The Shakespeare Book of Lists

Companion Web Site

 

Chapter 2

 

Life in Elizabethan England

 

 

Unusual names

 

Here are some unusual names, most rarely used today.  All of these occur only once in this registry. Here are some of most interesting ones.

 

Men

 

Abachuck

Adlard

Alverdus

Anchor

Bellingham

Bevil

Botolph

Cadwallader

Ciriacus

Denton

Didimus

Drugo

Goughe

Helegor

Manasses

Polidore

Quiver

Rook

Wombell

Wymond

 

Women

 

Aveline

Charity

Dionise

Dolora

Ebotte

Effemia

Ellois

Etheldreda

Gartheride

Georgette

Gwenhoivar

Jocatta

Jocosa

Lettice

Magdalen

Petronella

Rawsone

Tabitha

Venetia

Winifred

 

 

 

Services and occupations

 

Apothecary—made and sold drugs

 

I do remember an apothecary,--
And hereabouts he dwells. (Romeo and Juliet)

 

Armorer—made and repaired armor

 

an old rusty sword ta'en out of the
town-armory, with a broken hilt.  (The Taming of the Shrew)

 

Barber/surgeon—performed dentistry, blood-letting, hair cutting, and sold tobacco

 

Hath any man seen him at the barber's? (Much Ado About Nothing)

 

With the help of a surgeon he might yet recover, and prove an ass. (A Midsummer Night's Dream)

 

Blacksmith—made ironwork

 

I saw a smith stand with his hammer, thus,
The whilst his iron did on the anvil cool,
With open mouth swallowing a tailor's news (King John)

 

Bowyer—bow maker

 

Chandler—candlemaker

           

Thou hast saved me a thousand marks in links and
torches, walking with thee in the night betwixt
tavern and tavern: but the sack that thou hast
drunk me would have bought me lights as good cheap
at the dearest chandler's in Europe.(Henry IV, part 1)

 

Cocker—handled the birds at cockfighting

 

Cooper—barrel maker

 

Cutler—made knives   

 

About a hoop of gold, a paltry ring
That she did give me, whose posy was
For all the world like cutler's poetry
Upon a knife, 'Love me, and leave me not.' (The Merchant of Venice)

 

 

Draper—dealt in cloth, plus some ready-made garments and dry goods.                                       

 

Factor—conducted business for someone in London, or in another country.

 

Percy is but my factor, good my lord,
To engross up glorious deeds on my behalf (Henry IV, part 1)

 

Farrier—manufactured horseshoes

 

Fletcher—made arrows                                                                                                               

 

Fowler—supplied game birds for your table

 

When they him spy,
As wild geese that the creeping fowler eye (A Midsummer Night's Dream)

 

Fuller—cleaned cloth

 

The spinsters, carders, fullers, weavers, who,
Unfit for other life, compell'd by hunger
And lack of other means, in desperate manner
Daring the event to the teeth, are all in uproar, (Henry VIII)

 

Glazier—made glass windows and mirrors

           

Look in a glass, and call thy image so (Henry IV, part 2)

 

Glover—made gloves

Does he not wear a great round beard, like a
lover's paring-knife? (The Merry Wives of Windsor)

Joiner—made furniture

           

Her chariot is an empty hazel-nut
Made by the joiner squirrel or old grub. (Romeo and Juliet)

 

Landlord—man who ran the tavern

 

it would warm his spirits,
To hear from me you had left Antony,
And put yourself under his shrowd,
The universal landlord. (Antony and Cleopatra)

 

Lawyer—anyone who handled legal affairs       

 

The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers. (Henry IV, part 2)

 

Man of Business—accountant

 

Mercer—a cloth retailer

 

Then is there here one Master Caper, at the suit of
Master Three-pile the mercer, for some four suits of
peach-coloured satin, which now peaches him a beggar (Measure for Measure)

 

Milliner—a hatter

 

He was perfumed like a milliner (Henry IV, part 1)

 

 

Nurse—took care of infants and young children and breast-fed the baby

 

                      O, that woman that cannot
make her fault her husband's occasion, let her
never nurse her child herself, for she will breed
it like a fool! (As You Like It)

 

 

Ostler—ran the inn (with rooms and stabling as well as food and drink)

 

Out, ye rogue! shall I be your ostler?(Henry IV, part 1)

 

 

Saddler—made saddles, bridles, etc.

           

The saddler had it, sir; I kept it not. (The Comedy of Errors)

 

Sawyer—made wooden planks for building

 

Enter CADE, DICK the Butcher, SMITH the Weaver, and a sawyer, with infinite numbers (Henry IV, part 2)

 

 

Seamstress—made shirts and smocks

 

Stapler—bought and sold raw wool, silk, and linen.

 

Stationer—a bookseller

 

Steward—oversaw the running of an estate.

Art any more than a
steward? Dost thou think, because thou art
virtuous, there shall be no more cakes and ale? (Twelfth Night)

 

Tailor—made suits of clothes

           

O, I know him well, I, sir; he, sir, 's a good
workman, a very good tailor. (All's Well That Ends Well)

 

Tiler—made and installed tile for the roof         

 

Turner—made turned items for table legs, finials, etc

 

Tutor—educated children

           

Indeed, I was their tutor to instruct them. (Titus Andronicus)

 

Warrener—caught rabbits on your land.

 

He hath fought with a warrener. (The Merry Wives of Windsor)

 

 

Previous Chapter - Next Chapter

 

 

LoMonico.com Home ~ Book of Lists Home