Author Topic: China Merchant?  (Read 869 times)

Offline gh485

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China Merchant?
« on: Sunday 19 February 12 17:08 GMT (UK) »
What did this occupation entail?
Moncur, Humphriss, Lightfoot, Batterbee, Swan, Littler, Newton, Felton, Ireland

Offline stanmapstone

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Re: China Merchant?
« Reply #1 on: Sunday 19 February 12 17:17 GMT (UK) »
" A Dictionary of Occupational Terms" has this definition for Merchant (trader); a wholesale dealer who buys goods wholesale from manufacturers or other merchants, and sells to other merchants or retailers; usually specifically designated, e.g. feather merchant, hide and skin merchant, hop merchant etc.


Stan
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Offline GrahamSimons

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Re: China Merchant?
« Reply #2 on: Sunday 19 February 12 17:23 GMT (UK) »
Two possibilities occur to me -

1. Someone who buys and sells (or runs a shop) selling china
2. Someone who trades with China - I have met several people in my genealogical travels who are described as "East India Merchants" for example.

Would be worth cross-checking with trade directories for the area, Kelly's or the like.

Hope this helps

Graham
Simons Barrett Jaffray Waugh Langdale Heugh Meade Garnsey Evans Vazie Mountcure Glascodine Parish Peard Smart Dobbie Sinclair....
in Stirlingshire, Roxburghshire; Bucks; Devon; Somerset; Northumberland; Carmarthenshire; Glamorgan

Offline stanmapstone

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Re: China Merchant?
« Reply #3 on: Sunday 19 February 12 17:27 GMT (UK) »
In the Trade Directories they are usually listed as Glass & China Merchants. http://www.historicaldirectories.org/hd/
I assume you are referring to the UK, as "China Merchant" can mean a merchant in China, as a Google Book search shows.
Stan
Census Information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk


Offline stanmapstone

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Re: China Merchant?
« Reply #4 on: Sunday 19 February 12 19:19 GMT (UK) »
The Oxford English Dictionary defines Merchant as A person whose occupation is the purchase and sale of goods or commodities for profit. (Originally used gen. of any trader in goods not manufactured or produced by his or her own hand, but from the 16th cent. chiefly restricted to wholesale traders, esp. those having dealings with foreign countries.)

Stan
Census Information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk