Daily AncestorWainwright
A wainwright was a craftsman who built and repaired wagons; wain is an old word for a large farm wagon.
Wain is an old English word for a heavy wagon, and wright means maker. A wainwright built the wagon body, frame and running gear, while wheels might come from a wheelwright.
In American census returns the more common term is wagon maker, so wainwright appears mostly in older records and as a surname.
As seen in a recordColonial and early 1800s records; occasional early census entries
Amos Wainwright, wainwright, Chester Co.
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Daily Ancestor. "Wainwright." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/occupations/wainwright. Last checked 2026-10-01.