To Richard Robertson: This is what I found using GOOGLE search engine. CORIAR - could he have been a tanner of hides? Coriaria is a plant. Both the leaves and berries are poisonous. Uses: A black ink is obtained from the leaves, it can also be used as a dye. The leaves contain tannin and are used for tanning leather and dyeing black. DOUKER and DOOKER - could have raised ducks, been a dancer or a thief http://www.birdtours.co.uk/ldbws/winter2000/Localnames.htm The Common Scoter, also known as Douker or Black Dyker, was "by far the most abundant of the Ducks which frequent the Lancashire coast, and is sometimes seen in Morecambe Bay in flocks of many thousands". How things have changed, not only in bird names but also in distribution and number of birds etc. 2. Here it is a reference to Dance ... http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/articles/dance_em_dict.html [Cybist[-e]ter,] vel [Cybister,] [[. e]ris,] [m. g.] [p. b.] [Bud.] A douker vnder the water: al so one which doth tumble. a tumbler, or daunser that t [um] bleth & daunseth round. 3. Another explanation .. this is more fun - http://www.dkeith.clara.co.uk/campbeltownlife/part11.htm Periodically the casks had to be checked for leaks and for evaporation levels, also the specific gravity of the liquid had to be checked, this being done by the exciseman. The latter also stationed himself at the door to observe the coopers who were tapping the casks for loose joints and also to catch 'dookers'. The practice of dooking was rife, it involved carrying in a small lemonade bottle, tied to the inside leg with a string. When the exciseman was not looking and when the casks were at the back of the warehouse the dooker quickly removed the bung of the cask, had a dook, replaced the bung, then placed the bottle at the back of the cask. The dooker then went to the door and was searched by the exciseman. He would then return to the rear in the pretence that he had left his hammer. The bottle would then be picked up, pushed down the leg, and the man would walk out with a gill of almost pure alcohol. When all the barrels were checked the manager and the exciseman signed a book, checked the keys, then locked the warehouse door...................... I hope I haven't wasted your time ... L. Ross lross@mnsi.net