What is this profession?

[Catservant]

What is this profession? Thanks

[PaulineJ]

A hegler.

[Viktoria]

Two old words, one heg means a hedge so perhaps a hedger ,an important job ,much more than just pruning ,layering the shrubs to make an animal proof hedge as the layered twigs took root .
To hegge in Dutch is to beg, many Old English words are very similar so perhaps a beggar.
Viktoria,

[Mike in Cumbria]

Probably a local variation of higgler.

[Catservant]

Thanks all. He was in Somerset, UK. Handwriting is from his son’s marriage cert in 1844.

[hanes teulu]

Looks like a 19th Century baptism - but here's a couple of 18th Century interpretations

1, 1702, John Kersey's a New English Dictionary
 "An Hegler, or seller of provisions by retail"

2. 1721, Nathan Barley's An Universal Etymological English Dictionary
"Hegler, a Forestaller or Huckster, on who brings provisions which are brought out of the Country, in order to sell them again by retail"

3 . 1800, Guiseppe Marco Antonio Baretti's A Dictionary of Spanish and English "Hegler or Higler or Higgler - one that brings from the country to London, eggs, butter and fowls" (note Spanish equivalent not included but availabe if wanted!!)

[hanes teulu]

19th Century

1889-1901, David Frederick Schloss' Labour and Life of the People
"Commission Salesmen and Higglers - The former act for the grower for the time being but are not themselves producers. The Higglers or Middlemen are on the alert as early as 4am., taking note of how the things are being sold from the vans, and purchasing lots accordingly"