Level Hands

[miw]

Hi
I've been looking at Vestry Minutes and Overseers accounts for Heaver in Kent, (pre 1834)  and amongst all of the references to people keeping and maintaining X a poor child of the parish, there were a few where no allowance was granted instead it said Level Hands, in these cases X was not referred to as a poor child of the parish.  I am assuming that this was an older child/young adult and it was assumed that they would do sufficeint work to pay for their keep.
Has anyone come across the phrase "Level Hands" elsewhere?
Any help in confirming or correcting my assumption would be appreciated.
Thanks
Mary

[jorose]

Haven't heard the term before but found it referenced here:
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=-ji3lYsG6AwC&pg=PA113&dq="level+hands"

[stanmapstone]

Level-hand (puddler); a puddler who works in a group of two or more puddlers who divide piecework wages evenly among themselves. " A Dictionary of Occupational Terms"
I don't know if there were any ironworks in Heaver in Kent.
Stan

[stanmapstone]

In the 'Dictionary of Occupational Terms' there is a separate category for Puddler with 10 entries.
Part of the entry for an Iron Puddler is; worked on an Iron Furnace charging it with pig iron and turning the pig iron into wrought iron by puddling, that is charging the hearth with iron oxide powder and stirring it into the molten pig iron with a rabble, or fork at the furnace end until the iron slowly became purer. Repairs worn parts of lining of furnace by ramming in mixture of slag and iron oxide, which fuses and fills up cracks when furnace is in use.

Stan

[miw]

thanks to all, however, I don't think this is the meaning in the context where I have found it. 
Mary

[ThrelfallYorky]

"Puddling" is also a term used when clay is trodden or bashed down, as when sealing the bed and sides of canals. Could "Level hands" be sort of casual labour used to level or straighten the surface of a canal prior to filling it with water? By stamping or treading it down? Just a suggestion, in case it helps.