Each week the New England Historic Genealogical Society surveys readers about their ancestors.  Last week the topic pertained to obsolete occupations. 

Back in the 16th and 17th centuries, my West Yorkshire, England male Wood family members engaged in weaving wool, usually in the loft room.  Yes, he men did the weaving!  Once arriving in 1635 in New England, land speculation and cattle became more lucrative.

Jeff Martin from Maine wrote:

“My ancestor George Whittaker was listed as a ‘knocker up’ in the 1861 Manchester, UK, census.  For a small fee, the ‘knocker-ups’ woke people up by poking them through the bedroom window with a long pole or rapping on the window with a peashooter.”

Perhaps parents with children who like to sleep in need the long pole and peashooter in the house