The following are some commonly used abbreviations for US Census
documents:
|
Accomptant | Accountant |
|
Almoner | Giver of charity to the needy |
|
Amanuensis | Secretary or stenographer |
|
Artificer | A soldier mechanic who does repairs |
|
Bailie | Bailiff |
|
Baxter | Baker |
|
Bluestocking | Female writer |
|
Boniface | Keeper of an inn |
|
Brazier | One who works with brass |
|
Brewster | Beer manufacturer |
|
Brightsmith | Metal Worker |
|
Burgonmaster | Mayor |
|
Caulker | One who filled up cracks (in ships or windows) or seems to make
them watertight by using tar or oakum-hemp fiber
produced by
taking old ropes apart |
|
Chaisemaker | Carriage maker |
|
Chandler | Dealer or trader; one who makes or sells candles;
retailer of groceries |
|
Chiffonnier | Wig maker |
|
Clark | Clerk |
|
Clerk | Clergyman, cleric |
|
Clicker | The servant of a salesman who stood at the door to
invite
customers; OR
one who received the matter in the galley from the
compositors
and arranged it in due form ready for printing; OR
one who makes eyelet holes
in boots using a machine which
clicked. |
|
Cohen | Priest |
|
Collier | Coal miner |
|
Colporteur | Peddler of books |
|
Cooper | One who makes or repairs vessels made of staves
& hoops, such as casks, barrels, tubs, etc. |
|
Cordwainer | Shoemaker, originally any leather worker
using leather from Cordova/Cordoba in Spain |
|
Costermonger | Peddler of fruits and vegetables |
|
Crocker | Potter |
|
Crowner | Coroner |
|
Currier | One who dresses the coat of a horse with a curry comb;
one who tanned leather by incorporating oil or grease |
|
Docker | Stevedore, dock worker who loads and unloads cargo |
|
Dowser | One who finds water using a rod or witching stick |
|
Draper | A dealer in dry goods |
|
Drayman | One who drives a long strong cart without
fixed sides for carrying heavyloads |
|
Dresser | A surgeon's assistant in a hospital |
|
Drover | One who drives cattle, sheep, etc. to market; a dealer in cattle |
|
Duffer | Peddler |
|
Factor | Agent, commission merchant; one who acts or transacts
business for another; Scottish steward or bailiff of an estate |
|
Farrier | A blacksmith, one who shoes horses |
|
Faulkner | Falconer |
|
Fell monger | One who removes hair or wool from hides in preparation
for leather making |
|
Fletcher | One who made bows and arrows |
|
Fuller | One who fulls cloth; one who shrinks and thickens woolen cloth
by moistening, heating, and pressing; one who cleans and finishes
cloth |
|
Gaoler | A keeper of the goal, a jailer |
|
Glazier | Window glassman |
|
Hacker | Maker of hoes |
|
Hatcheler | One who combed out or carded flax |
|
Haymonger | Dealer in hay |
|
Hayward | Keeper of fences |
|
Higgler | Itinerant peddler |
|
Hillier | Roof tiler |
|
Hind | A farm laborer |
|
Hoslter | A groom who took care of horses, often at an inn |
|
Hooker | Reaper |
|
Hooper | One who made hoops for casks and barrels |
|
Huckster | Sells small wares |
|
Husbandman | A farmer who cultivated the land |
|
Jagger | Fish peddler |
|
Journeyman | One who had served his apprenticeship and mastered his craft,
not bound to serve a master, but hired by the day |
|
Joyner/Joiner | A skilled carpenter |
|
Keeler | Bargeman |
|
Kempster | Wool comber |
|
Lardner | Keeper of the cupboard |
|
Lavender | Washer woman |
|
Lederer | Leather maker |
|
Leech | Physician |
|
Longshoreman | Stevedore |
|
Lormer | Maker of horse gear |
|
Malender | Farmer |
|
Maltster | Brewer |
|
Manciple | A steward |
|
Mason | Bricklayer |
|
Mintmaster | One who issued local currency |
|
Monger | Seller of goods (ale, fish) |
|
Muleskinner | Teamster |
|
Neatherder | Herds cows |
|
Ordinary Keeper | Innkeeper with fixed prices |
|
Pattern Maker | A maker of a clog shod with an iron ring. A clog was a
wooden pole with a pattern cut into the end |
|
Peregrinator | Itinerant wanderer |
|
Peruker | A wig maker |
|
Pettifogger | A shyster lawyer |
|
Pigman | Crockery dealer |
|
Plumber | One who applied sheet lead for roofing and set
lead
frames for plain orstained glass windows. |
|
Porter | Door keeper |
|
Puddler | Wrought iron worker |
|
Quarrier | Quarry worker |
|
Rigger | Hoist tackle worker |
|
Ripper | Seller of fish |
|
Roper | Maker of rope or nets |
|
Saddler | One who makes, repairs or sells saddles or other
furnishings for horses |
|
Sawbones | Physician |
|
Sawyer | One who saws; carpenter |
|
Schumacker | Shoemaker |
|
Scribler | A minor or worthless author |
|
Scrivener | Professional or public copyist or writer; notary public |
|
Scrutiner | Election judge |
|
Shrieve | Sheriff |
|
Slater | Roofer |
|
Slopseller | Seller of ready-made clothes in a slop shop |
|
Snobscat/Snob | One who repaired shoes |
|
Sorter | Tailor |
|
Spinster | A woman who spins or an unmarried woman |
|
Spurrer | Maker of spurs |
|
Squire | Country gentleman; farm owner; justice of peace |
|
Stuff gown | Junior barrister |
|
Stuff gownsman | Junior barrister |
|
Supercargo | Officer on merchant ship who is in charge of cargo
and the commercial concerns of the ship |
|
Tanner | One who tans (cures) animal hides into leather |
|
Tapley | One who puts the tap in an ale cask |
|
Tasker | Reaper |
|
Teamster | One who drives a team for hauling |
|
Thatcher | Roofer |
|
Tide waiter | Customs inspector |
|
Tinker | An itinerant tin pot and pan seller and repairman |
|
Tipstaff | Policeman |
|
Travers | Toll bridge collection |
|
Tucker | Cleaner of cloth goods |
|
Turner | A person who turns wood on a lathe into spindles |
|
Victualer | A tavern keeper, or one who provides an army,
navy, or ship with food supplies |
|
Vulcan | Blacksmith |
|
Wagoner | Teamster not for hire |
|
Wainwright | Wagon maker |
|
Waiter | Customs officer or tide waiter; one who waited on
the tide to collect duty on goods brought in |
|
Waterman | Boatman who plies for hire |
|
Webster | Operator of looms |
|
Wharfinger | Owner of a wharf |
|
Wheelwright | One who made or repaired wheels; wheeled carriages, etc. |
|
Whitesmith | Tinsmith; worker of iron who finishes or polishes the work |
|
Whitewing | Street sweeper |
|
Whitster | Bleach of cloth |
|
Wright | Workman, especially a construction worker |
|
Yeoman | Farmer who owns his own land
|