
Lormer maker of horse gear
Lotter bought odd lots of wool and consolidated them for sale
Lum Swooper chimney sweep
Lumper dock laborer who discharged cargo of timber employed by a master lumper; fine-grain salt maker, from practice of molding salt into lumps
Lungs alchemist's servant whose duty was to fan the fire
Luthier maker and repairer of stringed musical instruments
Lyner flax dresser
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© 2000 Rhonda Stolte Darnell