"Yeoman" is an antiquated term for farmers, tradesmen and other members of the early English middle class. The term suggests someone upright, sturdy, honest and trustworthy.
Yeoman is also a naval occupation, roughly equivalent to a secretary.
... later he was sent to Hawaii, where he was ordained on May 24, 1864. On May 10, 1873, at his request, he was permitted to travel to Molokai to help the lepers who had ...