Reed Maker

[Megan Roberts]

When my gt gt gt grandfather married for the 2nd time in 1846 in Carnarvon, he listed his father's occupation as Reed Maker.

Does anybody have any guesses as to what this could be?

The bridgegroom was a weaver (lindsey), and many of his descendants became tailors, cobblers, bakers etc.

According to censuses the bridgegroom was born around 1796, so I assume that his father was born 20 years or so before that. The marriage certificate does not say that the groom's father is deceased, but I have yet to find a death record after 1846 that can be matched.

If it helps people:
Groom - Llewelyn Roberts - father Llewelyn Roberts
Bride - Catherine Hughes (widow) - father Griffith Edwards labourer.

thanks

[Jan1954]

When my gt gt gt grandfather married for the 2nd time in 1846 in Carnarvon, he listed his father's occupation as Reed Maker.

Does anybody have any guesses as to what this could be?

The bridgegroom was a weaver

This is the clue

A reed, in weaving terms, is rather like a comb and is used to push the weft yarn into place once the shuttle has pulled it throught the warp threads on the loom.

[Peter Goodey]

Where are you? If in UK you should have access via your library service to the OED and other reference works. You may like to look up reed in the OED. There are certainly some meanings there that were new to me.

Since his lad was a weaver, 'reed maker' probably refers to a 'reed' that is part of a loom.

Part of a loom consisting of a set of evenly spaced wires known as dents (originally slender pieces of reed or cane) fastened between two parallel horizontal bars and used for separating, or determining the spacing between, the warp threads, and for beating the weft into place

But do have a look at the OED (also see "sley")

[Megan Roberts]

Following the very useful responses received I have done a little more research on the internet and found this very useful site describing all sorts of old occuptions:
http://rmhh.co.uk/occup/q-r.html#R