Landsman?

[jennyblain]

The description 'landsman' is given for one of my Linlithgow people - James McCulloch, I think it was, in mid 18th century, described thus in his son's marriage record.

Does anybody have a precise meaning?

Jenny

[DavidWW]

Google on "old occupation landsman" and you'll get a variety of meanings ......

David

[jennyblain]

Aye well - a variety of occupations. But this is Linlithgow - it doesn't have big boats drawing up and being unloaded by landsmen (though there might be some river trade, and later the canal), and nor would it seem a likely candidate for the seaman's jokes on the inabilities of landsmen/landlubbers - I've got the seamen on the other side of the family but not right there. So it would seem I'm left with ideas of simply a farmer or a farm labourer or (even though unlikely) a landowner - it makes a lot of difference which though.

Or if james had come from the Forth ports?

Any ideas there?

The particular entry is (now I'm home and can transcribe it):
Robert Mcculloch son of James Mcculloch Landsman in Linlithgow and Eupham Gilles widow of William Thomson tenant in Kettlestown mill. He of the parish of Torphichen and she of this parish Thomas Cowan Weaver in Woodcockdale Caur for both partys in (abbrev. Communi) forma


Robert McC has presumably gone where work is, to the next-door parish of Torphichen, but his father is in Linlithgow. Robert seems to have taken over running the mill at Kettlestone, after this marriage.
Jenny

[SuperTrouper]

A Landsman is a person who has not been to sea before and has no experience of the Royal Navy. The Landsman was the lowest rank in the Royal Navy at that time. see link below

http://www.twogreens.com/wakeup/peopleo ... andsmn.htm

A list of sailors at Trafalgar giving Landsman as their rank
http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook ... l/traf.htm

LANDSMAN: an inexperienced sailor
http://www.american-firearms.com/histor ... tions.html