van driver

[ernlun]

my great grandfather occupation is listed on his marriage certificate as a van driver it was in 1893 can anyone tell me what type of  vehicle this would have been ie horse drawn etc. it was in Belfast  and what a van driver would have done around this time

thank you

[harrywrag]

don't know if this helps,
                                    van meaning a type of vehicle arose as a contraction of the word caravan. the early records of van as a vehicle in English are mid 19th century meaning a coverd wagon for transporting goods. ( earliest reported record 1829 0 caravan with the same meaning has records since the 1670s. a caravan meaning one wagon has arisen as an extension or corruption of caravan meaning a convoy or multiple wagons. the word van has slightly difernt but overlapping meanings in different forms of English. while the word always now applies to boxy cargo vans.   also just wondering if could be tram first one Belfast 1872 horse drawn

[stanmapstone]

A Van Driver, aka van man; drives a horse-drawn van used for collection and delivery of small goods; duties as for carman; sometimes specifically designated. e.g. delivery van driver, mail van driver, parcels van driver. "A Dictionary of Occupational Terms"

Stan

[stanmapstone]

You can see a photograph of a horse drawn van at http://www.newhamstory.com/node/2549

Stan

[stanmapstone]

duties as for carman

See http://www.gander-name.info/misc/carmen.shtml

Stan

[ernlun]

Many thanks for all your replies this has given me a better insight to a van driver of this time

Thankyou