Lightermen used lighters to carry freight from ships to ports and up rivers. When road transport took over, the job of a lighterman and the lighters themselves became obselete. Photo courtesy of The Western Mail, 24 July 1947.

Some old occupations are unusual and others have continued through the ages.  Do you have flymen, char women, feather beaters, knocker-uppers or wetters in your family tree? 

There’s many websites available with lists of old occupations, click here for one that holds some unusual jobs from bygone era’s.

If you need assistance finding what occupations your ancestors did or what an occupation means, then you may like to contact one of our genealogists or record agents.