Big Book - S

---

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 | 0..9

---

Sachrist / Sachristan Person retained in a cathedral to copy out music for the choir, and take care of the books. One who is in charge of a sacristy. A sexton.

Saddle Tree Maker Made the wooden frames around which the saddle was formed with leather

Saddler One who makes, repairs or sells saddles or other furnishings for horses

Safernman Grower of Saffron.

Saggar Maker / Saggar Maker's Bottom Knocker Made saggars (fired clay containers used to hold ceramic items in the kiln whilst firing.) The Saggar Maker's Bottom Knocker was the saggar maker's assistant, usually a young boy, who was responsible for knocking clay into a large metal hoop using a huge flat mallet called a mawl, to form the bottom of the saggar.

Saloonist Saloon keeper

Salt Boiler Obtained salt from boiling salt water

Salter / Saucer Made or dealt in salt

Saltpetre Man Collected urine and dung, used in the manufacture of saltpetre.

Sarcinet Weaver Silk weaver

Sandesman Ambassador or messenger

Sasine (scottish)- see seisin

Sawbones Physician

Sawyer Timber mill/pit worker, sawing timber

Say Weaver Made "say" - used in making table cloths bedding etc.

Scagiola Maker Made imitation marble

Scappler Rough-shaped stone before final dressing by a stonemason

Scavelman Cleaned and maintained waterways and ditches

Scavenger / Scaleraker 1) Street cleaner 2) Scavenger - also a child employed in a spinning mill to collect loose cotton lying about the floor under machinery

Schools see education

Schrimpschonger Artisan carving bone, ivory, wood etc.(Scrimgeour, scrimshaw)

Schumacker Shoemaker

Scotch Draper / Scotchman Sold goods door to door on instalment payments

Scribe Clerk - writer

Scriber Marked bales of cotton on the docks with weight prior to being sold by brokers

Scribler A person who tends a wool/cotton-combing machine called a Scribler - the first process in carding the yarn

Scribbler Minor or worthless author

Scrimer Fencing master

Scrivenor/er 1) Professional or public copyist or writer 2) notary public

Scrutineer Election judge

Scutcher Beat flax to soften the straw

Scullery Maid Female servant who was given the menial tasks

Scullerman Sculled a boat, (rather than rowing it) in ports/rivers as a ferry

Scullion Male servant who was given the menial tasks

Sea Fencibles The Sea Fencibles were established by Order in Council in May 1798 to defend the coast from invasion; they comprised "all such of the inhabitants of the towns and villages of Great Britain as shall voluntarily offer themselves for the defence of the coast". They were taught to use musket, pike and cannon. They were to assist in the manning of defensive positions (Martello towers), plus coastal signal stations and eventually given small boats to patrol harbours. They were to be paid one shilling per day served. It was attractive to fishermen and the like as you were given immunity from being pressed into the Navy. They were organised into districts, commanded by Naval Officers. They grew to their maximum strength in 1810, when there were over 23,000 of them and were disbanded at the end of the wars in 1814.

Seal Presser Glassmaking - sealed the bath to prevent air spoiling the glass surface

Searcher Customs man (today called a rummager - self descriptive) who searched for contraband

Secondary evidence evidence that is inferior to primary evidence or the best evidence.

Secondary source a secondary source is a record that was created a significant amount of time after an event occurred. For example, a marriage certificate would be a secondary source for a birth date, because the birth took place several years before the time of the marriage. However, that same marriage certificate would be a primary source for a marriage date, because it was created at the time of the marriage.

Secret Springer Watch spring maker

Seedsman Sower or dealer in seeds

Seeker of the Dead During the Plague, old women woere employed to diagnose the Plague from the buboes and count the dead to enable the compilation of Bills of Mortality, for which they were paid from 3 to 4 pence per corpse.

Self-acting Minder Self Actor Minder Watched and minded the 'Self Acting Mule' - the name of a multi thread spinning machine. The original Mule was hand operated and was invented by Samuel Crompton of Bolton in 1779. It was made self-acting by Richard Roberts in 1830.

Self-addressed stamped envelope (sase) when you request records or other information from people and institutions, you should include a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) in your letter. If you are expecting return mail from overseas, you should include an International Reply Coupon with your self-addressed envelope. This coupon serves as payment for any international postage you may need to pay. They can be purchased at your local post office.

Seisin possession of land by freehold

Seized To be in legal possession of, from the feudal concept of "seisin"

Semi Lorer Made leather thongs

Sempster / Sempstress / Sewster Seamstress

Seneschal steward or major domo of a great mediaeval house;cathedral official; judge in Sark

Sephardi Jew of spanish or Portuguese descent.

Serv. (abbreviation) servant

Settlement acts (link needed)

Sewer Hunter Scavenged in the sewers

Sewer Rat Bricklayer who made and repaired sewers and tunnels

Sewing Clerk Oversaw and collected clothing piecework

Sexton Church caretaker - sometimes dug graves or rang the bells

Shallooner See Chaloner

Shantyman Woodman, lumberman

Sharecropper Tenant farmer whose pay was a fixed part of the crop

Shearer As today, sheared the fleece from sheep

Shearman / Sherman 1) Skilled worker who sheared the nap from cloth - also Cropper 2) Cutter of metal.

Sheath Maker Made sword and dagger scabbards

Sheepman Shepherd

Shepster 1) Dressmaker 2) Sheep Shearer

Sheriff Representative of Royal office in a Shire.

Ship's Husband Supplied stores for and maintained ships in dock

Ship Master Ship's Captain - still used today - often also the vessel's owner

Shipwright Builder and repairer of ships

Shoe Finder Sold cobbler's tools

Shoesmith 1) Cobbler 2) Shoed horses

Shoe Wiper Polished shoes - a boot-boy

Shot Firer Employed blasting in quarries

Shrager Trimmed and pruned trees

Shrieve / Shriever Sheriff

Shuffler Farm yardman

Shunter Moved - shunted - rolling stock around in railway yards to make up, and break down, goods trains

Shuttle Maker Made the wooden shuttles for the looms

Shuttle Tip Maker Made the pointed steel shuttle tips and made in many different designs. A very skilled job as the tips had to withstand being hammered to make the shuttles fly through the yarns from one side of the loom to the other and had to have aerodynamic properties. Forged by hammering red-hot steel

Sibling a brother or sister, persons who share the same parents in common.

Sic latin term signifying a copy reads exactly as the original; indicates a possible mistake in the original.

Sick Visitor Employed by Friendly Societies, who paid benefits to sick people, to ensure they were entitled to receive/continue to receive benefits.

Sickleman Reaper

Sidesman Churchwarden's assistant - esp. in church services

Silkman Person engaged in the manufacture and or sale of silk

Silk Drawer Drew silk from silk waste for spinning

Silk Dresser Prepared the silk for weaving

Silk Engine Turner Worked on automatic silk weaving looms

Silk Mercer Silk merchant

Silk Piecer Joined the broken threads in the silk spinning mills

Silk Staff Man Probably a worker more on a permanant rather than itinerary position.

Silk Steward Manager of a silk weaving/spinning/winding and cleaning room

Silk Thrower/Throwster Employed in the silk weaving industry, twisting silk into yarn

Silk Twister Silk Spinner (from the raw)

Silk Winder Wound the silk from the silkworm cocoons onto bobbins

Silker Bound the ends of the silk fabric to prevent fraying

Simpler Agriculturalist (herbalist)

Sinker Sunk shafts for mining

Sinker Maker Made lead weights used with hosiery knitting machines, (Nottingham Area)

Sissor / Cissor Tailor

Sizer Applied size to cloth in manufacture

Skepper / Skelper Beehive maker/seller

Skinkster Alehouse tapster

Skinner 1) Dealer in hides 2) Mule driver

Skip Maker Made skips (large baskets), used in mining and quarrying, for transporting product or personnel

Slapper / Slaper Pottery worker who prepared the clay for the potter

Slasher Applied size (Slasher Sizing) to the warp thread in weaving, to strengthen it and facilitate the weaving process.

Slater Roofer

Slate River Was employed to cleave blocks of quarried slate in the making of slates for roofing etc. (River pronounced as in diver)

Slaymaker Made the reeds or slays used in weaving. Slays (wooden pegs) or reeds were used to separate the threads on the loom

Slinger Person who used slings for loading goods on ships, wagons etc.

Slopseller 1) Slopshop keeper - readymade clothes 2) Basket seller

Slubber Prepared cotton for spinning, removing the "slubs"

Slubber Doffer Removed the empty bobbins from the loom spindles

Slubbing Frame Fitter Installed and maintained a Slubbing Frame, used in the preparation of cotton ready for spinning

Smallpox contagious disease which was often fatal

Smallware Maker Made "smallware" - tapes, braids, ribbons etc.

Smelter 1) Smelt fisherman 2) Smelter in an iron foundry

Smiddy Smith sometimes still used as a nickname for Smith surname

Smith Metal worker see also Engine Smith, Blacksmith, Fender Smith

Smoke Doctor Specialist in the construction or repair of chimneys

Smugsmith Smuggler

Snobscat / Snob Shoe repairer

Snuffer Maker Made candle snuffers

S/o (abbrev) son of

Soaper / Soper / Soap Boiler Soap Maker

Soc.(abbrev) Society

Social security death index(USA) the Social Security Death Index is an index of Social Security Death records. Generally this includes names of deceased Social Security recipients whose relatives applied for Social Security Death Benefits after their passing. Also included in the millions of records are approximately 400,000 railroad retirement records from the early 1900s to 1950s

SoG Society of Genealogists

Sojourn Clothier Travelling clothes salesman

Sojourner (parish records) a stranger passing through, a traveller, one not expected to settle in the parish

'Sortor Tailor

Soundex phoenetic indexing system.

Source the document, record, publication, manuscript, etc. used to prove a fact

Souter Shoe maker

Spallier Tin worker's assistant

Speenhamland A system of Poor Laws, widely adopted.

Sperviter Sparrow keeper

Spicer Spice dealer / grocer

Spindle & Fly Maker Made the metal Spindles and Fly used in spinning machines

Spinner Spun the yarn to make cloth

Spinster 1) A woman who spins 2) unmarried woman

Splitter Worked a machine splitting stone, timber etc. or did so by hand

Sponsor a sponsor is an individual other than the parents of a child that takes responsibility for the child's religious education. Sponsors are usually present at a child's baptism. Sponsors are often referred to as godparents

Spooner Spoon maker

Sprig Maker A weaver of fine lace sprigs applique. eg 'Honiton' Lace in Devon

Spurrer / Spurrier Made spurs

Squire / Esquire 1) Country landed gentleman 2) Magistrate or justice of the peace 3) Knight's attendant 4) Professional man

Stabler Ostler

Stab-rag Tailor (military slang) mid 19c - also Rag-stabber (slang)

Stallman Market stall holder

Stampman Worked an ore-crushing machine

Stationary Engine Driver Operated steam factory engine, used for all processes, usually linked by a system of shafts, pulleys and belts

Stationary Engineer Maintained the factory steam engine and machinery

Statist Politician

Statute a law.

Staymaker Corset maker

Steeplejack Worked on steeples, chimneys, flagpoles etc - still exists

Steersman Ship's helmsman

Stenterer Worked a cloth finishing machine

Step Boy Helped passengers on and off coaches Stepchild child of one of the spouses by a former marriage who has not been adopted by the step-parent.

Stepfather husband of a child's mother by a later marriage

Stepmotherwife of a child's father by a later marriage.

Stews brothel (often used in plural form with singular meaning)

Stick Maker Made walking sticks

Still Room Maid Worked in the Victorian Still-Room in a large household where she would concoct the kitchen cleaners, soaps, candles and cosmetics for the lady of the house

Stockinger Kntter weaver or seller of stockings

Stoker Tended and fed coal to boilers in mills and aboard ship

Stoker Refuse Destructor Fed refuse to an incinerator

Stone Dresser Prepared quarried stone for building. This would include cutting it into regular sized blocks with a reasonably even surface

Stone Picker Removed stones from fields before planting

Stoneman / Stonewarden Highway surveyor

Stover / Stever/ Staver The senior member of a partnership of miners and in charge at the surface

Stowyer Stowed nets on fishing boats

Stravaiger Vagrant

Strawman (16/17c) Hired to give false evidence for the prosecution in Court

Straw Joiner Thatcher (of roofs)

Straw Plaiter Plaited straw for use in hat-making

Streaker Laid out bodies for burial

Street Orderly/Boy Street cleaner

Strickler Skimmed off the scum from molten iron in a mould

Stretcher / Tenter Stretched fabrics after weaving on a frame with hooks - origin of saying "on tenterhooks"

Striker / Stryker 1) Blacksmith's assistant 2) Harpoon man on a whaler

Stripper Cleaned the carding machines in mills

Stringer Made bowstrings

Stroller 1) A vagabond, vagrant; an itinerant beggar or pedlar. 2) An itinerant actor; a strolling player.

Stuff Gownsman Junior barrister

Stuff Weaver Wove "stuff" - a coarse cloth

Sucksmith Made Ploughshares

Suffrage see emancipation

Sugar Baker 1) Sugar Refiner 2) Made confectionery or cake decorations 3) Fancy baker.

Sumner Summoner or Apparitor

Sumpter Porter

Supercargo Officer on a chartered merchant ship who is in charge of cargo and the commercial concerns of the ship (on behalf of the charterers) - Still in use

Surname family name

Sutler Merchant or peddler in an army camp

Swailer 1) Miller 2) Grain dealer

Swain Herdsman

Swaith Maker A Swaith / Swathe was (usually) a cotton or silk shroud used for burial

Sweep Chimneysweep

Swell Maker Made shallow baskets

Swiller A basket weaver/maker - an old Cumberland name

Swineyard / Swineherd Pig Keeper

Swingler Beat flax to remove the coarse parts

Sword Cutler Made swords

Back to Contents