Accoucheur
Male midwife – See the section on Croft Castle, Herefordshire for an example; albeit an ultimately tragic one. Continue reading Accoucheur
Agricultural Labourers
Farm labourers came under a general umbrella, but the range of talent and skills from man to man varied considerably. Continue reading Agricultural Labourers
Basket Weavers
Basket making has changed little over the years. Continue reading Basket Weavers
Beadle
The Beadle was a minor parish official.
Blacksmiths
Sometimes shortened to “Smith”, Blacksmiths were extremely important in rural Herefordshire, and at least one forge was to be found in most villages but sometimes two or three as there was ample work for all Continue reading Blacksmiths
Brewer
Each of the largest towns in Herefordshire had more than one brewery, and many of the villages had small brewing operations going in in the cottages. Continue reading Brewer
Brickmaker
From the early 17th century bricks began to be used in house building and Herefordshire had a great many brickworks. Continue reading Brickmaker
Bridgeman
Toll taker at bridges, sometimes called “Bridger” Continue reading Bridgeman
Butcher
One who slaughtered, prepared and sold meat. A Caddy Butcher dealt in horse meat. Continue reading Butcher
Butler
The name of Butler comes from the French bouteillier – one who was in charge of wines etc. in the household. Continue reading Butler
Cabinet Maker
The rural Cabinet Maker was probably rather different to their City counterparts, and rather than producing the fine furniture much sought after by the well off, their products tended to be functional more than aesthetically pleasing. Continue reading Cabinet Maker
Charwoman
The “Char” in Charwoman originated from the word chore. Continue reading Charwoman
Coachbuilders
Maker of all manner of carriages, ranging from small light pony traps to large and ornate affairs requiring four or six horses to pull them. Ledbury had a very successful coach building firm in the shape of Hopkins Coachbuilders. Continue reading Coachbuilders
Coachman
The larger and wealthier households employed a Coachman, probably along with a groom.
Cooper
Also known as a Backmaker, These skilled craftsmen were to be found all over Herefordshire Continue reading Cooper
Coppicer
Wood in the nineteenth century was a valuable and important commodity, and Coppicers helped to provide continuous and renewable supplies. Continue reading Coppicer
Currier
Men involved in the treatment of leather to make it soft, waterproof and durable. Continue reading Currier
Domestic Servants
Domestic Servants were vital for the efficient running of large households Continue reading Domestic Servants
Dressmaker
Dressmakers, also known as Seamstresses, along with Milliners, were considered to be at the top end of women’s employment and most Herefordshire villages had one or more. Continue reading Dressmaker
Drover
Before the onset of motorised transport, livestock had no option but to walk from their farm to their destination – be it a market in a nearby town or long distance to London to help feed the ever growing population. Continue reading Drover
Farm Bailiff
The Farm Bailiff was employed by an estate owner, and his main task was to oversee the tenant farmers making sure that rent was paid and farms were well looked after – so basically a farm manager, and he did have the power to evict any tenants that were not up to the mark. Continue reading Farm Bailiff
Fellmonger
A fellmonger is basically a dealer in hides and skins Continue reading Fellmonger
Flax Dresser
The flax dresser used a hackle to separate the coarse bit of flax in preparation for the spinner. Continue reading Flax Dresser
Gunmaker
British gunmakers thrived in the 1800s. Continue reading Gunmaker
Gunmaker
British gunmakers thrived in the 1800s. Continue reading Gunmaker
Horsebreaker
This is something of a grey area – research has thrown up little of concrete value. Continue reading Horsebreaker
Lady’s Maid
The Lady’s Maid was one of the most important servants in the household, at least as far as the Lady herself was concerned! It seems that some ladies were incapable of dressing or undressing themselves without help – but that might be a rather unfair comment given the complicated nature of some of the gowns. Continue reading Lady’s Maid
Poets
All about poets!
Sawyer’s Mate
Newly felled trees had to be cut into useable pieces for furniture making, and this job was carried out by the Sawyer and his Mate. Continue reading Sawyer’s Mate
Scullery Maid
The poor little Scullery Maid was at the bottom of the heap in the household, and was given all the worst jobs in the kitchen. Continue reading Scullery Maid
Shoemaker
Also known as a Cordwainer, Cobbler or Snob. Continue reading Shoemaker
Stone Picker
Someone employed to remove stones from a field before ploughing Continue reading Stone Picker
Tanner
A curer of animal hides. As Herefordshire was, and still is, predominantly rural and industry free, the large numbers of cattle and sheep provided endless raw material for the tanners. Continue reading Tanner
Thatcher
Thatch was not only used for cottages and farmhouses in Herefordshire, but also for many churches and castles. Continue reading Thatcher
Washerwoman
A washerwoman usually had her own recipe for making soap – often including wood ash and lard as well as water. Continue reading Washerwoman
Wheelwright
Not only a maker of wheels, but also of the whole wagon. Continue reading Wheelwright
Whitesmith
A Whitesmith is a tin worker (sometimes known as tinsmith), but the term also referred to a finisher of any metal goods, but usually iron, or pewter. Continue reading Whitesmith
Woolstapler
A staple was the length of one piece of wool from the fleece, and a wool stapler was therefore a buyer of wool staples from the farmer. Continue reading Woolstapler