Big Book - D
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
Daughter-in-law The wife of an individual's son. Daughter-in-law also used to mean step-daughter
Deal Porter A specialistworker in the docks - mainly London, handling baulks of softwood or "deal" between ship and shore.
Deathsman Executioner - very popular!
Deceased commonly written "the deceased," meaning someone who has died.
Decimer / Dozener Elected by householders in a street to represent them at the Court Leet
Declaration of intention A document filed in a court by an alien who intended to become a United States citizen. It could also be a declaration filed by a couple in a local court, indicating their intention to marry.
Decoyman Decoyed wild fowl, animals, into a trap or within shooting range
Decretist Knowledgeable in decrees (decretals)
Deed document transfering ownership and title of property
Deemer/Deemster/Dempster/Demster Judge
Defeasance Forfeiture or annulment of something or some legal right (usually because some original condition has not been complied with; e.g. not paying the mortgage)
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
Descendant Your descendants are your children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren etc, those who are born after you in following generations.
Devil Printer's errand boy
Deviller Operated a "devil" - a machine that tore rags in the textile industry
Devise gift of real property by last will and testament of the donor
Devisee person receiving land or real property in the last will and testament of the donor.
Devised Give land or property in a Will. Or to plan and contrive.
Devisor person giving land or real property in a last will and testament
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
Direct line line of decent traced through persons who are related to one another as a child and parent.
Directories directories come in all types: city, telephone, county, regional, professional, religious, post office, street, ethnic, and schools.
Disher / Dish Thrower Made bowls and dishes from clay
Dish Turner Made wooden bowls and dishes on a lathe
Dissenter name given a person who refused to belong to the established Church of England
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
Dockmaster In charge of a dockyard
Doffer Worked in the spinning mills, replenishing the empty bobbins 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
Donkey Man/Boy Passenger carriage driver
Dorcas Seamstress (biblical origin)
Double date the practice of writing double dates resulted from switching from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar.
Dowager widow holding property or a title received from her deceased husband; title given in England to widows of princes, dukes, earls, and other noblemen.
Dower legal provision of real estate and support made to the widow for her lifetime from a husband's estate.
Dowry/dowery land, money, goods, or personal property brought by a bride to her husband in marriage.
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 Franc
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
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
Drugger/Druggist 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
D.S.P. decessit sine prole (died without issue)
Dubber Cloth dubber - raised the nap of cloth
Duffer Peddler of cheap goods
Dyer Fabric dyer
Dykeman Hedger or Ditcher
Dyker (Scottish) - Stonemason
