Some old job titles from the textile industries.

BALER

someone who carried the bailed wool or cotton goods in a mill

BOBBIN CARRIER

worked in spinning and weaving sections of the mills

BOBBIN TURNER

made the bobbins used in the spinning and weaving industry

BOWKER

bleached yarn and a local term in some parts of Lancashire for a butcher

CALICO PRINTER

dyed and coloured calico

CARDROOMER

term for anyone who worked in the carding room of the mills

CARDMAKER

maker of cards or instruments for combing wool

CLOTH LAPPER

took the cloth from the carding machine readied it for the next process

CLOTH LINTER / CLOTH PICKER

removed unwanted threads & lint from the finished material

DEXTER

dyer

DOUBLER

operated a machine used to twist together strands of fibre (cotton, wool etc)

DRAWBOY

weavers assistant in the shawl making mills

DYER

employed in the textile mills to colour fabric prior to weaving

FETTLER

cleaned the machinery in woollen mills, sharpened the fustian cutters knives or needle maker who filed the needle to a point

FILLER

who filled bobbins in mills

FINE DRAWER

employed in tailoring to repair tears in the cloth (invisible mending)

FIREBEATER

tended the boilers that powered the machinery in a cotton mill

FIRST HAND

silk weaver who had his own loom (an outworker)

FRAME SPINNER

worker on a loom

FRAMEWORKER KNITTER

operator of machine which made hosiery

HECK MAKER

maker of a part of a spinning machine by which the yarn is guided to the reels

HOTPRESSER

worker in paper or textile industries where product was pressed between glazed boards and hot metal plates to obtain a smooth and shiny surface

LACE-DRAWER

child employed in lace work, drawing out threads

LACE-RUNNER

young worker who embroidered patterns on lace

LOTTER

one who bought odd lots of wool and consolidated them for sale

MULE MINDER

minded the spinning mules in the cotton mills

ORRICE WEAVER

designer of lace patterns to be woven with silk thread and silk

OUTWORKER

worker who carried on their occupation at home

OVERLOOKER

superintendent or overseer, especially in the textile mills

PACK THREAD SPINNER

operator of the machine which made thread or twine

PICKER

one who cast the shuttle on a loom

PIECENER / PIECER

worker in a spinning mill to piece together any threads which broke

POWER LOOM TUNER

one who maintained the loom in mills

QUILLER

one who operated a machine that wound yarn onto spools

REELER

operated the machine that wound the yarn onto the bobbin

SAY WEAVER

one who made Say, material used for table cloths or bedding

SCRIBBLER

employed in a scibbling mill where the wool was roughly carded before spinning

SHUTTLE MAKER

made the shuttles for the weaving mills

SILK THROWER

worker in the silk industry

SILKER

sewed the ends of the fabric to prevent the layers from separating

SILK DRESSER

prepared the silk for weaving

SILK TWISTER

silk spinner

SLUBBER DOFFE

removed the bobbins from the spindles in the mills

STOCKINGER

knitter, weaver, or dealer in stockings

STRIPPER

employed in the woollen trade to remove the rubbish from the carding machines

TEASER

one who opens up matted wool for carding

THROWSTER

one in the textile trade who twisted the strands of fibre together into yarn

TWISTER / TWISTERER

one who operated the machine used for twisting yarns and threads together

TWIST HAND

one who operated a lace machine

WALKER / WAULKMILLER

cloth worker

WHITENER / WHITESTER / WHITSTER

one who bleached cloth

WINDSTER

silk winder

WOOL DRIVER

one who brought the wool to market

WOOLEN BILLY PIECER

worked in the woollen mills to piece together the broken yarns