Possible occupation?

[Sue from Southend]

On this Marriage Licence it says at the top " William Webster of the parish of St James Westminster, in the county of Middlesex, ???????? and John Doe"

http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/20...nSearchResults

Can anyone make out what the word might be and is it an occupation? I have an idea but not sure.

Ta

[anne fraser]

I think it is Batch short for batchelor as she is described as spinster.

[Sue from Southend]

Thanks Anne but it's an earlier paragraph I'm looking at. You need to scroll up to the top of the page to see it.

[Jackie H]

I've not come across it before but I think its P?r?hemaker. There's an occupation called perchemear which is a parchment maker so I wondered whether it says perchemaker

http://rmhh.co.uk/occup/p.html

[kiterunner]

Unfortunately the handwriting isn't very consistent but yes, it must be his occupation and is something like Per*hemaker.

[kiterunner]

Ah, I think I have figured it out - Perukemaker.

[Sue from Southend]

Originally Posted by kiterunner

Ah, I think I have figured it out - Perukemaker.

Which is what I thought
Thank you all.

Another question, my William Webster was probably a hairdresser. How likely was he to be a peruke maker too (peruke being a wig)?

[kiterunner]

If you google for "hairdresser and peruke maker", quite a few hits come up, so it looks possible.

[Sue from Southend]

I've found some references to men who were Barbers and Peruke makers so it's possible that William was both.

Just not sure that he is the right one.

[Sue from Southend]

Snap!

Thanks again, Kite