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Who or what was a Cordwainer please?

ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

Thelma

Thelma Report 19 Sep 2007 21:59

One of my ancestors was a Cordwainer maybe I should know but could someone please tell me what this job or title covers? Thanks Thelma

Sam

Sam Report 19 Sep 2007 22:02

A posh term for a shoemaker :-)

Sam x

°o.OOº°‘¨Claire in Wales¨‘°ºOO.o°

°o.OOº°‘¨Claire in Wales¨‘°ºOO.o° Report 19 Sep 2007 22:03

He was a shoe maker

You may find this helpful
http://www.amlwchhistory.co.uk/data/occupations.htm

Thelma

Thelma Report 19 Sep 2007 22:05

Thanks Sam and Claire,
I would never have guessed. I thought it was probably to do with rope making!

Very glad I asked. Thanks Thelma

Thelma

Thelma Report 19 Sep 2007 22:19

Claire,
I have just taken a look at the website you suggested. What a great site. For anyone who wants to know about the terms for old occupations it's well worth a look.
Many thanks Thelma

Thelma

Thelma Report 19 Sep 2007 22:46

MGH,

And we thought that nothing changes!!!

Thelma

Thelma

Thelma Report 19 Sep 2007 22:55

I think the Aeronaut probably held on to the trapeze with one hand while eating a bar of chocolate with the other. Thelma

°o.OOº°‘¨Claire in Wales¨‘°ºOO.o°

°o.OOº°‘¨Claire in Wales¨‘°ºOO.o° Report 19 Sep 2007 23:14

GUINEA PIG - an unattached, or roving person whose fee was usally a guinea

Thought this was a furry creature kept as a pet

Thelma

Thelma Report 20 Sep 2007 08:55

Nice one Claire,

I'll keep looking to see what other odd jobs there were.

Thelma

Thelma

Thelma Report 20 Sep 2007 09:15

How about,

Times Ironer - Servant responsible for ironing the daily newspaper. (do what?)

Thelma

KathleenBell

KathleenBell Report 20 Sep 2007 09:40

Yes, in grand houses the newspaper would always be ironed before the "master" got it. I suspect it still happens today in some stately homes - though just exactly why is beyond me!!

Kath. x

Chica in the sun ☼

Chica in the sun ☼ Report 20 Sep 2007 09:46

Maybe it´s ´cos the butler read it first!

KathleenBell

KathleenBell Report 20 Sep 2007 09:52

I'm sure he did Anna, lol.

Kath. x

Chica in the sun ☼

Chica in the sun ☼ Report 20 Sep 2007 10:45

I´ve just read the site with my brekky, really funny. Think perhaps our unemployment figures would fall if we introduced the following: Purefinders - gathering up dog poo (girls and old women only). Boot catcher - employed in hotels to pull off kinky boots. and how about having your own personal "tucker-in" a young lass employed to tuck you into bed each night!

Chica in the sun ☼

Chica in the sun ☼ Report 20 Sep 2007 10:53

Ha! I´m getting carried away abit with this but if I saw that one of my ancestors was employed as a "Harlot" well I would never have guessed that it was a male servant! Or if I saw "perambulator" on the census I would probably sigh and think, "Ah how sweet they were able to afford a pram" A perambulator was a surveyor. And definitely the occupation "Streaker" has changed it´s meaning! One thing that brought back a flood of nostalgia was when I saw "Besom Maker". I can remember my nana saying "Now where did I put the besom?" meaning her broom, obviously it was a word she was brought up with, but I don´t think I have heard it since.

Chica in the sun ☼

Chica in the sun ☼ Report 20 Sep 2007 11:35

Obviously a word commonly used as my nana lived on Tyneside. Ah but Capricorn was yours labelled a "besom" when you bought it!

Jill 2011 (aka Warrior Princess of Cilla!)

Jill 2011 (aka Warrior Princess of Cilla!) Report 26 Sep 2007 13:10

I heard that they used to iron the newspaper to stop the newsprint coming off on the "master's" hands.
(Not sure if this actually works as have never tried it - and not likely to do so either with the size of my ironing pile!)

Jill