I am interested in what the occupation of "zimmermann" or carpenter entailed in the first half of the 1800s in Canton Zurich. My impression is that a carpenter then was what we might call a builder today. The Hoffmann ancestor and his Homberger father-in-law (both Johannes) have zimmermann given after their names in all the church records. It was even present in defining the parentage of their children, even after Joh. Hoffmann died in 1843. Which has made us wonder if this might also be a guild or some special meaning (many men in the registers don't have occupations listed.) Thanks for any insights! Cheers, Jean Hoffman