Interesting question. Out-work on stock/wood scratching?

Have you tried looking in the history of women in guilds? Some guilds "tolerated" women, particularly those who carried on a deceased husband's business, and allowed them membership but no voting rights in the running of the guild. British occupational surnames ending in -ster (spinster) denote descent of the name from a female involved in the trade e.g. Webster, Brewster, Baxter (Baker)
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