TODMORDEN NICKNAMES

transcribed from

NOTES OF THE TODMORDEN DISTRICT

by John Travis published 1896.

A list of persons and the by-names by which they were generally known to relatives and friends in Todmorden district during a period of one hundred years.

A

AB­AT-COOPERS, a lame tailor

AB KNOCK, a master weaver

ABLEY DAWSON, a blacksmith

ALL NATIONS, timber yard worker

AZZEY, Ahasuerus Ashworth, tailor

B

BABLYON, out worker

BARREL, a power weaver

BIBBY TOM, parson's manservant

BILLY COCKEYE, a shoemaker

BILLY BELSE, old hawker

“He wheel'd a wheelbarrow,

Thro' frost and thro'sno:

Crying coggles and mussels

Alive, alive oh, o-“

“Mussels alive, alive oh.”

BILLY BRUSH, a publican

BILLY HOTCH, engine tenter

BILLY TO SENSE, grocer and farmer

BILLITY, a hawker

BILLY CODDY, labourer

BELLOS, a publican

BEWIN SAM, a cally weaver

BEN LOBBY, a clogger

BEEST, a gardener (first-milk)

BELL TINKER, Cartwright

BUCK (OLD), auctioneer

BLUE BEARD, a beerseller

BLUCHER, stone mason

BLUNDER , farmer

BLACK HANNAH, a weaver

BLASTER, a labourer

BILLY SIXPENCE, a carter

BUCHANN (OLD), mason

BULL DOG, weaver

BODDY, stone getter

BOLSH, carter

BROGGY, mason

BLACK HARRY, labourer

BUTTY, farmer

BURGY, publican

BUFFIL, foundry man

BUTTER JOHN, drover

BRITONS TO ARMS, a weaver

C

CAPER (TOMMY), blacksmith

CAPTAIN FLASH, gentleman

CHELSEY, weaver

CEEFRY (LITTLE), weaver

CHICKEN, tailor

CHIPP, gentleman

COCK O'BOBS, twiner

COCKEY DUCK, delver

COCK JIM, turner

COAVER, gas maker

CODGER, foundry labourer

COUCHIN, a weaver

COLLOP, tinplate worker

COGGLER, collier

CONN, engine tenter

CREEPIN, stone delver

CRECKIT, a carter

CRIMMY (OLD), farmer

CRUTTENSTALL, stone delver

D

DAN I'TH DOCK, hawker

DAGLER, carter

DINAH, cattle drover

DOBBER, a weaver

DOBBY, a shaver

DODD, a carter

DOADY, boatman

DODDY, farmer

DOLDEY, farmer's man

DONKEY FACE, dyer

DUTT, a carter

DUCK LEGS, a weaver

DROPP, moulder

E

ELY-TWO-TIMES, hawker

ELY-I'TH-LOIN, cattle dealer

ELY STOCKIN, carter

F

FATTY, carter

FARCEY, an agent

FEFLICUTE, a plausible talker

FLUNDER, to flounder

FLUNTER, to be out of gear

FUDDLER, publican

G

GAY LADDIE, a farmer

GILLY HORSEYHEAD, labourer

GRACE I'TH' KEYGE, a beggar

GREAT DON, great John

GREIDLEY (JIMMY), schoolmaster

GREY COIT, tall constable

GRET WESTERN, manufacturer

GRET JOE, a bricklayer

GRET BOOBY, gentleman

GREY LEGS, seedy porridge

GLAZEBROOK, ironfounder

H

HAPPY JIMMY, scutcher

HARSEY, an attorney

HENN (OLD), hand spinster

HENYEAD, road mender

HIGGLER, a hawker

HOCK (LITTLE), auctioneer

HOCKET, a publican

HOGGET, slater's man

HOUGHGET, slater's labourer

J

JATTERS, a twister-in

JACK O'TH OLD MAIDS, player on leysrods (trombone)

JACK O'STEENS, newspaper salesman

JACKEYFLAP. A weaver

JIM CLOGG, manufacturer

JIM O' SUE'S, labourer

JIM KEBB, weaver

JIM O' LONG MARY'S, steam tenter

JIMMY O'TH' COBBLER'S, carter

JOE TUPPINS, teamer

JOHNO (HOLDEN), mason

JONATY, weaver

JOHN YEPP, constable

JOHNNY ROW, a weaver

JOHNNY SNOW, a beerseller

JOHL (OLD), grocer's man

JONE O' BINNS, blacksmith

JONE O' PALLS (MARY'S), weaver

JORDAN, mason's labourer

JOSEPH AT ECCLESES, waiter

K

KEBB SAM, weaver

KEELAM, a carrier

KILLOP, a weaver

KNABBY, a carter

KNOCKIN, brewer

KNOX, publican

L

LATHERTY SPETCH, old song

“Latherty spetch and latherty spooin,

Mi fauther boaat me a pair o' new shooin, Toaan wor a thissle an tother a thorn, I wish't I' mi heart I'd never bin born.”

LAGGANBACK (OLD), farmer

LADIE, farmer's man

LARUM O' DIDDLAMS, hawker

LITTLE JOHN, weaver

LITTLE ITALY, collier

LITTLE BILLY, a parson

LOFTIE, a plasterer

LONG JOAN, farmer

LOAF CUOY, a carter

LURRIE PUDDIN, a weaver

LUSTY, brewer's man

M

MALLY, carter

MAYJER, gardener

MERRYAN, picker maker

MERRYMAN, butcher

MISSER, a weaver

MOULEY, farmer

MOLLY, silk dresser

MOLLY I'TH' FIRS (OLD), parkin maker

MONEY BAGS, merchant

MUCKY JONE, greengrocer

N

NELL O'TH' LOVIES, wench or demirep

NENKETT, a labourer

NICE-AS-LICK, shaver, Gauxholme

The old man with fingers stroked the chin, Gabbled much, would not hold his din;As in admiration of his work said “Theigher, New thew't shaved as nice-as-lick.”

O

OLD BILLY, stonemason

OLD BILLY BOLSH, weaver

OLD CHEANEY, postman

OLD COMMONS, gardener

OLD CRANK, weaver

OLD WILL O'TH REETS, joiner

OLD ROOK O' PILLS, blacksmith

OLD TUM O' KITCHEN'S, barber, White Hart Fold

OLD JEP, greengrocer

OLD JOE O' RACHEL'S, roadman

OLD KEBB GINNY (Greenwood), Cloughhole

OLD KEYKER, fish hawker

OLD PARR, stonegetter

OLD OAK, farm man

OLD TUM O' ROASIE'S, sandknocker

OLD SHURR, manufacturer

OLD SILL, a shepherd

OLD TWIGG, tailor

OLD ODD-STOCKIN', mortar maker

OLD TUMMY, tub thumper

OLD WARRICK, carter

P

PADDY SHAW, metal broker

PERRIE, a spinner

PEEPIN' JOHN, shoemaker

PICKER O' PAUL'S, waller

PODDI HODGINS, hawker

POTTY BROOK, labourer

POUNCE ON'T, a weaver

POLITICS, a spinner

POP O' LEYLEY'S, cockfighter

PUCK, grocer

PUGRETORY, a carter

PUNDER, a boatman

PUNANO, tailor
PUCKERTY, carter

PUND-WEIGHT, butcher

Q

QUACK JOHN, spinner

QUAKER, carter

R

RABBIT'S O'TH' PEARK, Weaver

ROCKEY, manservant

RODGER O' BRITTON'S, collier

ROLTY-TOLTY, Jim Cowyer

ROMTIN TWIST, mason

ROMTY TOMMY, weaver

“Romty Hidadey the moooin's at t' full,

Oriental and occidental the planets and nodes; Mains with many and Merlinas with a core, While Junius and Julius have abundance In store.”

ROOIT, a weaver

RODNEY, a fiddler

S

SAM O' HAGGIE'S, factory worker

SALTER KEE, power weaver

SALLY PEX, beggar woman

SAMMY RIP, a carter

SAM O' RAWDON'S, servant man

SALLY GREY, collier

SHINLIE, mechanic

SHALLINBANGH, fiddler

SHATTIE, mechanic

SHANDY, spinner

SHITTIE, weaver

SHINNAMY NANNY, spinner

SHEYLE-A-BOYS, loom overlooker

SLIPPY CLOG, cabinet-maker

SLACK (OLD), publican

SOFT CAKE, weaver

STOCKIN, weft packer

SPADE-ACE GUINEAS, warp sizer SPREAD EAGLE, a farmer

SNATTUM, a carter

SNYPOT, weaver

SOLL, labourer

SOOTY, a mason

SQUANDER, farmer

SQUITTERS, weaver

T

TACKIT, whitesmith

TEWNLY, tackler

TINKER, tinner

TINKER LEGS, carter

TWISTER, warp twister-in

TOATHRIE, weaver

TOMDEN JACK, shoemaker

TOM O'TH'TOCHEY DAMES, hawker

TOM PASH, lime-boat man

TOM SHOO, carter

TOM I'TH' END, weaver

TOMMATIE, traveller

TH'EDGESIDE LAWYER, farmer

TIPPO, a tailor

TREYDER, plasterer

TREYCLE CAKES, manufacturer

TRUEBILITY, labourer

TOCHEY TOM, hawker

TUB-THUMPER, cooper

TURPIN (OLD), stone delver

TH' LAD, a gardener

THREE-NOSES, weaver

TONIC, shoemaker

TOM CROO, millwright

TUPPY SIMPLE, a boatman

TUBLEY, a clogger

THRIBLEY, sole maker

TYLER, a slater

TYTE (OLD), twister

TUTLOW, joiner

TURKEY, labourer

TOABY, overlooker

TOSS, gentleman

TWATTLER, carter

TWITTLEHAM, carter  

U

UNCLE ABRAHAM, mechanic

UNCLE (OLD), weaver

V

VICK, picker maker

VAL ZAC, stonebreaker

W

WARCOCK, mason

WHEELYEAD, calf butcher

WILL BUTCH, publican

WILL O' STUTTIN'S, labourer

WINSLEY BOGGARD, labourer

WONTY, steam tenter

WILL O'TH LITTLEANS, an outlaw

WEDGER, weaver

WACKUM, steam tenter

WILLOX, publican

WOLSDEN JACK, joiner's man

Y

YOLLOW BALLY, a labourer

YELLOW BOY, a weaver