Daily AncestorPressman
A pressman ran a printing press, inking the type and feeding paper to make printed sheets; much less often the word meant a newspaper reporter.
In a print shop the compositor set the type and the pressman printed from it. On early hand presses this meant heavy, steady physical work; later pressmen tended large steam or electric presses at newspapers and printing plants.
Pressman can also mean someone who pressed clothing, so check the industry column. The reporter meaning is rare in an occupation column.
As seen in a recordOccupation column of the 1850 to 1880 census
Thos. Kidd, 31, Pressman, Printing office
Sources
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Pressman." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/occupations/pressman. Last checked 2026-10-01.