Meaning of German "Haupt" (Captain) in 1748

In einer eMail vom 31.05.2011 20:44:33 Westeuropäische Sommerzeit schreibt
trevor@gontzfamily.org:

The German word is "Haupt" and it has been translated for me as
"Captain" but I am not sure what it means.

Hello, Trevor,

Sorry - your transcription was wrong - the word is not "Haupt" but "Kauff"
- the whole item is "Kauff- und Handelsmanns" => a merchant, someone who
buys goods and trades goods.

Roland