Big Book - L

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Lace Drawer Drew out the threads in lace making.

Laceman Lace dealer. Purchased from home weavers good they had made, often with his threads.

Lace-Master/Mistress Employed lace workers in factories/at home

Lace Runner Embroidered on lace

Lace Woman Lady's maid

Lagger Sailor

Lagraetmen Constable - contraction of Law Rightman

Lairages areas where cattle were temporarily housed while in transit to markets.

Lairman / Lairsman Looked after cattle during brief stops

Lairwite - fine paid by a villein to the lord of the manor after his daughter committed fornication or adultery. Also spelled leywrite, learwite, and leyrewite.

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, responsible for keeping all oil lamps on the vessel in working order, /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.

LAN- Standard Abbreviation for County of Lancashire, England (Chapman Code)

Land records -proof that a piece of land is owned by a particular individual.

Landwaiter / Landing Waiter Customs official overseeing landed goods from ships

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)

Late denoting someone who is deceased

Lath Renderer Applied the first coat of plaster on wall & ceiling. (Plasterer's assistant)

Lattener / Lattensmith Brass worker. Latten was an alloy similar to brass

Lavender Washerwoman

Layer Paper mill worker - at a particular process

LDS Latter Day Saints also known as the Mormon church

LDY Standard Abbreviation for County of Londonderry, Northern Ireland (Chapman Code)

Leather Currier Tanned leather by incorporating oil or grease

Leavelooker Examined market foodstuffs

Leech Physician

Lederer Leather maker - (from German)

Legacy property or money bequeathed to someone in a will.

Legatee someone who inherits money or property from a person who left a will.

Legerdemainist Magician

Legger Propelled barges through tunnels by means of Legging

Legging the means by which a barge was propelled through a tunnel by the use of men/boys (not horses)

LEI Standard Abbreviation for County of Leicestershire, England (Chapman Code)

Leighton the term for a garden

Leightonward Gardener.

Lengthsman Checked canal for leaks/maintained tow paths ie: vegetation cutting

Lepra Leprosy

Lessee - person leasing property from an owner.

Lessor owner leasing property to a tenant.

LET Standard Abbreviation for County of Co. Leitrim, Ireland (Chapman Code)

Letter Carrier The 18c. term for a postman,

Letters Testamentary court document allowing the executor named in a will to carry out his or her duties.

LEX Standard Abbreviation for County of Co. Laois, Ireland (Chapman Code)

Liber book of public records.

Lic. (abbreviation)- license.

Licensed Messenger Licensed couriers who delivered messages and documents.

Licensed Victualler A Tavern or Innkeeper or Publican

Lien claim placed on property by a person who is owed money

Licentiam Latin by licence

Life estate use interest in property until death.

Lighterman Works (still) on lighters - flat bottomed barges

Lights The lungs

LIM Standard Abbreviation for County of. Limerick, Ireland (Chapman Code)

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 lineage - direct line of descent from an ancestor; ancestry; progeny

LIN Standard Abbreviation for County of Lincolnshire, England (Chapman Code)

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. /general manservant

Lis pendens notices of suits pending litigation, usually in matters concerning land.

Lister / Litster Dyer

Litigant person involved in a lawsuit.

Litterman Horse groom

Liv. (abbreviation)- living.

LKS Standard Abbreviation for County of Lanarkshire Scotland (Chapman Code)

LND Standard Abbreviation for London, England (Chapman Code)

Loadsman / Lodesman Ship's pilot.

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 jaw tetanus

Lock Keeper (Still) Maintains and operates canal locks

Loco parentis in place of the parent or parents.

LOG Abbreviation for County of Longford, Ireland (Chapman Code)

Logwood Grinder Made a dye from logwood for the textile industry

Long Sickness Tuberculosis

Long Song Seller Street seller of popular printed song sheets

Loom Sweeper Child or small adult employed crawling under weaving looms to clean, whilst in operation.

Loom Winder / Tender Tended winding units attached to looms that automatically wind yarn onto quills

Lorimer / Lormer 1) Maker of horse gear 2) Maker of small ironware 3) Wrought iron worker

LOU Standard Abbreviation for County of Louth, Ireland (Chapman Code)

Lotseller Street Seller

Lues Syphilis from Latin 'plague'

Lues Venera Any venereal disease, often syphilis

Lum Swooper (Scottish) Chimney sweep

Lumper 1) Dock worker unloading timber for a "Master Lumper" 2) Worker in salt making

Lunatic of less than sound mind

Lunatic asylum Mental hospital

Lungs Alchemist's assistant who fanned the fire

Lung Fever Pneumonia

Lung Sickness Tuberculosis

Lupoid pertaining to chronic skin problem

Lupus Vulgaris Tuberculosis of the skin

Lurry original spelling of Lorry

Lurryman Driver of a lurry

Luthier Made and repaired stringed instruments

Ltd. (abbreviation)-limited

LTN Standard Abbreviation for County of Lothian, Scotland (Chapman Code)

Lying In Time of delivery of infant

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