What does a pargeter do?

A pargeter would apply plaster, whitewash, or roughcast to coat building walls, but more especially would raise ornamental figures on both interior and exterior walls. The work was highly skilled and was only performed by registered craft guild members. It involved creating medallions in high relief depicting figures and scenes with exceptionally detailed designs of people, animals, flowers and plants in ornate plaster work.

The records of Corfe Castle in Dorset, England state that "Stephen the Dauber pargetted in the Long Chamber" in 1285. This is one of the earliest recorded references to the technique of pargetting. The "Ancient House" in Ipswich, England shows a particularly fine example of pargeting, depicting scenes from the ‘four continents’ on its outer upper floor walls. When the hall was built in 1670, Australia and Antarctica had not yet been discovered, and the Americas were considered a single continent.

Like many craft guild practitioners, the pargeter occupation was the origin of the English surnames “Pargeter”, “Pargetter” and “Pargiter”. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William Pargiter. This was dated 1530, when he was the Lord Mayor of London, during the reign of King Henry VIII, 1509 - 1547.