Big Book - D

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Daguerreotype Artist Early photographer - derived from Daguerre's method

Damster Dam builder - for logging

Danter Female overseer in silk winding room

Dateler/Dataller/Day Man/ Daytaleman/Day Labourer Casual worker, employed on a daily basis

Daughter-in-law The wife of an individual's son. Daughter-in-law also used to mean step-daughter

Deal Porter A specialistworker in the docks - mainly London, handling baulks of softwood or "deal" between ship and shore.

Deathsman Executioner - very popular!

Deceased commonly written "the deceased," meaning someone who has died.

Decimer / Dozener Elected by householders in a street to represent them at the Court Leet

Declaration of intention A document filed in a court by an alien who intended to become a United States citizen. It could also be a declaration filed by a couple in a local court, indicating their intention to marry.

Decoyman Decoyed wild fowl, animals, into a trap or within shooting range

Decretist Knowledgeable in decrees (decretals)

Deed document transfering ownership and title of property

Deemer/Deemster/Dempster/Demster Judge

Defeasance Forfeiture or annulment of something or some legal right (usually because some original condition has not been complied with; e.g. not paying the mortgage)

Delaine Weaver Made delaine, a light all-wool cloth of plain weave, usually printed. From the French laine, meaning wool. De laine - 'from wool'

Delfman Sold "Delf, which is earthenware from Delft, Holland.

Delfsman / Delphman Worker in quarries or open pits, usually quarrying stone

Delver Ditch digger - also a worker in a stone quarry.

Demesne Land of a feudal lord retained for his own use i.e the grounds of a Mansion etc.

Dental Mechanic Made false teeth - a very skilled job (Mechanic meant a craftsman or artisan)

Depater Refined precious metals

Deputy Pit workers' safety officer

Descendant Your descendants are your children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren etc, those who are born after you in following generations.

Devil Printer's errand boy

Deviller Operated a "devil" - a machine that tore rags in the textile industry

Devise gift of real property by last will and testament of the donor

Devisee person receiving land or real property in the last will and testament of the donor.

Devised Give land or property in a Will. Or to plan and contrive.

Devisor person giving land or real property in a last will and testament

Dexter Dyer

Dey Wife Female dairy worker

Die Sinker When forging metals, lays out, machines, and finishes impression cavities in die blocks to produce forging dies, following blueprints and applying knowledge of die sinking

Digger 1) Coal face worker 2) Day labourer in slate of stone quarries

Dikeman / Dykeman Ditch digger or hedger

Dipper Glazed goods in the pottery

Direct line line of decent traced through persons who are related to one another as a child and parent.

Directories directories come in all types: city, telephone, county, regional, professional, religious, post office, street, ethnic, and schools.

Disher / Dish Thrower Made bowls and dishes from clay

Dish Turner Made wooden bowls and dishes on a lathe

Dissenter name given a person who refused to belong to the established Church of England

Distributor Parish official who attended to the secular needs of inmates of the poorhouse / workhouse

Docker / Dock Walloper Stevedore, dock worker who loads and unloads cargo

Dock Foyboatman A shore-based seaman who worked a "foy" to give assistance to vessels entering port - running lines from the ship to shore, towing small vessels etc. Foy is a corruption of fee, which was what the boatman charged

Dockmaster In charge of a dockyard

Doffer Worked in the spinning mills, replenishing the empty bobbins on the looms. More Info.

Dog Breaker Dog trainer

Dog Killer Employed by the parish to round up and kill stray dogs

Dog Leech Veterinarian

Dog-Whipper Drove dogs away from the church. The dogs would be attracted by the custom of nailing fox tails to the church door as proof for collecting bounty on them

Domesman Judge

Donkey Man/Boy Passenger carriage driver

Dorcas Seamstress (biblical origin)

Double date the practice of writing double dates resulted from switching from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar.

Dowager widow holding property or a title received from her deceased husband; title given in England to widows of princes, dukes, earls, and other noblemen.

Dower legal provision of real estate and support made to the widow for her lifetime from a husband's estate.

Dowry/dowery land, money, goods, or personal property brought by a bride to her husband in marriage.

Doubler Operated a machine twisting yarn in cotton/woolen mills. The yarn on different bobbins is combined onto another bobbin

Dowser / Diviner Finds water using a rod or witching stick.

Dragman Fisherman who dragged a net along the sea bed (trawling)

Dragoman Interpreter for Turkish or Arabic

Dragoon Cavalryman

Dragsman Public transport/hire coach/carriage driver

Drainer Dug drains

Draper Dealer in fabrics and sewing goods - in use today. From the French "drap-de-Berry", a woollen cloth coming from Berry in Franc

Drapery Painter Second-rate painters employed painting the clothes (drapery) onto a painter's subject

Drawboy Weavers assistant - sat on the looms to lift the heavy warps

Drawer 1) Made wire by drawing the metal through a die 2) Raised the coal up the mineshaft

Drayman Drove a long strong cart without fixed sides for carrying heavy loads, such as beer kegs

Dredgerman 1) Collected flotsam from the Thames for sale 2) Oyster fisherman

Dresser 1) A surgeon's assistant in a hospital 2) Operator who assembled the yarns or threads prior to weaving of cloth 3) Assistant to a noble person, preparing clothes etc. 4) In an Iron Foundry, the person who removed the flash and unwanted bits from castings

Dressing Machine Maker Sewing machine maker

Drift Maker Made fishermen's drift nets

Drillman Agricultural worker who operated a seed drill

Dripping Man Dealer in dripping - fat from cooking meat

Driver Literally, a slave driver

Drover Drove cattle, sheep, etc. to market; a dealer in cattle

Drugger/Druggist Pharmacist

Drum Battledore Maker Made galvanized drums with battledores (bat-shaped paddles), used as washing machines

Drummer Travelling salesman (drumming up business)

Dry Salter 1) Dealt in dried meat, sauces, pickles 2) Dealt in dyes for fabrics etc.

Dry Stone Waller /Dry Stane Dyker (Scottish) - Builds walls with stones from the fields. The art involves no mortar or cutting, but the ability to see where the stones should fit. Served the dual purpose of disposing of the stones from the fields and building the boundary walls

D.S.P. decessit sine prole (died without issue)

Dubber Cloth dubber - raised the nap of cloth

Duffer Peddler of cheap goods

Dyer Fabric dyer

Dykeman Hedger or Ditcher

Dyker (Scottish) - Stonemason

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