In my family tree there is a an occupation cordwainer what is this?

Question

In my family tree there is a an occupation cordwainer what is this?

Answer

The term quotCordwainerquot is an Anglicization of the French word cordonnier, introduced into our language after the Norman invasion of England in . The word itself is derived from the city of Cordoba, in the south of Spain, a stronghold of the mighty Omeyyad Kalifs until its fall in the th century. Moorish Cordoba was celebrated for two staple trades in the early Middle Ages, silversmithing and the production of cordouancordovanleather, called quotcordwainquot in England. Originally made from the skin of the Musoli goat, then found in Corsica, Sardinia, and elsewhere, this leather was quottawedquot with alum after a method supposedly known only to the Moors. English Crusaders brought home much plunder and loot, including the finest leather the English shoemakers had ever seen. Gradually cordouan, or cordovan leather became the material most in demand for the finest footwear in all of Europe.brbrOne distinction preserved by Cordwainers since the earliest times is, that a Cordwainer works only with new leather, where a Cobbler works with old. brbrcontd atbrhttpwww.thehcc.orgbackgrnd.htma