roundsmann.
/ˈraʊn(d)zmən/, U.S. /ˈraʊn(d)zmən/ 1. In Britain: a person requiring relief under the provisions of the Poor Law, sent by the parish from one employer to another wherever work is available, with the parish contributing towards the cost of wages and lodgings. Cf. round n.1 27. Now historical.This system was sanctioned by the Poor Relief Act of 1782 (22 Geo. III, cap. 83) but was common in many parishes from the mid eighteenth cent. It was officially abolished under the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834. Roundsmen were chiefly employed in agricultural work.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > worker > workers according to conditions > [noun] > itinerant labourer
roundsman1795
rounder1817
roundman1827
row-man1840
mud-dauber1866
stiff1899
migratory worker1915
migrant worker1923
1795 in F. M. Eden State of Poor (1797) II. 384 Persons working in this manner are called rounds-men, from their going round to village or township for employ.
1834 Tait's Edinb. Mag. New Ser. 1 37/2 At present the roundsman system is a wasteful and unequal tax.
1854 Jrnl. Royal Agric. Soc. 15 ii. 262 The surplus labourers are employed in turns by the farmers..: these odd men were called ‘rounds-men’.
1908 T. Mackay Reminisc. Albert Pell i. 11 Our predecessor..employed the roundsmen whom the authorities imposed on him in raising gravel.
1936 M. Wickar Social Services (1949) ii. 24 These roundsmen or billet-men were often bad workers or men turned off from a depressed trade.
1990 C. Palliser Quincunx ii. xlvii. 325 He had a place as a farm-servant over towards Mere Bassett but he lost it for his bad ways, and now he's a roundsman on the paritch.
2. A person who makes rounds of inspection; spec. (U.S.) a police officer in charge of a patrol (now historical).
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > investigation, inspection > inspection, survey > [noun] > formal or official > person conducting
viewer1415
searcher1432
vesiar?a1500
vesiater1517
looker1552
vissier1566
inspector1602
sighter1708
roundsman1837
snooper1928
society > law > law enforcement > police force or the police > [noun] > policeman > other types of policeman
star1714
Special Constable1733
police runner1782
snoozy1823
New Policeman1830
redbreast1862
roundsman1868
state trooper1883
harness cop1891
black and tans1920
B Special1922
tans1932
1837 Plaindealer 18 Feb. 191/2 There shall be one hundred and ninety-two additional watchmen (twelve to each ward) to be called Roundsmen,..and..it shall be the duty of these men to be continually parading through the different districts.
1868 N.Y. Herald 31 July 6/5 Patrolman Jas. Mee..is hereby appointed roundsman on the force.
1888 Pall Mall Gaz. 9 Mar. 2/3 Shortly before the Emperor left the palace two roundsmen and two detectives patrolled the road.
1902 Chambers's Jrnl. Oct. 674/1 The first grade of promotion is to roundsman... The roundsman is an important man, for on him the discipline of the patrolmen largely depends.
1937 Sun (Baltimore) 1 Dec. 3/1 John McAdams, a former customs roundsman,..also was accused of being a member of the smuggling ring.
1993 E. L. Doctorow Jack London, Hemingway, & Constit. 141 Burly roundsmen were wading through the stopped traffic on Broadway, slapping horses on the rumps, disengaging carriage wheels.
3. A trader's employee who goes round to customers delivering and taking orders.milk roundsman: see the first element.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > selling > seller > [noun] > commercial traveller
rideout1752
rider1752
outrider1762
traveller1790
commercial traveller1807
bagman1808
town traveller1808
commis voyageur1825
roundman1827
drummer1828
travelling salesman1833
bag woman1845
commercial1861
fieldman1875
outride1879
roundsman1884
knight of the road1889
representative1918
sales representative1949
sales rep1959
rep1973
1884 Weekly Notes 29 Nov. 216/2 The defendant agreed to serve the plaintiff as ‘roundsman’ and assistant.
1935 E. Anglia Daily Times 18 Dec. 4/2 A Lowestoft milk roundsman, who persuaded his customers to buy more than 12 per cent. more milk in three months, has won the £25 and cup awarded for salesmanship.
1964 R. Rendell From Doon with Death iii. 31 On Thursday morning a baker's roundsman, new to his job, called at a farm owned by a man called Prewett.
2001 Daily Tel. 12 Feb. 7/4 He is taking his case to the High Court, arguing that a roundsman is someone who has a regular round on which he has customers who regularly buy things from him.
4. Australian and New Zealand. Originally: a journalist whose work involves making routine enquiries in a particular subject or area. Hence also: a journalist who is assigned to cover a particular subject or area. Cf. round n.1 28.
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > journalism > journalist > [noun] > other types of journalist
editorial writer1819
court-newsman1837
feuilletonist1840
editorialist1841
market reporter1854
headliner1875
leader-writer1882
investigative journalist1890
feature writer1912
roundsman1912
by-liner1944
telejournalist1964
New Journalist1970
gonzo1972
1912 West Australian (Perth) 7 May 8/6 As a ‘roundsman’ on the ‘West Australian’ I spent many hours with these two captors of criminals.
1924 Mercury (Hobart) 5 July 12/1 The police and hospitals have to be ‘looked up’ with similar regularity by the roundsmen, as the men upon whose shoulders these particular duties fall are termed.
1950 Argus (Melbourne) 22 Apr. 18/1 Roundsmen have the job of calling on a particular number of people each day for any news.
1972 J. Belfrage in G. W. Turner Good Austral. Eng. vi. 107 It is the style of the political roundsman.
2003 Dominion Post (Wellington, N.Z.) (Nexis) 8 July 3 Roundsmen..focus on particular areas such as arts, science, defence, education, police and tourism.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2011; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
n.1795