extended family tree help

[James C]

good afternoon gents my cousin is tracing her family tree and is asking about a relative and his son she is researching ,they were both sowgers in 1756 ,does anybody know what job description this is or an explanation to the name ?any help would be great ,thanks james

[HPL2008]

I understand that "sowger" is an archaic / dialect term for "soldier".

"He could ha liked to ha been a sowger, but he worn't big enuff, an sailerin didn't suit his stummack."

(example from The Project Gutenberg eBook of Yorkshire Tales, Third Series, by John Hartley )

[Wagriff]

Andreas is right, of course..."sowjer" is simply an archaic peasant's spelling of "soldier". Basically phonetic. Pronounce it with a cockney accent and you'll see how we mean.

[James C]

thank you very much andreas ,the thought did cross my mind but i dismissed it ,i will pass on the information to my cousin

[James C]

thank you too william on the confirmation of the meaning