What is the most interesting occupation in your family tree? (#1: locked)

[steve-o]

my brother tells me that our aunt was a "deesil fitter"  what ever that is.  she worked in a clothing mill of some sort in Massachusetts.

[steve-o]

Sorry for that.  Brother was teasing me.  it was a joke.  Here is how it goes":

Two imigrants applying for a job.  When asked what experience they had, the first one said that she worked in a lingerie factory stitching ladies underwear.  The second one said she was a deesil fitter in the same factory.  the second one got half again as much per hour as the first one received.  One day the first one asked the second one what a deesil fitter was.  the second replied that she worked on the end of the assembly line.  her job was to verify that the underwear was acceptable.  She would pick up a pair of panties and look at them carefully and if acceptable she would say: "deesill fitter" and put them in the accept bin.

[Keith Bateman]

Hi steve-o,


The Old Ones are always the best ones!!

Keith

[Hackstaple]

When I was in the Army in Malaya I had the task of financial inspections on army units. Three of these were military hospitals with staff from the QARANC - the nursing corps. I received an urgent message to interview the quartermaster at one because of an unusual indent for supplies he had placed. It was for 6000 manhole covers. When confronted with this the red-faced major confessed that this was his euphemism for sanitary towels. His regular clerks knew that but he had dictated this indent to a new clerk.

[Sue Thomas]

A mantuamaker made ladies' cloaks after a style reputedly once in vogue in the city of Mantua, Italy.
A cordwainer, in case anyone needs to know, is a shoemaker in fine leathers as opposed to a cobbler who only repaired shoes.
A teazle grower would be a farmer or small holder who grew the prickly teazel plant which was used in the woollens industry to raise the nap on cloth - g-d knows why!
I can't quite imagine what a monthly nurse did. Perhaps monthly district inspections?

I have the same occupations in my family tree as you. I was told a mantua maker was a posh name for a paper pattern maker!! the original fashion designers maybe!!

[Sue Thomas]

Basically a Cordwainer was a Shoemaker Rebecca.

Jill

A cordwainer only worked with new leather and was not to be confused with a cobbler. Usually refers to a certain class of shoe and boot maker. There is a guild of cordwainers....try a search on google.
Maybe I'm biased because I have a few generations of cordwainers.
Perhaps you will be more impressed now!!

[Keith Bateman]

Hi Sue

I have a "Boot & List Shoemaker" - do you know what the list part was?

Cheers

Keith

[Biker]

Hi Keith,

My guess is that 'list' is actually LAST.

LASTER - A person who made shoes using a last, a cobbler.

The last I think is the device for holding the shoe whilst making/mending.

Regards
jonathan

[Keith Bateman]

Thanks jonathan,

Of course!!  - it's easy when you know.

I was trying for a special occupation as per Sue!! 

Even the census enumerators couldn't always spell 

Cheers
Keith