I have a copy (reprinted) of a famous mid-17th century schoolbook, J.A.Comenius' Orbis Sensualium Pictus, written in English and Latin (it was used to teach Latin). It has a lot about tradesmen. Some selections:
The plowman yoketh oxen to a plough and holdeth the plow-stilt in his left hand and the plow-staff in his right hand ... The reaper sheareth the ripe corn with a sickle, gathereth up the handfuls, and bindeth the sheaves. The thrasher thrasheth corn on the barn floor with a flayl, tosseth it in a winnowing-basket ... The mower maketh hay in a meadow, cutting down grass with a sithe and raketh it together with a rake, he maketh up cocks with a fork & carrieth it on cariages into the hay-barn.
The neat-heard calleth out the heards out of the beasthouses with a horn and driveth them to feed.
The fowler maketh a bed, spreadeth a bird-net, throweth bait upon it, and hiding himself in a hut he allureth birds by the chirping of bird-lures ...
Flax is tied to a distaff by the spinster, which with her left hand pulleth out the thred, and with her right hand turneth a wheel or a spindle upon which is a wharl.
The webster undoeth the clewes into warp, and wrappeth it about the beam, and as he sitteth in his loom, he treadeth upon the treddles with his feet.
Linnen-webs are bleached in the sun with water poured on them till they be white. Of them the sempster seweth shirts, hand-kirchers, bands and caps.
The box-maker ... maketh tables, boards, chests etc.
The turner, sitting over the treddle turneth with a throw, upon a turners bench, bowls, tops, puppets and such like turners work.
The roper twisteth cords of tow, or hemp (which he wrappeth about himself) by the turning of a wheel. Thus there are made, first cords, then ropes, and at last cables. The cordwainer cutteth great thongs, bridles, girdles, sword-belts, pouches, port-mantles etc. out of a beast-hide.
The printer hath copper letters in a great number put into boxes. The compositor taketh them out one by one and (according to the copy, which he hath fastened before him in a visorium) composeth words in a composing-stick, till a line be made, he putteth these in a galley, till a page be made, and these again in a form, and he locketh them up in iron chases, with coyns, lest they should drop out, and putteth them under the press. Then the pressman beateth it over wih printers-ink by means of balls, spreadeth upon it the papers, put in the frisket, which being put under the spindle, on the coffin, and pressed down with the bar he maketh to take impressions.
