Big Book - S
Sachrist / Sachristan Person retained in a cathedral to copy out music for the choir, and take care of the books. One who is in charge of a sacristy. A sexton.
Saddle Tree Maker Made the wooden frames around which the saddle was formed with leather
Saddler One who makes, repairs or sells saddles or other furnishings for horses
Safernman Grower of Saffron.
Saggar Maker / Saggar Maker's Bottom Knocker Made saggars (fired clay containers used to hold ceramic items in the kiln whilst firing.) The Saggar Maker's Bottom Knocker was the saggar maker's assistant, usually a young boy, who was responsible for knocking clay into a large metal hoop using a huge flat mallet called a mawl, to form the bottom of the saggar.
Saloonist Saloon keeper
Salt Boiler Obtained salt from boiling salt water
Salter / Saucer Made or dealt in salt
Saltpetre Man Collected urine and dung, used in the manufacture of saltpetre.
Sarcinet Weaver Silk weaver
Sandesman Ambassador or messenger
Sasine (scottish)- see seisin
Sawbones Physician
Sawyer Timber mill/pit worker, sawing timber
Say Weaver Made "say" - used in making table cloths bedding etc.
Scagiola Maker Made imitation marble
Scappler Rough-shaped stone before final dressing by a stonemason
Scavelman Cleaned and maintained waterways and ditches
Scavenger / Scaleraker 1) Street cleaner 2) Scavenger - also a child employed in a spinning mill to collect loose cotton lying about the floor under machinery
Schools see education
Schrimpschonger Artisan carving bone, ivory, wood etc.(Scrimgeour, scrimshaw)
Schumacker Shoemaker
Scotch Draper / Scotchman Sold goods door to door on instalment payments
Scribe Clerk - writer
Scriber Marked bales of cotton on the docks with weight prior to being sold by brokers
Scribler A person who tends a wool/cotton-combing machine called a Scribler - the first process in carding the yarn
Scribbler Minor or worthless author
Scrimer Fencing master
Scrivenor/er 1) Professional or public copyist or writer 2) notary public
Scrutineer Election judge
Scutcher Beat flax to soften the straw
Scullery Maid Female servant who was given the menial tasks
Scullerman Sculled a boat, (rather than rowing it) in ports/rivers as a ferry
Scullion Male servant who was given the menial tasks
Sea Fencibles The Sea Fencibles were established by Order in Council in May 1798 to defend the coast from invasion; they comprised "all such of the inhabitants of the towns and villages of Great Britain as shall voluntarily offer themselves for the defence of the coast". They were taught to use musket, pike and cannon. They were to assist in the manning of defensive positions (Martello towers), plus coastal signal stations and eventually given small boats to patrol harbours. They were to be paid one shilling per day served. It was attractive to fishermen and the like as you were given immunity from being pressed into the Navy. They were organised into districts, commanded by Naval Officers. They grew to their maximum strength in 1810, when there were over 23,000 of them and were disbanded at the end of the wars in 1814.
Seal Presser Glassmaking - sealed the bath to prevent air spoiling the glass surface
Searcher Customs man (today called a rummager - self descriptive) who searched for contraband
Secondary evidence evidence that is inferior to primary evidence or the best evidence.
Secondary source a secondary source is a record that was created a significant amount of time after an event occurred. For example, a marriage certificate would be a secondary source for a birth date, because the birth took place several years before the time of the marriage. However, that same marriage certificate would be a primary source for a marriage date, because it was created at the time of the marriage.
Secret Springer Watch spring maker
Seedsman Sower or dealer in seeds
Seeker of the Dead During the Plague, old women woere employed to diagnose the Plague from the buboes and count the dead to enable the compilation of Bills of Mortality, for which they were paid from 3 to 4 pence per corpse.
Self-acting Minder Self Actor Minder Watched and minded the 'Self Acting Mule' - the name of a multi thread spinning machine. The original Mule was hand operated and was invented by Samuel Crompton of Bolton in 1779. It was made self-acting by Richard Roberts in 1830.
Self-addressed stamped envelope (sase) when you request records or other information from people and institutions, you should include a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) in your letter. If you are expecting return mail from overseas, you should include an International Reply Coupon with your self-addressed envelope. This coupon serves as payment for any international postage you may need to pay. They can be purchased at your local post office.
Seisin possession of land by freehold
Seized To be in legal possession of, from the feudal concept of "seisin"
Semi Lorer Made leather thongs
Sempster / Sempstress / Sewster Seamstress
Seneschal steward or major domo of a great mediaeval house;cathedral official; judge in Sark
Sephardi Jew of spanish or Portuguese descent.
Serv. (abbreviation) servant
Settlement acts (link needed)
Sewer Hunter Scavenged in the sewers
Sewer Rat Bricklayer who made and repaired sewers and tunnels
Sewing Clerk Oversaw and collected clothing piecework
Sexton Church caretaker - sometimes dug graves or rang the bells
Shallooner See Chaloner
Shantyman Woodman, lumberman
Sharecropper Tenant farmer whose pay was a fixed part of the crop
Shearer As today, sheared the fleece from sheep
Shearman / Sherman 1) Skilled worker who sheared the nap from cloth - also Cropper 2) Cutter of metal.
Sheath Maker Made sword and dagger scabbards
Sheepman Shepherd
Shepster 1) Dressmaker 2) Sheep Shearer
Sheriff Representative of Royal office in a Shire.
Ship's Husband Supplied stores for and maintained ships in dock
Ship Master Ship's Captain - still used today - often also the vessel's owner
Shipwright Builder and repairer of ships
Shoe Finder Sold cobbler's tools
Shoesmith 1) Cobbler 2) Shoed horses
Shoe Wiper Polished shoes - a boot-boy
Shot Firer Employed blasting in quarries
Shrager Trimmed and pruned trees
Shrieve / Shriever Sheriff
Shuffler Farm yardman
Shunter Moved - shunted - rolling stock around in railway yards to make up, and break down, goods trains
Shuttle Maker Made the wooden shuttles for the looms
Shuttle Tip Maker Made the pointed steel shuttle tips and made in many different designs. A very skilled job as the tips had to withstand being hammered to make the shuttles fly through the yarns from one side of the loom to the other and had to have aerodynamic properties. Forged by hammering red-hot steel
Sibling a brother or sister, persons who share the same parents in common.
Sic latin term signifying a copy reads exactly as the original; indicates a possible mistake in the original.
Sick Visitor Employed by Friendly Societies, who paid benefits to sick people, to ensure they were entitled to receive/continue to receive benefits.
Sickleman Reaper
Sidesman Churchwarden's assistant - esp. in church services
Silkman Person engaged in the manufacture and or sale of silk
Silk Drawer Drew silk from silk waste for spinning
Silk Dresser Prepared the silk for weaving
Silk Engine Turner Worked on automatic silk weaving looms
Silk Mercer Silk merchant
Silk Piecer Joined the broken threads in the silk spinning mills
Silk Staff Man Probably a worker more on a permanant rather than itinerary position.
Silk Steward Manager of a silk weaving/spinning/winding and cleaning room
Silk Thrower/Throwster Employed in the silk weaving industry, twisting silk into yarn
Silk Twister Silk Spinner (from the raw)
Silk Winder Wound the silk from the silkworm cocoons onto bobbins
Silker Bound the ends of the silk fabric to prevent fraying
Simpler Agriculturalist (herbalist)
Sinker Sunk shafts for mining
Sinker Maker Made lead weights used with hosiery knitting machines, (Nottingham Area)
Sissor / Cissor Tailor
Sizer Applied size to cloth in manufacture
Skepper / Skelper Beehive maker/seller
Skinkster Alehouse tapster
Skinner 1) Dealer in hides 2) Mule driver
Skip Maker Made skips (large baskets), used in mining and quarrying, for transporting product or personnel
Slapper / Slaper Pottery worker who prepared the clay for the potter
Slasher Applied size (Slasher Sizing) to the warp thread in weaving, to strengthen it and facilitate the weaving process.
Slater Roofer
Slate River Was employed to cleave blocks of quarried slate in the making of slates for roofing etc. (River pronounced as in diver)
Slaymaker Made the reeds or slays used in weaving. Slays (wooden pegs) or reeds were used to separate the threads on the loom
Slinger Person who used slings for loading goods on ships, wagons etc.
Slopseller 1) Slopshop keeper - readymade clothes 2) Basket seller
Slubber Prepared cotton for spinning, removing the "slubs"
Slubber Doffer Removed the empty bobbins from the loom spindles
Slubbing Frame Fitter Installed and maintained a Slubbing Frame, used in the preparation of cotton ready for spinning
Smallpox contagious disease which was often fatal
Smallware Maker Made "smallware" - tapes, braids, ribbons etc.
Smelter 1) Smelt fisherman 2) Smelter in an iron foundry
Smiddy Smith sometimes still used as a nickname for Smith surname
Smith Metal worker see also Engine Smith, Blacksmith, Fender Smith
Smoke Doctor Specialist in the construction or repair of chimneys
Smugsmith Smuggler
Snobscat / Snob Shoe repairer
Snuffer Maker Made candle snuffers
S/o (abbrev) son of
Soaper / Soper / Soap Boiler Soap Maker
Soc.(abbrev) Society
Social security death index(USA) the Social Security Death Index is an index of Social Security Death records. Generally this includes names of deceased Social Security recipients whose relatives applied for Social Security Death Benefits after their passing. Also included in the millions of records are approximately 400,000 railroad retirement records from the early 1900s to 1950s
Sojourn Clothier Travelling clothes salesman
Sojourner (parish records) a stranger passing through, a traveller, one not expected to settle in the parish
'Sortor Tailor
Soundex phoenetic indexing system.
Source the document, record, publication, manuscript, etc. used to prove a fact
Souter Shoe maker
Spallier Tin worker's assistant
Speenhamland A system of Poor Laws, widely adopted.
Sperviter Sparrow keeper
Spicer Spice dealer / grocer
Spindle & Fly Maker Made the metal Spindles and Fly used in spinning machines
Spinner Spun the yarn to make cloth
Spinster 1) A woman who spins 2) unmarried woman
Splitter Worked a machine splitting stone, timber etc. or did so by hand
Sponsor a sponsor is an individual other than the parents of a child that takes responsibility for the child's religious education. Sponsors are usually present at a child's baptism. Sponsors are often referred to as godparents
Spooner Spoon maker
Sprig Maker A weaver of fine lace sprigs applique. eg 'Honiton' Lace in Devon
Spurrer / Spurrier Made spurs
Squire / Esquire 1) Country landed gentleman 2) Magistrate or justice of the peace 3) Knight's attendant 4) Professional man
Stabler Ostler
Stab-rag Tailor (military slang) mid 19c - also Rag-stabber (slang)
Stallman Market stall holder
Stampman Worked an ore-crushing machine
Stationary Engine Driver Operated steam factory engine, used for all processes, usually linked by a system of shafts, pulleys and belts
Stationary Engineer Maintained the factory steam engine and machinery
Statist Politician
Statute a law.
Staymaker Corset maker
Steeplejack Worked on steeples, chimneys, flagpoles etc - still exists
Steersman Ship's helmsman
Stenterer Worked a cloth finishing machine
Step Boy Helped passengers on and off coaches Stepchild child of one of the spouses by a former marriage who has not been adopted by the step-parent.
Stepfather husband of a child's mother by a later marriage
Stepmotherwife of a child's father by a later marriage.
Stews brothel (often used in plural form with singular meaning)
Stick Maker Made walking sticks
Still Room Maid Worked in the Victorian Still-Room in a large household where she would concoct the kitchen cleaners, soaps, candles and cosmetics for the lady of the house
Stockinger Kntter weaver or seller of stockings
Stoker Tended and fed coal to boilers in mills and aboard ship
Stoker Refuse Destructor Fed refuse to an incinerator
Stone Dresser Prepared quarried stone for building. This would include cutting it into regular sized blocks with a reasonably even surface
Stone Picker Removed stones from fields before planting
Stoneman / Stonewarden Highway surveyor
Stover / Stever/ Staver The senior member of a partnership of miners and in charge at the surface
Stowyer Stowed nets on fishing boats
Stravaiger Vagrant
Strawman (16/17c) Hired to give false evidence for the prosecution in Court
Straw Joiner Thatcher (of roofs)
Straw Plaiter Plaited straw for use in hat-making
Streaker Laid out bodies for burial
Street Orderly/Boy Street cleaner
Strickler Skimmed off the scum from molten iron in a mould
Stretcher / Tenter Stretched fabrics after weaving on a frame with hooks - origin of saying "on tenterhooks"
Striker / Stryker 1) Blacksmith's assistant 2) Harpoon man on a whaler
Stripper Cleaned the carding machines in mills
Stringer Made bowstrings
Stroller 1) A vagabond, vagrant; an itinerant beggar or pedlar. 2) An itinerant actor; a strolling player.
Stuff Gownsman Junior barrister
Stuff Weaver Wove "stuff" - a coarse cloth
Sucksmith Made Ploughshares
Suffrage see emancipation
Sugar Baker 1) Sugar Refiner 2) Made confectionery or cake decorations 3) Fancy baker.
Sumner Summoner or Apparitor
Sumpter Porter
Supercargo Officer on a chartered merchant ship who is in charge of cargo and the commercial concerns of the ship (on behalf of the charterers) - Still in use
Surname family name
Sutler Merchant or peddler in an army camp
Swailer 1) Miller 2) Grain dealer
Swain Herdsman
Swaith Maker A Swaith / Swathe was (usually) a cotton or silk shroud used for burial
Sweep Chimneysweep
Swell Maker Made shallow baskets
Swiller A basket weaver/maker - an old Cumberland name
Swineyard / Swineherd Pig Keeper
Swingler Beat flax to remove the coarse parts
Sword Cutler Made swords
