I’m stumped by the occupation of Johannes Kling, a German whose 1855 passage to Australia was sponsored by A W Scott, a large landowner and developer. Johannes was employed at one of Scott's properties, Ash Island, an estate of 2,560 acres, near Newcastle, N.S.W., largely used as farmland (cattle, crops and orchards), but Scott's company employed people for all sorts of occupations.
The particular occupation is recorded 3 times on the attached passenger list, so Scott must have needed plenty of whatever it is. Johannes is described on a gaol admittance register (for absconding from his job to head off to the goldfields) simply as a seaman, so no help there.
The quality of the image is poor and the writer had a tendency to add unnecessary squirls to some of his work.
I see it as something “Dresser”. In a list of old occupations I found a couple of dozen different “dressers”; the only appropriate one appears to be “Tripe Dresser” aka a “cattle dresser” (i.e., a specialising butcher).
Do you think the first word could be “Tripe”?
Any help appreciated.
Peter
