Think "retirement" in general is a recent concept
"gentleman" probably differed in time & space
You have a lot in Dickens, where it is sort of social rank: one is a
gentleman if one does not have to work for a living, taking income from land
or dividends from investments instead
The father in "Little Dorrit" for example, had been a gentleman, and wanted
his kids to maintain their gentility (by not earning wages)
So: not really an occupation; maybe just a nice way of saying "capitalist"?

-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Kent
Taylor
Sent: August 30, 2006 20:21
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Historic Occupations

In looking through censuses, directories, and other historic documents, I
sometimes come across types of occupations that are not easily defined by
our modern standards.  Does anyone have a list of occupations for the entire
historic period and exactly how they were defined during their period of
use?  For example, the occupation of "gentleman."  How was that defined? 
Was he a retired person?
Thanks in advance,


Kent Taylor