Victorian Job Titles

A listing of common job titles extracted mostly from the 1891 census return of England.

Acater	supplied food provisions, e.g. a ships chandler
Accipitrary	falconer
Accomptant	accountant
Accoucheur/eus	assisted women in childbirth
Accoutre	supplier of military accessories
Accoutrement Maker	supplier of military accessories
Ackerman/Acreman	a ploughman, or an oxherder
Actuary	kept public accounts of business
Administrator	directed the affairs of another
Advertisement Conveyancer	sandwich board man
Aeronaut	balloonist or a trapeze artist in the circus or music halls
Affeeror / Assessor	responsible for ensuring that those fined by a Manor Court, actually paid their fines
Agent, broker, factor
Agister	official of the Royal Forests
Agricultural Labourer	farm servant, shepherd, etc
Alabasterer	worked with alabaster
Alblastere	crossbow man
Alderman	senior councillor one position down from Mayor in the local council
Ale Connor/Founder	official who tested quality and measure of ale served in public houses
Ale Draper	seller of ale
Ale Taster	tested ale and beer for quality
Ale Tunner	brewery worker who fills ale casks (tuns} with ale
Ale Wife	woman who keeps an alehouse or tavern
All Spice	grocer
Almoner	Giver of Charity to the needy
Almoner	one who gave out alms to the poor on behalf of the parish
Almsman	one who received alms or charity
Amanuensis	A person employed to take dictation or to copy manuscripts.
Amber & Jet Cutter	a person who cut and polished amber for jewelry
Amber Cutter	A person who cuts amber
Ambler	officer of the Royal Stable who broke in horses
Amen Man	parish clerk
Anchor Smith	a person who made anchors
Anchoress	a female hermit or religious recluse
Anchorite	a male hermit or religious recluse
Angle Iron Smith	a person who made angle iron
Anilepman	a smallholder, or tenant of the manor
Ankle Beater	a young person who helped to drive the cattle to market
Annatto Maker	worked in the manufacture of dyes for paint or printing
Antigropelos Maker	a person who made waterproof leggings
Anvil Smith	made anvils and hammers for blacksmiths
Apiarian	beekeeper
Apothecary	prepared and medicines and drugs; pharmacist
Apparitor	official who summoned witnesses in the ecclesiastical courts
Apprentice	was bound to a skilled worker for a specified time to learn a trade
Aproneer	a shopkeeper
Apronman	mechanic
Aquarius / Ewar	waterman
Aquavita Seller	a person who sold alcohol
Archiator	physician
Archil Maker	made a violet dye from lichens, used in the textile industry
Arkwright	skilled craftsman who produced arks; wooden chests or coffers
Armiger	squire who carried the armour of a knight
Armourer	made suits of armour or plates of armour for buildings or ships etc.
Artificer	A soldier mechanic who does repairs
Artificer	skilled or artistic worker or craftsman
Artificial Flower Maker	made and sold artificial flowers
Ashman	dustman
Assay Master	determined the amount of gold or silver to go in coins
Assayer	determined the proportions of metal in ore
Assistant	assisted someone else in their trade, often a master
Assurance Agent	sells life assurance policies
Attendant on Sick	nurse
Auger Maker	made carpenters augers, used for boring holes in wood
Aurifaber	goldsmith
Avowry	the Lord of the Manor
Axle Tree Maker / Turner	made axles for coaches and wagons
Back Washer	cleans the wool in the worsted manufacturing industry
Backmaker	a Cooper; made backs, vats and tubs
Backster / Baxter	baker
Backus Boy	kitchen servant, from "back of the house"
Badger	licensed pauper who wore a badge with the letter P on it
Bag Maker, Canvas / Paper	made bags
Bagman	travelling salesman
Bailie	Bailiff
Bailiff / Baillie	officer of the sheriff, a land steward acting on behalf of the landowner
Bairman / Bareman	a pauper or beggar
Baker	baked bread and pastries
Bal Maiden	female mine worker who worked on the surface; Pit Brow Lass
Baler	bales hay and in the mills one who bailed wool or cotton goods
Balister	archer, or crossbowman
Ballast Heaver	loaded ballast into the hold of empty ships
Ballast Master	in charge of loading the ballast into the hold of empty ships
Baller	measured out the balls of clay for a potter
Band Filer	metal worker in the gun making industry
Bandster	bound the wheat sheaves after harvest
Banker	dug ditches to allow drainage, placing the surplus earth in banks
Banksman	in charge of the cages at the pit head; aka bank manager
Bar Manager, Inn	managed an inn
Barber / Barber Surgeon	a barber, hairdresser, also a surgeon
Bard	a poet or minstral
Bareman	beggar or pauper
Barge Mate	Naval officer
Bargee / Bargeman	worked on or owned and operated a barge
Barilla Manufacturer	made barilla; a sodium salt used in the glass and ceramics trade
Barkeeper	another name for a tollkeeper
Barker	tanner
Barmaid	serves drinks in an inn, public house or tavern
Barman	serves drinks in an inn, public house or tavern
Bartoner	in charge of a monastic farm, aka barton
Basil Worker	worked with sheep and goat skins
Basket Maker	made baskets
Basketman	made wicker products, also emptied the baskets of coal from colliers into barges
Bass / Bast Dresser	employed in dressing fibre or matting
Batman	an officer's servant in the army
Battledore Maker	made the beaters used on clothes carpets etc to remove the dust
Bauer	farmer
Baxter	baker
Bayweaver	one who wove bay (a fine woollen fabric also known as baize)
Bead Maker	made beads
Bead Piercer	employed to drill the holes in beads
Beadle / Beadel	officer of a church or synagogue whose principle duty was to keep order
Beamer	winds the warp on the roller before putting it on the loom in the textile industry
Bearer	worked undergrpound carrying the coal to the bottom of the pit shaft
Beater / Fuller	washed and thickened the cloth by treading it underwater with fullers earth
Beaver	made felt used in hat making
Bed Maker	made beds
Bedman	sexton
Bedwevere	made the webbing for bed frames and also a one who wove quilts
Beer / Wine House Keeper	usually unlicensed drinking establishments
Beerseller	same as above, but more like an off-license
Beershop Keeper	one who sells beer, not usually licensed
Beggar
Belhoste	tavern keeper.
Bell Hanger	installed bells in churches
Bellfounder / Billiter	bell maker
Bellows Maker	made bellows used for organs or blacksmiths fires
Belly Builder	built and fitted the interiors of pianos
Bender	a person who cut leather
Besom Maker	made brooms
Bicycle Repairer	repaired bicycles
Biddy	female servant, usually Irish
Bill Poster	put up notices and signs
Binder	bound items, e.g., books, hats etc .
Bird Boy	employed to scare away birds from crops
Bird Catcher	caught birds for selling
Birds Nest Seller	sold birds nests collected from the wild complete with eggs which were then hatched by domestic birds and sold as pets
Black Borderer	made black edged stationery for funerals
Black Tray Maker	made Japanned trays
Blacking Maker	made polish for shoes
Bladesmith	swordmaker or knife maker
Blaxter / Bleacher	bleached cloth or paper pulp
Block Maker	engraved the blocks used in the printin
Block Printer	printer who used wooden blocks for printing
Bloodman / Bloodletter	used leeches for letting blood, thought to be a cure for many ailments
Bluestocking	female writer
Bluffer	an innkeeper or landlord of a pub
Boarding Officer	inspected ships before entering port
Boardman	truant officer who checked school attendance
Boardwright	made tables and chairs; aka carpenter
Boatman	worked on a boat, predominately on rivers and canals, also a boat repairer
Boatswain	ship's officer in charge of riggings & sails
Bobber	one who polished metals, or who helped to unload fishing boats
Bobbin Carrier	worked in spinning and weaving sections of the mills
Bobbin Turner	made the bobbins used in the spinning and weaving industry
Bobby	policeman usually of constable rank
Bodeys / Body Maker	made bodices for womens garments
Bodger	craftsman who made wooden chair legs
Boiler Engineer	designed boilers
Boiler Maker	made boilers
Boiler Plater	made rolled iron plate used to make boilers for steam engines etc
Boiler Smith	made or repaired boilers
Boilermaker	general metalworker
Bondager	female worker on a farm who was bonded
Bondman	bonded to a master for the purpose of learning a skill or trade; Apprentice
Bondsman	stood bond or surety for another where a bond was required by law
Bone Button Turner	made buttons using a lathe
Bone Lace Maker	made pillow lace
Bone Mould Turner