What's a 'Looker'

[Julie Tyrell]

When my g.g.g. Grandfather married and later when his children where baptised his with occupation was 'looker'. Can anyone suggest what he did???

thanks Julie

[Blain]

DO you have any reason to believe he could have been involved in the railways?

[Davran]

Could 'looker' be 'locker', whose job would be one of the following:

1) Employed in Customs bonded warehouses as a trusted person to keep charge of the elaborate locks [known as the King's - or Queen's] Locks
2) Fed a power driven flat lock machine with knitted fabrics etc
3) Separated and graded locks of fur in the hat trade
4) Cut and folded sheet tin before feeding it into a grooving machine
5) Worker in the mining industry

[busyglen]

Another possible? Hedge Looker.

See here: http://rmhh.co.uk/occup/h.html

Glenys

[uksearch]

When my g.g.g. Grandfather married and later when his children where baptised his with occupation was 'looker'. Can anyone suggest what he did???

thanks Julie
If you can..why not post an image of the certificate?

UK

[grahame]

Could he have been involved in mining ?.

I remember reading about the guy that operated the winding gear, that brought up to the surface the laden trucks, he was called a winder, and his assistant was a looker.

[David Wilkins]

The expression could have been used locally for a particular industry. He would have been an overseer or inspector of some sort, possibly in the cloth /linen industry looking for flaws etc.

[HelenVSmith]

Hi

A looker was a shepherd. This is quite common in the south of England particularly in Kent.

Helen

[Peter Goodey]

I can give you definitions of "looker" in half a dozen different industries.

Context is all important. Where? When? What supporting evidence do you have, eg census?

[Linda]

Hubby once said I was a looker but it had nothing to do with railways or sheep. |biggrin|

[busyglen]

Trouble is, they have such short memories! |biggrin|

Glenys

[Linda]

Oh yes Glenys, especially now that we're older and there are so many younger "lookers" around .

Hubby tends to forget names, so has given nicknames to all the neighbours - one of them is "the pretty woman". Even I call her that now! :eek:

Oops, sorry Julie for going off topic - couldn't resist a bit of humour. :D

Linda

[Julie Tyrell]

Thanks for your interesting replies!!

This relative married in 1850, other relatives were Ag. labourers. Therefore, I think that the most plausible explanation was that he was a shepherd, epecially as he lived in Thanet, Kent.

Thanks for all your help.