Daily AncestorVictualler
A victualler supplied food and drink, either as an innkeeper or as a contractor providing provisions to ships or soldiers.
Victuals means food, and the word is pronounced roughly like vittler. A victualler might keep an inn or tavern, or might hold a contract to provision a ship, a fort or an army.
In colonial and early American records the term often appears in licenses: a licensed victualler was allowed to sell food and drink to the public. The meaning shifts with context, so look at the surrounding record.
As seen in a recordColonial town and county license records
Licensed as a victualler, Saml. Tufts, 1772
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Victualler." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/occupations/victualler. Last checked 2026-10-01.