Cordiner

I have come across a possible ancestor in Scotland whose occupation in
c.1700 is given as a cordiner. I suspect that this might well be a
Scottish version of a cordwainer, which in turn began to take over from
the original Scots suter on the arrival of Flemish shoe makers in the
C15th.

Having a SOUTER in my tree, along with once living in a house that had
been named 'Snobs Cottage', I should be well shoed and booted, if not
spurred.

Could someone please confirm (or otherwise) my surmise concerning the
occupation of a cordiner?

Lesley Robertson...

As long as you're sure of the transcription. Scotlands People's very useful
glossary gives cordiner as a shoemaker but cordinar as "A person who winds
yarn onto cops, which fit into the shuttle, providing the weft thread for
weaving ".

viv.dunstan...

Isn't that second one the definition of "copwinder" in the glossary at
"Cordinar" there seems to be defined just as a variant of cordiner.

Lesley Robertson...

If that's true, there's something wrong with their spacing. On my screen,
cordinar definitely comes in line with the beginning of the yarn winder
definition, with an empty space underneath the word to allow for the length
of the definition before Cordiner starts. It DOES seem more reasonable,
however.
Lesley Robertson

Geoff Pearson...

The Concise Scots Dictionary has cordinar=cordiner

and

cordiner (late 15-16c)=cordenar =cordornar (15-e17c)= cordwainer, a
shoemaker 15c only Scots.

Another handy online resource at times like this is the Dictionary of
for words like this to get more detailed definitions, examples of use,
geographical/chronological spread, etc.

Somehow the latter sounds more 19th century to me, but they don't specify so
I could be wrong.

andrew...

Thank you, Lesley, for the confirmation. As you say 'cordinar' sounds
post start of Industrial Revolution; I am happy with my shoe making
'cordiner'.

Yours Aye Andrew Sellon

Lesley Robertson

Eve McLaughlin...

Cordiner is one of the variants (usually early) or cordwainer. Another
is cordwinder, which leads people astray from its actual meaning of
shoemaker into speculation that it must mean rope spinner. (which is
does not).

Yours Aye Andrew Sellon