19th Century Occupations

Home Our Genealogy Research Center Genealogy How-to 19th Century Occupations

This is a collection of the job titles or occupations of the people living in London in the 19th Century.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Sack Maker	Someone who made sacks.
Saddler or Harness Maker	One who makes, repairs or sells saddles or other furnishings for horses
Saddle Tree Maker	Someone who made the frames for saddles that the saddler used.
Safernman	A grower of saffron.
Sagger Maker	someone who made the fireclay containers in which the stoneware was placed ready for firing.
Sail Mantle Maker	A sailmaker.
Sailor	Someone who worked on a ship at sea.
Salesman	Someone who sold things.
Saleswoman	A woman who sold things.
Saloonist	A saloon keeper.
Salt Boiler	Someone who obtained salt by boiling water.
Salter	Someone who made or dealt in salt.
Samitere or Samite	Someone who makes a kind of heavy silk.
Sand Boiler
Sandesman	A messenger or ambassador.
Sandwichman	Someone who wears a sandwich billboard for advertising.
Sanitas Packer
Sarcinet Weaver	A silk weaver.
Saucer	Someone who made or dealt in salt.
Sauntere	Someone who made or dealt in salt.
Sausere	A salter.
Savant	A servant.
Sawbones	A surgeon or physician.
Saw Maker	Someone who made saws.
Sawdust Dealer	Someone who bought and sold sawdust.
Sawyer	carpenter, one who saws timber to boards
Say Weaver	Someone who made Say, a material used for table cloths or bedding.
Scaffolder	Someone who erected scaffolding for building work.
Scabbler	Someone who uses a scabbler (pick) to trim the sides of a tunnel.
Scagiola Maker	Someone who made imitation marble.
Scaleraker or Scavenger	employed by the parish to clean the streets
Scappler	Someone who roughly shaped the stone prior to being finished by the stonemason.
Scavelman	employed to keep the waterways and ditches clear
Scavenger
School Master	A schoolteacher.
School Mistress	A schoolteacher.
School Teacher	A schoolteacher.
Schrimpschonger	An artisan who carves in bone, ivory, or wood.
Schumacker	A shoemaker.
Scotch Draper	Someone who sold goods door to door with payment to be made by instalments.
Scotchman	Someone who sold goods door to door with payment to be made by instalments.
Screener	Someone who screened the ore at the mines surface.
Scribbler	Someone employed in a scribbling mill where the wool was roughly carded before spinning, or a minor or worthless author.
Scribe	clerk
Scriber	Someone who worked at the docks marking the cotton bales with the approximate weight ready for selling by the brokers.
Scribler	A minor or worthless author
Scrimer	A fencing master.
Scripture Reader	Someone employed by the clergy to go from house to house reading parts of the bible to try and encourage people to attend church.
Scrivener	Professional or public copyist or writer; notary public
Scrutineer	An election judge
Scullery Maid	female servant who performed all the menial tasks
Scullion	male servant who performed all the menial tasks
Scutcher	Someone who beat the flax to soften the straw.
Sculptor	Someone who made sculptures.
Seal Mantle Maker	Someone who made gas mantles.
Seal Presser	Someone who worked in the glass industry.
Seaman	A sailor.
Seamstress	Someone who sewed seams.
Searcher	A customs officer.
Seedsman	A dealer of seeds, or a sower of seeds
Seed Warehousewoman	A seed warehouse worker.
Seedwoman, Cook
Seinter	A girdle maker.
Seler or Sellarius	A saddler.
Self Acting Minder	Someone in charge of the automatic spinning mule in a mill.
Seller of Cats Meat	Someone who sold cats meat.
Semi Lorer	Someone who made leather thongs.
Sempster	A seamstress.
Sempstress	A seamstress.
Seneschal	A senior steward at the Manor.
Servant, General, Domestic	A domestic servant.
Serviens	A sergeant.
Servus	A servant.
Sevier	A sieve maker.
Sewer	A tailor or shoemaker.
Sewer Hunter	A scavenger who concentrated on the sewers looking for valuable objects.
Sewer Rat	bricklayer who specialised in making and repairing sewers and tunnels
Sewer, Shirt	Someone who sews shirts.
Sewing Clerk	The collector of piecework clothing.
Sewster	seamstress
Sewsward of Boots	A man who sewed boots.
Sexton	employee or officer of a church who cared and upkept church property
Shagreen Case Maker	Someone who worked with shagreen leather.
Shanty Man	A lumber man.
Sharecropper	A tenant farmer who would be paid with part of the crop.
Sharman	Someone who raised the surface of wollen cloth and then sheared it to a smooth surface; cutter of woolen cloth.
Shearer	Someone who cut the fleece from sheep.
Sheargrinder	Someone who sharpened shears, scissors, etc.
Shearman	Someone who sheared cloth or metal, or skilled worker who sheared the nap from cloth.
Sheath Maker	Someone who made scabbards for swords.
Sheepman	A sheep herder.
Shepster	A sheep shearer or a dressmaker.
Sherman	Someone who raised the surface of wollen cloth and then sheared it to a smooth surface; cutter of woolen cloth.
Shether	See Vaginarius.
Shingler	A roof tiler who used wooden tiles; shingles.
Ship Engineer	The engineer on a ship.
Ship Husband	repairer of ships while in harbour
Ship Master	owner or captain of a ship
Ships Chandler	grocer, provisioner, usually associated with provisioning ships
Shipwright	constructor or repairer or ships; a shipbuilder.
Shirt Draper
Shirt Dresser
Shirt Maker
Shoe Black
Shoe Cutter
Shoe Finder	Someone who sells shoe maker's tools.
Shoe Maker
Shoe Maker Finish
Shoe Manufacturer
Shoe Smith	A cobbler, or someone who shoed horses.
Shoe Trimmer
Shoe Wiper	A servant who polished shoes.
Shoeing Smith
Shoes Last
Shoesmith	cobbler, one who shoed horses
Shop Assistant
Shop Boy
Shop Girl
Shop Keeper
Shopman
Shot Firer	Someone in charge of blasting in mines or quarries.
Shrager	Someone who trimmed and pruned trees.
Shrieve	A sheriff
Shrievet	A sheriff
Shuffler	A yardman on a farm.
Shunter	one who moved rolling stock around the railway yards
Shuttle Maker	Someone who made the shuttles for the weaving mills.
Sick Nurse
Sickleman	A reaper.
Sidesman	Someone who assisted the churchwarden.
Sifker	A sieve maker.
Sign Painter or Writer	Someone who paints or writes signs.
Silk Dresser	Someone who prepared the silk for weaving.
Silk Dyer	Someone who dyed silk.
Silk Engine Turner	Someone who turned the wheel on the automatic silk weaving looms.
Silker	Someone who sewed the ends of the fabric to prevent the layers from separating.
Silk manufacturer	The owner of a silk making factory
Silk Mercer	Someone who sold silk cloth and items made from silk.
Silk Thrower or Throwster	Someone who twisted silk into thread or yarn.
Silk Twister	Someone who spins silk.
Silk Veloct Weaver
Silk Weaver	Someone who wove silk.
Silk Weaveress	A woman who wove silk.
Silk Winder	Someone who wound silk.
Silversmith	Someone who worked with silver.
Sinker	Someone skilled who contracted to sink new shafts for coal mining.
Sissor	A tailor.
Sizer	Someone who applies size to textiles.
Skepper	Someone who made or sold wicker or straw beehives.
Skin Dresser	Someone who dresses animal skins.
Skin Dresser, Fur	Someone who dresses animal fur.
Skinker	A tapster in an alehouse.
Skinner	A dealer in hides, or a mule driver.
Skipmaker	Someone who made the skips used in mining and quarrying for moving men or materials to the surface.
Skipper	master of a ship
Slaper or Slapper	Someone who worked in a pottery preparing the clay for the potter.
Slater or Slatter	A roofer or roof tiler who used slate tiles.
Slaymaker	Someone who makes reeds or slays; instruments to part threads in weaving, for looms.
Slipper Binder
Slipper Maker
Slipper Maker Assistant
Slipper Sewer
Slopseller or Slop Seller	Seller of ready-made clothes in a slop shop or a seller of baskets.
Slubber	Someone who operated the machine used to prepare cotton for spinning.
Slubber Doffer	Someone who removed the bobbins from the spindles in a mill.
Smallware Maker	Someone who made smallware e.g. tapes, braids etc.
Smelter	Someone who works in a metal smelter, or smelt fishermen.
Smiddy	A smith.
Smith	A metal worker
Smugsmith	A smuggler.
Snobscat or Snob	One who repaired shoes, a cobbler.
Snow Warden	Someone who kept the snow flat
Snuffer Maker	Someone who made candle snuffers.
Soap Boiler	A soap maker.
Soap Licker (Boiler)	A soap maker.
Sojourner	Someone who was staying somewhere temporarily, i.e. just passing through.
Sojourner Clothier	A travelling salesman in clothing.
Soldier	Served in the army.
Sole Cutter (Boot)	Someone who cut the soles for shoes and boots.
Solicitor	A lawyer, a person qualified to carry out legal duties.
Soper	A soap maker.
Sorter	Tailor
Sortor	Tailor
Souter	A shoemaker.
Soyor	A sawyer.
Spallier	Someone who worked in a tin works performing the menial tasks.
Sperviter	Someone who keeps sparrows.
Spicer	Someone who deals in spices, a grocer.
Spinner	Someone who spins yarn or fabric.
Spinster	A woman who spins or an unmarried woman.
Spittleman	A hospital attendant.
Splitter	Someone who operated a splitting machine or a person who split things by hand e.g. stone, timber etc.
Splint Cutter	Someone who cut splints.
Splint Setter	Someone who set splints.
Spooner	Someone who made spoons.
Spragger	Someone who inserts a piece of wood (sprag) between the wheels of a lorry (truck) to bring it to a standstill.
Spurrer	Someone who made spurs
Spurrier	Someone who made spurs
Squarewright	A cabinet maker.
Squire	Country gentleman; farm owner; justice of peace; knight's attendant. Esquire
Stable Foreman	Someone in charge of stables.
Stableman	A groom.
Stabler	An ostler
Stainer	Someone who coloured glass or wood.
Stall Keeper	Keeper of a market stall.
Stallman	Keeper of a market stall.
Stamper	Someone who operated a stamping machine.
Stampman	Someone who operates an ore crushing machine.
Stasyon or Stawsun	A stationer.
Stationary Engine Driver	Someone who operated a steam engine which was used for pumping water or sewage, etc.
Stationary Engineer	Someone who looks after machinery such as pumping engines or lifts/hoists.
Stationary Engine Stoker	Someone who stoked a stationary engine.
Stationer	A bookseller, seller of paper & writing implements.
Stationery Leade
Statist	A politician.
Stay Maker, Dress	A corset maker.
Steersman	A ship's helmsman.
Stenterer	Someone who operated the cloth finishing machine.
Step Boy	Someone employed to help passengers to enter or leave the coach.
Stevedore	labourer who unloads and loads ships' cargoes
Sticher	Someone who does decorative stitching.
Stick Dresser	Someone who dresses walking sticks.
Stick Finisher	Someone who finishes walking sticks.
Stick Maker or Stickmaker	Someone who made walking sticks.
Stick Manufacturer	The owner of a walking stick making factory.
Stick Polisher	Someone who polished walking sticks.
Stitcher	Someone who does decorative stitching.
Stock & Share Broker	Someone who dealt in stocks and shares.
Stockinger	Someone who made stockings.
Stoker	Someone who stoked the fire of a boiler.
Stokiner	A weaver of stockings.
Stone Dresser	Someone who dressed stone.
Stoneman	A surveyor of highways.
Stone Mason	A skilled craftsman who cut stone.
Stone Picker	Someone employed to remove the stones from the farmers fields before planting.
Stone quarrier	Someone who worked in a stone quarry
Stonewarden	A surveyor of highways.
Stone Workers	Someone who worked with stone e.g. masons, quarries etc.
Store Dresser	Someone who dressed a shop window.
Stove Blocker
Stowyer	Someone who stowed the nets away on fishing boats.
Stravaiger	A vagrant.
Straw hat and bonnet maker	Someone who made straw hats and bonnets.
Straw Joiner	Someone who thatched roofs.
Straw Plaiter	Someone who made straw braids for the hat industry.
Straw-plait manufacturer	someone who owned a straw plait making factory.
Streaker	Someone who prepared the body for burial.
Street Minstrel, Actor	A busker basically.
Street Orderly	A street cleaner.
Street Singer (Actor)	A busker basically.
Street Sweeper	Swept the streets.
Stretcher	Someone who stretched fabrics in the textile trade, sometimes called a tenter.
Striker	A blacksmith's assistant. Also in whaling, the one who harpooned the whale.
Stringer	Someone who made the strings for bows.
String Seller, Rope	Someone who sold string and rope.
Stripper	Someone employed in the woollen trade to remove the rubbish from the carding machines.
Stripper in Tobacco Factory	Stripped tobacco leaves.
Stuff gown or Stuffed Gown.	Junior barrister. Stuff Gowsman is probably a misspelling
Stuff gownsman	Junior barrister
Stuff Weaver	Someone who wove stuff, the coarse part of flax.
Sucksmith	Someone who made ploughshares.
Sugar Boiler	Someone who boiled sugar.
Sugarer	A sugar dealer.
Sugar Finer	Someone who refined sugar.
Sugar Grocer	Someone who sold sugar.
Sumner	A summoner or apparitor.
Sumpter	A porter.
Superintendant or Super	A boss, someone in charge.
Supercargo	Officer on merchant ship who is in charge of cargo and the commercial concerns of the ship
Surface Man	Someone who worked at the surface of a mine.
Surgeon Gen Pract: Regd	G.P. - a doctor
Surgeon, apothecary	Someone who was qualified to carry out surgical operations.
Sutler	A peddler or merchant in an army camp, one who supplies them with provisions.
Swailer	A corn miller; a miller or a dealer in grain.
Sweep	A chimney sweep
Sweeper Out	Someone employed in the mills, and other industries, to keep the floor clean.
Sweet Stuff Vendor	A confectioner, or a sweet shop.
Swell Maker	Someone who made shallow baskets.
Swineyard or Swineherder	Someone who keeps pigs.
Sword Cutler	A sword maker.

For more information, visit our Research Center

Previous Top C