Genealogy Chat

Just throwing a sideways slant on this topic: If anyone has Croydon ancestors in Northampton in 1901 and wonders how on earth they got there, John Cooper, whose wonderful boot and shoe factory was only knocked down about twenty years ago, moved from Croydon to Northampton in the 1890s and took his employees with him.

Thankyou for that site. It's amazing how many people were involved in the shoe making industry.

I was born in Kettering - my grandparents lived on Field Street, several shoe factories there, and later lived on Wellingborough Road in Northampton - don't remember the shoe factories but do remember the terraced houses. Jess - when I was up there last (my sis still lives in Abington) - we went off the Welli road (right hand side as you go into town) and there are still a lot of the old terraces there - don't know about anywhere else though - but there are parts of the town I don't recognise at all anymore!! My family left the shoe industry in my grandfathers generation and became railmen - he was guard on the Royal Scotsman - and the generation before him came to Kettering for work in the town having been apprentice shoemakers in Gloucestershire. Regards Looby

Karen, Just for interest, there are some nice old photos of the shoe making process in a factory on this site: http://www.maybole.org/history/books/johnlees&co/foreword.jpg Merry

HUh! Some city- if you came back now, you wouldnt recognise it! if its been unnocuupied for 5 minutes its either converted into appartments or Bulldozed! St Edmunds hospital being the latest casualty! Dont know where abouts in the town you were - remember semilong - row upon row of terraced houses with a Yard? those shoeworkers houses -£90 odd K!!

Yes, Jess - very sad. Houses in the terraced streets around the factories all to same model, but room dimensions varied, according to status -worker, artizan, management. They are part of the history of the town (sorry, city now I believe) and I would hate to see them go. Jay

Janet - i believe Crocket and jones still is - if not its closure is very recent although once on Overstone Rd, they are not there now. Remember Manfields- wellingboro Rd? theats now an old folks home and churches , (on the Mounts) an appartment block...and Barratts is industrial units . so sad.

Also Crocket & Jones (still going until very recently) Bective shoes at Kingsthorpe (went about 30 yrs ago and factory pulled down) When I lived in Northampton 35 years ago, a large percentage of the workforce were still employed in the shoe industry. Shoe factory (either current or empty) in most of the streets on what was then the outskirts of the old town.

Not at all Jess, it's been a great help. Now I'll just focus on what was involved in being a shoe maker. With there being so many, surely there must be accounts of life as a shoe maker - it's just finding them. I expect it was a pretty monotanous job and I have this image in my head of them all sat round a table in the main room closing boots!

sorry ! I saw 'churchs' kept being mentioned and didnt want you you think to think it was the only one! It isnt the only survng one either (not quite there are a couple more!) Jess

I suspected there would be alot, but never that many. What can I do now? I would really love to know more about their lives. Am just a bit overwhelmed now.

Crikey, I knew we had a lot of boot & shoe here - just didn't realise how many! http://www(.)historicaldirectories(.)org Find by keywords I selected Northampton, 1850's, key word 'Shoe' There are 2 1/2 pages of names with location/street!!! (remember to chose 'Next hit' to see the search results found. 'next image' takes you to the next page in the book) Elly

Jess, my daughter lives in Geddington so am over that way 2-3 times a week, like the shopping better than Leicester. JoJo

dont want to make you weep but.. 1881 census Unknown Large Boot & Shoe Factory Last Building East Side UNINHABITED, Northampton Priory St Andrew, Northamptonshire, England View Record abt 0 Unknown Shoe Factory UNINHABITED, Northampton Priory St Andrew, Northamptonshire, England View Record abt 0 Unknown 62 St Edmunds St Shoe Factory UNINHABITED, Northampton Priory St Andrew, Northamptonshire, England View Record abt 0 Unknown 1 Victoria Rd (Shoe Factory) UNINHABITED, Northampton St Giles, Northamptonshire, England View Record abt 0 Unknown Factory UNINHABITED, Northampton St Giles, Northamptonshire, England View Record abt 0 Unknown Shoe Factory UNINHABITED, Northampton St Giles, Northamptonshire, England View Record abt 0 Unknown Harrold St Shoe Factory UNINHABITED, Northampton St Giles, Northamptonshire, England View Record abt 0 Unknown 29 Shoe Factory UNINHABITED, Northampton St Giles, Northamptonshire, England View Record abt 0 Unknown Shoe Factory UNINHABITED, Northampton St Giles, Northamptonshire, England View Record abt 0 Unknown 38 & 36 Portland Street Shoe Factory UNINHABITED, Northampton St Giles, Northamptonshire, England View Record abt 0 Unknown Westcott Bros Shoe Factory UNINHABITED, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northamptonshire, England View Record abt 0 Unknown Marshalls Shoe Factory UNINHABITED, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northamptonshire, England View Record abt 0 Unknown Williams Leather Factory UNINHABITED, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northamptonshire, England View Record abt 0 Unknown Mc Donalds Shoe Factory UNINHABITED, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northamptonshire, England View Record abt 0 Unknown 82 84 & 86 Newland Used As Shoe Factory UNINHABITED (3 HOUSES), Northampton St Sepulchre, Northamptonshire, England View Record abt 0 Unknown 3 Albert Street Shoe Factory UNINHABITED, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northamptonshire, England View Record abt 0 Unknown 1 Albert Street Shoe Factory UNINHABITED, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northamptonshire, England View Record abt 0 Unknown 3 5 7 Shoe Factory UNINHABITED, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northamptonshire, England View Record abt 0 Unknown Shoe Factory UNINHABITED, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northamptonshire, England Large Boot & Shoe Factory Last Building East Side UNINHABITED, Northampton Priory St Andrew, Northamptonshire, England

jojo. they are now, they haven't always been. They also had a bigger factory in the middle of town, Mounts area. ((are you local to the area? somewhere near the Charles Bradlaugh Pub)

I notice in the reply from Jess that the address is near St James, I think you will find that Church shoes are there, also Loakes shoes have been around for ages. JoJo

Thankyou Jess for having a look. Unfortunately it seems the way it is now. I've just been to visit another birth place of my ancestors - and that's now an old people's home. Managed to take a couple of photos of a few surviving walls with the date 1884 on them. Nevermind I'll keep searching - I'm not giving up yet!

Have had a look at the road you named - wouldnt have described in as in Duston- it is in what we now call st James ....and if full of Flats,one block called Alma house ... save a FEW old houses down one side. Possibly was in Duston Parish years ago. Duston its self was quite a pretty village. There would have been numerous shoe making places in that area. Shame- would have loved to have taken photos of your ancestors home for you Jess

Mmmm Churchs shoes, they are class!

Thankyou for all your help. Jess and Josephine, I have sent you a message. :)