ashman

plural ashmen

1. obsoleteOne employed to collect ash.

   "Oh!" said Jack to himself. "The young lady of the house doing amateur kitchen housework. I might have known it. And she thinks me the ashman," and he sighed.

   1895, Mary Kyle Dallas, “Cupid in the Kitchen”, in Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineer's Monthly Journal, page 669

   2 more examples

   Theoretically, occupants are expected to bring out their boxes and pans at the time the ashman's bell gives notice that his cart is passing through the street.

   1868, Annual report of the Metropolitan Board of Health of the State of New York

   Through the kindness of Mrs. Francis P. Kinnicutt, Mrs. Richard Irvin and other ladies, who have made a careful canvas of the district between 8th and 80th streets in the center of the city, we learn that not less than 2852 families in that district employ private ashmen at an average expense of $2 per month or a total of $68,448 per year.

   1891, An Examination of the Subject of Street Cleaning in the City of New York

   Synonyms: dustman

plural Ashmans

1. A surname.