Hi,Rob,
Thanks for the message. I think that the occupation on the certificate will be General Hawker.
HAWKERS and PEDLARS, the designation of itinerant dealers who convey their goods from place to place to sell. lhe word hawker seems to have come into English from the Ger. hlOker or Dutch hanker in the early i~th century. In an act of 1533 (25 Henry \III. c. 9, 6) v-c find Sundry evill disposed persons which commonly bevne called haukcrs buying and selling of Brasse and Pewter, The earlier word for oan an itinerant dealer is huckster, which is found in 200. For th;ft they have turned Gods house intill hucksteress bathe (()rrnulu,n, 15,817). The base of the two words is the same, and is probably to he referred to German hocken, to squat, crouch; ef. hucklebone, the hip-bone; and the hawkers or hucksters were so calicti either because they stooped under their packs, or squatted at booths in markets, &c. Another derivation finds the origin in the Dutch hock, a hole, corner. It may be noticed that the termination of huckster is icmin~nc; though there are examples of its application to women it was always applied indiscriminately to either sex.
The Hawkers Act 1888 defines a hawker as any one who travels with a horse or other beast of burden, selling goods, &c. An excise licence (expiring on the 31st of March in each year) must be taken out by every hawker in the United Kingdom. The dfity imposed upon such licence is f2. A hawkers licence is not granted, otherwise than by way of licence, except on production of a certificate signed by a clergyman and two householders of the parish or place wherein the applicant resides, or by a justice of the county or place, or a superintendent or inspector of police for the district,attesting that the person is of good character and a pruper person to be licenced as a hawker. There are certain exemptions from taking out a licencecommercial travellers, sellers of fish, coal, &c., sellers in fairs, and the real worker or maker of any goods. The act also lays down certain provisions to be observed by hawkers and others, and imposes penalties for infringements.
Taken from 1911 encyclopedia
http://82.1911encyclopedia.org/H/HA/HAWKERS_and_PEDLARS.htm And, your English is fine!
Tricia
