Was your ancestor a cooper, a barker or a wainwright?

Every once in a while, I come across ancestral occupations that have disappeared with time and I haven’t a clue what the ancestor did for a living.

Here are a few resources I’ve found to help define their jobs:

Wikipedia: Obsolete Occupations

ThoughtCo.: Free Dictionary of Old Occupations and Trades

Old Occupations Glossary Free Download from Family Tree Magazine

This is the most extensive list, but some occupations pertain mostly to Scotland:
Dictionary of Obsolete Occupations

Most obsolete occupations that genealogical researchers come across will be found on one more more of the above lists.

By the way, a cooper was a barrel maker, a barker either advertised shows outside the sales entrance or, in a totally different job, a barker was a person who used tree bark in the leather tanning process. Finally, a wainwright was a man who made wagons.