Genealogy Chat

Does anybody know what a Fredus merchant is/was?

My gt grandfather is referred to as a Fredus Merchant in the 1871 Scotland census. Unfortunately Ancestry only have transcripts of the Scotland data and there is no access to the original paper copies for me to see whether this is something that has been mis-transcribed...

In later Census he is referred to as a Manager to a Tobacco Merchant, so is Fredus something to do with tobacco???

Any ideas welcome! (I've already Googled it, without success!)

Thanks, Simon

Probably a simple mistranscription

To see the image, purchase credits for Scotlands people

Simon.
As far as I am aware. Fredus was the name of a tobacco merchant in the 1800s

Try googling Fredus tobacco merchant.

Sylvia

I can't actually see it on Ancestry - can you put the link, or tell us who and where he is?
Jan

Is this him?

1871 Scotland Census

Name: Thomas Melville
Age: 18
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1853
Relationship: Son
Father's Name: Thomas Melville
Mother's Name: Agnes Melville
Gender: Male
Where born: Edinburgh, Edinburgh
Registration Number: 685/2
Registration district: St Andrew
Civil parish: Edinburgh St Cuthberts
County: Midlothian
Address: 27a Haddington Place
Occupation: Fredus Merchants Clerk



1881 England Census

Name: Thomas Melville
Age: 28
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1853
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Mary Melville
Gender: Male
Where born: Scotland

Civil parish: Tottenham
County/Island: Middlesex
Country: England

Street Address: Truro Road Montrose Villa
Condition as to marriage: Married
Education:

Employment status:

View image
Occupation: Manager To Tobacco Merchant

Registration district: Edmonton
Sub-registration district: Tottenham


Thomas Melville 28
Mary Melville 22
Peter Melville 24

Thanks Reggie & Sylvia.

Yes, Sylvia, I tried that and one result got me Fredus as being a Brand name in a list of 'Trade Marks Recently Registered in Bureaux other than that of The Tobacco World.' from 1903 - but that was 32 years after my reference...

Any other suggestions??

Simon

buy the credits for Scotlands People to see the image, and see if it is a correct transcription.

Brummiejan,

Apologies for not acknowedging your reply - I think ours 'crossed in the ether', Anyway, yes that is the correct Thomas, and it's that strange "Fredus Merchants Clerk" that I'm interested in.

Sylvia, you must have realised that I have Scottish blood in my veins ;-) but, yes, maybe I'll have to invest a wee bit in Scotlands People to solve this one. I'd hoped that one of the knowldegable bods here might be able to help out with an explanation of fredus though...

Simon :-)

The brand name may have been registered in 1903 - that doesn't mean the company wasn't trading in earlier years

And, as has been illustrated, your original statement that he was a Fredus Merchant was not strictly accurate. The actual recorded occupation suggests that he was a Clerk employed by 'Fredus Merchants'

Try the local Chamber of Trade, or whatever the Scottish equivalent is............they may have info