Genealogy Chat

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A cousin who I met on GR was kind enough to give me the following information and I thought it might help someone else: I had a relative who appears on the 1841 census and it says born out of county, the inconsiderate died before the 1851 census so I didn’t get to find out where he was born!! However he was a shoemaker, and apparently the Keeper of the Boot holds records of shoemakers and where they were born etc: I am in the process of writing a letter to the address below: The Keeper of the Boot and Shoe collection Central Museum Guildhall Northampton NN1 1DP. A long shot maybe, but worth a try if you have a shoemaker who has had the cheek to die between the 1841 and 1851 census!!!

thats fantastic do you know which years they cover as I have a couple Val

Sorry Val I dont I am afraid, but I am going to write anyway and keep everything crossed!!!

I was intrigued by this and did some googling... <<The Boot and Shoe Collection » View pages in this section The Boot and Shoe Collection The Boot and Shoe collection was recently awarded Designated Status as a pre-eminent collection of national importance. Its strength lies in its scope and range including everything from fine historic footwear to cast iron machinery, from watercolours to wooden hand tools, from original documents to button hooks and shoe laces. The collection includes: * Footwear, more than 12,000 items ranging from ancient Egyptian material to contemporary design * Wearing accessories, including buckles, laces, shoe horns, trees, spats, leggings and polish * Shoemaking tools, machines and accessories including wax, nails and thread * Material from the retail trade including furniture and fittings from shops, window display fittings and a range of advertising material * Documentary material including trade catalogues and journals, posters, postcards, books, documents and photographs * Fine and decorative art including paintings and prints depicting shoes and shoemaking as well as representations of the theme in other media * Index of shoemakers and shoemaking firms from the Roman period onwards * Index of concealed shoes; shoes hidden in buildings to bring good luck The footwear collection is based at Northampton Museum & Art Gallery. Access to any items currently in storage may be obtained by telephoning 01604 837282. There is also a specialist reference library.>> All found via: http://www.northampton.gov.uk/museums Christine

Thanks Fuzzy and Christine - I have just emailed the museum to see whether they may hold any records relating to a couple of my shoemaker ancestors. Very interesting. Regards, Cherie

The way the entry is worded, I'd say they might have records from outside Northants - it can't hurt to ask them. Christine

Wow christine, just looked back on this thread and you have been busy, will e-mail them as well, will save me writing, so much easier and hopefully quicker too!! will keep fingers crossed for all of you who have missing shoemakers!

Several shoemakers in my family - actually, in a couple of my families (Devon and Cornwall). I think I'll hang off e-mailing for now and check on this thread later to see if this lead pans out. Hopefully, someone will report back on their success or lack thereof. Thanks - Tim

Thank you for this Fuzzy

I just came across a reference to the following book, which may be of interest to those with shoemakers / cordwainers in their tree: Shoemaking June Swann £3.50 0 85263 778 0 (Album 155) 32 pp, 50 ills. Before the 1920s everyone knew the local cobbler, a worthy representative of the ‘gentle craft’, who repaired shoes and made them look like new for a few pence. This book tells the story of shoemaking from the days of the isolated shoemaker, who made a shoe right through, to the groups of men who worked with apprentices in the larger towns and served the customer direct. It shows the growth of mass production in the seventeenth century, with a recognisable factory system and warehouses in the cities. Finally the book shows the late development of mechanisation in the 1850s and the rigidity it imposed. June Swann MBE, was Keeper of the Boot and Shoe Collection, Northampton Museum, until 1988. She is now a consultant on the history of shoes and shoemaking. [http://www.shirebooks*co*uk/Industrial/industrial-bl.htm#shomak – replace * with .] I’m thinking of ordering a copy - I don’t expect it will have any names in it, but hopefully it will give some insight into the trade and what exactly some of my ancestors did. BTW, the publisher – Shire Books – seems to have a number of interesting titles like this. Go to their home page and look under the headings ‘Social History’, ‘Military History’, etc… Tim

Slightly off thread.... I have an ancestor whose father was a Shoemaker on his birth certificate. Couldn't figure out why he was a coal merchant on censuses - then discovered that it was the Mother's father who was a shoemaker. When she was asked by the registrar for 'father's occupation', she obviously gave her father's, not her husband's!. Still it's nice to know who the brainy one in the family was! Helen

Just nudging this up so I can find the thread again. I have an ancestor who has a beaded boot (c1840) kept by the museum. I've just emailed them to see if they have any more information about my many shoekaing ancestors. I'll keep you posted.... Cath.

The folks at the museum are going to be busy! ( dare i offer to go and ask to look at their records? 1000 PM's all at once!) its a nice place to visit, and would recommend it.Its not huge but is very ineresting, and quite good fun for kids too. It is right in the middle of the town, and a place that I hide from the rain , because its free - and there is always something new to look at. jess

Hi Fuzzy Just earmarking this thread... I had a shoemaker who was blinded in some kind of accident but he never gave up his trade... on three censii he was registered as Blind with an occuption of Shoemaker... Mo

Hi all, Had an E-mail back from the shoekeepers of the boot, fobbing me off with the GRO site address??!!! Wrote back saying arn't you supposed to have records of shoemakers? She then got in touch with someone else from a different department who looked up my shoemaker and had no record of him Boo Hoo.!! Just wanted to say though that although I was unsuccessful dont give up if you are fobbed off the first time! Fuzzy x

Had a reply from the museum today. The info they sent was some that I had already but if I had been staring from scratch it would have been very enlightning. Gave addresses and info re my ancestor's transportation to Oz. Maybe if you're stuck it will be worth giving them a try. Cath.

I have a Boot Riveter who mislaid himself somewhere between Kendal (1891) and Northampton Workhouse (1901). Slightly off-topic but I did have a helpful reply from the Northamptonshire County Archivist. Unfortunately they only have the Workhouse records from 1901, so I can't find if my man was admitted with his family or went elsewhere. My theory is that he joined the army.

Nudging for Louise Fuzzy x

nudge for later