As of 4 pm yesterday no one had guessed it right. A cordwainer makes shoes and other items from soft leather. The word originates from Cordoba Spain and cordovan leather. For those of you who live in London you can see a Cordwainer statue on Watling Street which was part of the cordwainer district. See a picture of this statue and learn more here. Also, until 2000 there was a London cordwainer school now incorporated into another fashion insitute. Here is an official cordwainer website.
There is also a science fiction writer named Cordwainer Smith.
