Daily AncestorOysterman
An oysterman harvested, raised or sold oysters, working from boats with tongs or dredges on coastal bays and rivers.
Oysters were a cheap, everyday food in the 1800s, and coastal communities from New England to the Gulf supported many oystermen. Some tonged oysters from small boats, others dredged from sailing vessels, and some planted and tended oyster beds.
An oysterman might also be the man who opened and sold oysters in a city market or oyster saloon. The word can also mean a boat used for dredging oysters.
As seen in a recordOccupation column of the 1850 to 1880 census
Isaac Tilton, 46, Oysterman, N.J.
Sources
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Oysterman." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/occupations/oysterman. Last checked 2026-10-01.