Daily AncestorMate
On a ship a mate was a deck officer ranking below the captain, in charge of the crew and cargo, such as first or second mate.
Merchant ships, whalers and steamboats had a first mate, and larger ones a second and third. The first mate ran the deck crew, cargo and watches and took command if the captain fell ill.
On land, mate in a record can also be shorthand for a working partner or companion, so read the context.
As seen in a recordOccupation column of the 1880 to 1920 census
Josiah Crocker, 31, Mate, Mass.
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Daily Ancestor. "Mate." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/occupations/mate. Last checked 2026-10-01.