Meaning
A person who sawed timber by hand or in a sawpit.
Description
Sawyers converted tree trunks into planks and beams using long two-handed saws worked by two men, one standing in a pit below the timber and one above. The top sawyer guided the saw along the marked line while the bottom sawyer pulled it down and removed the sawdust. The work was physically demanding and dusty. Sawyers were employed wherever timber was needed for building, shipbuilding or furniture making. Steam-powered sawmills gradually replaced hand sawyers from the mid-19th century but hand sawing continued in areas without access to machinery.
Also Known As
Top Sawyer, Pit Sawyer, Timber Sawyer
Commonly Found In
- Census Returns
- Trade Directories
- Parish Registers
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