Legal Definitions - tradesman

A tradesman is an individual who earns a living through a specific occupation, often requiring specialized skills or manual labor. Historically, the term also encompassed someone engaged in buying and selling goods for profit, such as a shopkeeper or merchant.

• Example 1 (Skilled Manual Worker):

  A homeowner discovers a significant leak in their roof after a heavy storm and calls a professional roofer to assess and repair the damage. The roofer arrives with their tools, inspects the roof, and proceeds to replace the damaged shingles and underlayment.

  Explanation: In this scenario, the roofer is considered a tradesman because their livelihood depends on their specialized manual skills and expertise in a specific craft (roofing) to provide a service.

• Example 2 (Shopkeeper/Merchant - Historical Context):

  In 17th-century London, Mrs. Eleanor Vance ran a successful haberdashery shop, where she purchased fabrics, ribbons, and sewing notions from wholesalers and then sold them directly to her customers for a profit.

  Explanation: Mrs. Vance would have been referred to as a tradesman (or tradesperson) because her business involved the buying and selling of goods for profit, characteristic of a shopkeeper or merchant of that period.