Big Book - T
Tabernarius Tavern or innkeeper - from the Latin
Tabler Boarding House keeper
Tackler Overlooker of weaving shed workers
Taker Off / In Unhitched coal tubs from an endless rope system - usually children
Tallow Chandler Candle maker/seller
Tally Clerk As today, tallied goods into and out of warehouses, ships etc.
Tallyman / Tally Fellow 1) Sold goods on instalment plan. 2) Local official who tallied the allowed number of persons in a dwelling for health reasons - usually 3 adults and four children
Tan Bark Stripper Collected tree bark used for tanning leather
Tanner Tanned (cured) animal hides for leather making. Still used.
Tanner's Beamsman Draped part-cured skins over a Tanners Beam, a flat slab of wood or stone, to scrape off the remaining flesh, fat and hair
Taper Weaver Made candle wicks
Tapiter / Tapicer Weaver of worsted cloth
Tapley Put the taps in ale casks
Tapster Barman / woman
Tar Boy Applied tar (antiseptic) to sheep when nicked by shearers
Tasker Reaper
Tasseler Made tassels for furnishings
Taverner Innkeeper
Tawer / Tawyer Made white leather
Teamster / Teamer / Teamer Man Driver of a team horses used for hauling test. (abbreviation)
Teemer 1) Emptied grain brought by cart 2) Poured molten steel into moulds
Teerer/Tierer/Tier Boy Spread a fresh surface of colour on the printer's 'pad' each time he used it to print calico
Tenter / Tenterer 1) Someone who, after cloth was dyed, stretched it on a frame, called a "Tent" for drying . This frame was fitted with hooks known as "Tenterhooks" - about which we all know! Photo (1950) 2) The term was also used for a person who looked after or watched something. .i.e. Tip tenter - person inspecting finished shuttle tips after manufacture. (Tenter - from Tender, to tend
Testate died leaving a valid will.
Testator man who writes a valid will.
Testatrix woman who writes a valid will.
Testis a witness
Textor Weaver
Thacker / Thatcher Roof thatcher, using straw or, more usually, reeds
Thanage rank of, or land granted to, a thane.
Thane(1) one holding land from the king or crown,by virtue of military service.Ranking between ordinary freemen and hereditary nobles.(2) servant or soldier
Theemaker Shoemaker
Thegn (see thane)
Thirdborough Under-constable
Thresher Separated chaff from grain
Throstle Spinner Attended a spinning machine known as a Throstle, due to the noise it made, which resembled a lark, or throstle. The machine was used for the continuous spinning of cotton (or wool) simultaneously onto long rows of, perhaps 300 or 400, pirns or bobbins.
Throwster / Thrower Textile worker attending machine which twisted together strands of fibre into yarn - cotton, silk, wool etc.
Tickneyman / woman Travelling earthenware seller
Tide Gauger / Surveyor Monitored the state of the tides
Tide Waiter / Tidesman Customs inspector who boarded ship on arrival to enforce customs regulations
Tiger Liveried pageboy / groom
Tiler Worked with roof and floor tiles
Tiller Farmer
Tillman Ploughman
Timekeeper A person responsible for making sure things happened on time e.g. worker arriving or departing, trains, coaches, omnibuses, etc.
Times Ironer Servant who literally ironed The Times newspaper!
Timoneer A ship's helmsman (from French, timonier)
Tinctor Dyer
Tinker An itinerant tin pot and pan seller and repairman
Tinner 1) Tin miner 2) Tinsmith
Tinsmith Worked with tin
Tinter / Teinter Artists who tinted photographs before colour was available
Tipper Tipped arrows etc. with metal
Tippler Alehouse keeper - It was also the name for an outside "toilet" (hole in the ground)
Tipstaff 1) Court official 2) Policeman
Tirewoman 1) Female dresser - esp. theatrical 2) Milliner 3) Hairdresser
Tithable a person taxable by law.
Tithe in English law, the tenth part of one's annual increase paid to support noblemen and clergy; amount of annual poll tax.
Tixtor Weaver
Tort breach, a wrong (legal)
Tobacco Spinner Made cigars
Todhunter Employed by the parish to hunt foxes
Toe Rag Worked in the docks as a corn porter
Toilinet Maker / Knotter Made "toilinet" - a kind of quilting - The knotter made the knots at the edges
Toller / Tollie / Tollman / Tollgate Keeper Collected road tolls at a Toll Gate/House
Tonsor Barber - from Latin
Tool Helver Tool handle maker
Topman Seaman - worked in the "tops" (aloft) on sailing ships
Top Sawyer Upper man in a sawpit - using a long two-man saw
Topsman Head cattle drover
Tosher Scratched a living by scavenging the Victorian sewers
Touch holer Worked in gun making
Tow Card Maker Made "tow cards" used in weaving mills
Town Chamberlain Looked after a town's affairs
Town Crier "Cried" public announcements and used a bell to get attention
Town Husband Collected dues from fathers of illegitimate children of the parish for their upkeep
Townsman Commercial traveller
Townswaiter Customs man
Tozer Worked in the mills "tosing" (teasing) the cloth
Trace Maker/Tracer Worked in a draughting office, copying engineering diagrams, using tracing paper. In the days before photocopying, plans and diagrams for mining and manufacturing industries were copied by hand. It required accuracy, patience and a knack for using the pen without producing ink blots Trammer Young mineworker
Trampler Lawyer
Tranqueter Made barrel hoops
Tranter Peddler, often hiring himself out with his horse and cart
Trapper Opened and shut doors for miners
Traveller 1) A Gypsy 2) Travelling salesman
Travers Toll bridge collector
Treen Maker Made wooden domestic goods
Treenail Maker Made "treenails" - long wooden pins used in shipbuilding
Trencher Maker Made wooden "trenchers" - platters for serving or cutting food
Trencherman Cook
Trimmer 1) Ship's crewman who trimmed coal in ship's bunkers 2) Dockworker who trimmed grain or bulk cargo in ship's hold to spread it out evenly
Troacher Peddler
Troner Official weigher in markets
Trouchman / Truchman Interpreter
Trover Smuggler
Truchman Interpreter
Trugger / Trug maker Made "trugs" - shallow baskets
Trusser Hay baler - made up hay trusses
Tubber Made tubs and barrels - a cooper
Tubedrawer Made tubes
Tubman 1) English barrister 2) Court official 3) Filled tubs in a coalmine
Tucker Cleaned cloth goods
Tucker-in Chambermaid who tucked in the bed-clothing
Turner 1) Lathe worker 2) Gymnast esp. street performers
Turnkey Jailer
Turning Boy Weaver's assistant - turned the loom bar
Turnpike Keeper Collected road tolls
Turnspit Boy who turned the spit handle, roasting meat. (Medieval)
Tweeny / Tweenie Maid employed "between the stairs" assisting cook and housemaids
Twiller Produced a raised diagonal rib appearance in fabric
Twist Hand Used a lace-making machine
Twister / Twisterer Worked a machine twisting the yarns or threads Ring Frame Twister
Tyresmith Blacksmith who specilised in making the iron bands (tyres) around wooden cart wheels before the introduction of rubber, later pneumatic tyres.
