Dictionary of Old and Obsolete Occupations - P

Dictionary of Old and Obsolete Occupations - P The occupations found recorded in documents from prior centuries often appear unusual or foreign when compared to the occupations of today. The following occupations are generally now considered old or obsolete. Packman  - a peddler; a person who traveled around carrying goods for sale in his pack Page - a young mail servant Palmer  - a pilgrim; one who had been, or pretended to have been, to the Holy Land. See also the surname PALMER. Paneler  - saddler; one who makes, repairs or sells saddles, harnesses, horse collars, bridles, etc. for horses.  A panel or pannel was a short saddle raised on both ends  for small burdens carried on horseback. Pannarius  - A Latin name for a clothier or draper, also known as a haberdasher, or a merchant who sells clothing. Pannifex - seller of woolen cloth, or sometimes a generic occupational term for someone who worked in the cloth trade Pantographer - someone who  operated a pantograph, a device used in the engraving process to draw a replica of an image by tracing. Pardoner  - originally  someone who collected money on behalf of a religious foundation, a pardoner came to be synonymous with an individual who sold pardons, or indulgences, which implied that time in purgatory would be pardoned if one prayed for the souls there and made a donation to the church through the pardoner.   Parochus  - rector, pastor Patten maker, Pattener - one who made  pattens to fit under normal shoes for use in wet or muddy conditions. Pavyler - someone who erected tents and pavilions. Peever  - a seller of pepper Pelterer  - skinner; one who worked with animal skins Perambulator - a surveyor or someone who made inspection of property on foot. Peregrinator  - an itinerant wanderer, from the  Latin  peregrÄ «nÄ tus, meaning  to  travel  abroad. Peruker or peruke maker  - a maker of gentlemans wigs in the 18th and 19th century Pessoner - a fishmonger, or seller of fish; from the French poisson, meaning fish. Petardier - A person in charge of a petard, a 16th century bomb used to breach fortifications during sieges. Pettifogger  - a shyster lawyer;  especially one who deals with petty cases and raised petty, annoying objections Pictor  - painter Pigmaker - someone who poured molten metal to make pigs for distribution of raw metals. Alternatively, a pigmaker could be a crockery or pottery maker. Pigman  - crockery dealer or a pig herder Pilcher  - a maker of pilches,  a type of outer garment made of skin or fur, and later of leather or wool. See also the surname PILCH. Pinder  - An officer appointed by a parish to impound stray beasts, or a keeper of the pound Piscarius  - fishmonger Pistor  - miller or baker Pitman / Pit man  - a coal miner Plaitor - someone who  makes straw plaits for hat making Plowman  - a farmer Ploughwright  - one who makes or repairs plows Plumber  - one who worked with lead; eventually came to apply to a tradesman who installed or repaired (lead) pipes and drains Porcher  - pig-keeper Porter  - gate-keeper or door-keeper Potato Badger -  merchant who peddled potatoes Pot Man -  a street merchant selling pots of stout and porter Poulterer  - dealer in poultry; poultry merchant Prothonotary - principal clerk of a court Puddler  - wrought iron worker Pynner/Pinner  - a maker of pins and needles; sometimes other  wire articles such as baskets and bird cages Explore more old and obsolete occupations and trades in our free Dictionary of Old Occupations and Trades!