Daily AncestorCurrier
A currier was a leather worker who dressed tanned hides, softening, coloring and waterproofing them so they could be used.
The currier took leather from the tanner and made it usable. He scraped it to an even thickness, worked oils and grease into it, and stretched and polished it until it was supple and resisted water.
Shoemakers, saddlers and harness makers bought curried leather. In small towns one person might be listed as tanner and currier together. The same word also once meant a person who groomed horses with a curry comb, but in census returns it almost always means the leather trade.
As seen in a recordOccupation column of the 1850 to 1880 census
Thos. Avery, 29, Currier, Mass.
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Currier." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/occupations/currier. Last checked 2026-10-01.