Just letting off steam!

[Boongie Pam]

http://www.careerplanner.com/DOT-Job-Descriptions/DOFFER.cfm

Here's a doffer?  Fettle not so sure of.

Pam
 

[Berlin-Bob]

Maybe Suttontrust meant "Felt", that would fit in with Pam's doffer

Otherwise: 

The word was most typically used as a verb meaning to put things in order, tidy up, arrange, or prepare. Here’s an example, from Anne Brontë‘s Agnes Grey of 1847, in the Yorkshire dialect speech of a servant: “But next day, afore I’d gotten fettled up—for indeed, Miss, I’d no heart to sweeping an’ fettling, an’ washing pots; so I sat me down i’ th’ muck—who should come in but Maister Weston!”. In northern English it can still have the sense of making or repairing something. In Australia, a fettler is a railway maintenance worker, responsible for keeping the line in good shape. It’s also used in some manufacturing trades—in metal casting and pottery it describes the process of knocking the rough edges off a piece. But all of these are variants of the basic sense. So the noun refers to condition, order or shape, and [in] fine fettle means to be in good order or condition.

in: http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-fet1.htm

[matty]

Pam,

Thank you I have looked at the site and found it interesting.  Lancashire was know for cotton so may be Fettle was a slang term for repair. 

  Matty

[matty]

Bob,
Thank you the word could mean to keep things in order. It was a twelve year old whose occupation was fettle doffer, or again felt would fit in. 

Matty

[Paul E]

In Geordie parlance, of course, you can be 'In fine fettle', or in good shape / feeling well.
Alternatively, if you were being scolded your parent might say 'I'll fettle you!' meaning quite the opposite!

'Wot fettle?' is a universal greeting.

[JAP]

Hey, I thought we were on the Lighter Side.  This is getting seriously genealogical!

Matty, I can't find your request about Fettle Doffer.

My dictionary (1966 2v SOED) has "Doffer" and "Fettle" - though, as an Aussie, I'm shocked to see (hello Berlin Bob) that it doesn't have "Fettler"

It says:
"Doffer"
One who or that which doffs hmmm
- In a carding machine, a comb or revolving cylinder which strips off cotton or wool from the cards
- A worker who removes the full bobbins or spindles.

Here's a site which has lots of doffers apparently in various roles:
http://www.rickwalton.com/freeu/brains/oddjobs.htm
doffer, can doffer, cloth doffer, filling-yarn doffer, mangle doffer, twister doffer (though no descriptions)
and it has fettler!

I also found an 1891 Huddersfield census page which included a "worsted doffer" and a "woollen fettler"

Somewhere else I found:
FETTLER
      [1] Cleaned the machinery in woollen mills, removing accumulated fibres, grease, etc.
      [2] fettlers sharpened the fustian cutters knives.
      [3] Needlemaker who filed the needle to a point.

Perhaps your 12yo cleaned the combs?

Have fun Googling!

Cheers,

Judy

[matty]

Thank you Paul 

I like that one- being fettled by your parent - different dialects are very interesting. 

Judy thank you for your reply it looks like any one of those is possible.  Sorry we are on the lighterside (a bit steamy) we should all enjoy it and have fun

Matty

[acorngen]

In Yorkshire Fettle as to meanings.  Fine Fettle means sound great etc or in the saying I am going to fettle you it means sort out.

Rob

[JAP]

I'm sure the phrase "in fine fettle" would be well understood (couldn't resist that "well") in Aus.

Paul E's other meanings are new to me.

Just checked out fettle in the online Scots Dictionary at:
http://www.sldl.org.uk/

It has most of the meanings we've seen including Paul's Geordie ones:
- Very freq., esp. in s.Sc., in phr. what fettle? = how are you?
and
- fettlin, a dressing-down, a “sorting”.

And yet another one:
- A rope or band of twisted straw, heather or the like

The things one learns!

Judy