Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a parish clerk.

1800		song from ‘The Wags of Windsor’ in Sporting Mag. Sept. XVI 255/2: I’m parish-clerk and sexton here; / My name is Caleb Quotem.
1818		Scots. Mag. 1 Nov. 27/2: On Swearing. By Caleb Quotem, Esq. [...] .
c.1850		Duncombe New and Improved Flash Dict.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict.

2. a jack of all trades; also attrib.

1827		Manchester Courier 1 Sept. 4/5: No more let us hear of your great Caleb Quotem [...] Honest John Giles can shave and cut hair [...] Feed pigs, bleed your horses, and wait at tables.
1832		Satirist (London) 15 Jan. 21/1: [T]he sheer fag of this legal Caleb Quotem. The said George has turned his hand to most things.
1836		Hants. Advertiser 31 Dec. 2/4: Mr Ventham (whose Caleb Quotem qualifications have enabled him besides his duties of a Schoolmaster to undertake the offices of Clerk to the Union, Inspector of Corn Averages...).
1846		Hereford Times 17 Jan. 8/5: A village plumber —who united Caleb Quotem’s various occupations to find constant employment.
1852		Examiner 28 Aug. 11/2: The Caleb Quotem of the bar [...] ‘Allowance to ask you if they know on that Circuit that you are a confectioner and not a barrister?’ (Loud laughter) — Mr Carden: ’Confectioner! Oh, I am a tailor and a number of other things besides’.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict.
1873		Sl. Dict.
1895		Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 14: Caleb Quotem, jack-of-all-trades.