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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Somerset => England => Somerset Lookup Requests => Topic started by: julieymall on Tuesday 20 November 07 19:18 GMT (UK)
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William Potter b. approx 1824 and descendants (son Willliam b.1855, Henry I b. 1862) are listed in 1901/1891/1881 census as coming from Chard, but I have no idea how or why they ended up in Nottingham. They were lace makers by trade. Can anyone help please? :)
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Hi Julie
1871 Census shows as Follows
Bentick Square Senton Nottingham
William Potter Head M 46 Lace Maker b Chard Somerset
Elizabeth Potter Wife 41 b Devonshire Liverton
William Potter Son 16 Lace Maker b Chard Somerset
Ellen Potter Dau 13 Lace Mender b Nottingham
Henry J Potter Son 9 Scholar b Chard Somerset
Walter G Potter Son 5 b Nottingham
Edwin Potter Son 2m b Nottingham
Hope this helps in some way
Regards
Iria
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Thanks Iria
I already have that information but I'm drawing a blank as to why they moved from Somerset to Nottingham and roughly when. William senior drops off the census records for 1851/1861. I'm guessing the connection is the lace industry?
Julie
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Hi Julie
I think the reason why thay decided to Leave Somerset to go to Nottingham is this
www.lace-market.com
I think it was the Industrial times and there was a Big Lace Indestry in Nottingham
A lot of my Ancestors Left Liverpool to go to Live in Coventry in the Mid 1800's
Hope this helps in some way
Regards
Iria
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I was about to say that as the lace industry moved from being a cottage industry to a manufacturing process a lot of the people who lived and worked in the small pockets of lace production all over the country were forced to move to the new centres.
At first their skills would be needed to finish off the production from the relatively primitive machines but eventually they just became part of the industrial process.
David
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Thanks David and Iria, much appreciated
Julie
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hello
I don't know whereabouts you live so this might be a silly question but have you ever been in Chard museum?
They had quite a big display on the lace factories from Chard the last time I went in there.
My husband was born in Chard and i've found that a lot of his Grandparents rellies worked in the lace factories in Chard.
I am not sure when we are visiting again, probably not until after Christmas, but next time we go in i'll ask if they know anything about local people moving to nottingham if you would like me to?
Wendy
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Hi Julie,
I also have Chard ancestors who moved to Notts with the lace trade. Some time ago I found a paper by English Heritage online which described the Chard economy mid 1850's as unstable - boom and bust.
I suspect, as David suggested, they were looking to use their trade in a more stable environment.
Wendy ...I for one would be very interested in anything Chard museum could add.
All the best, Heather
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Heather and Wendy
Thank you for the information...I was born in Nottingham but now live in Gloucestershire. Its good to know that other people have ancestors who relocated to Nottingham. I keep wondering how they travelled there and what they knew of where they were going.
Wendy, I am not planning to visit Chard at the moment so, like Heather I would be really grateful for any information about people moving to Nottingham.
Thanks again
Julie
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Hello Julie and Heather
I will print off this thread and see what I can find next time we go.
My husbands aunt is a residential home there and we go to see her when we can, but we live in Northampton so have to arrange things so we can stay for a day or two.
Will let you know if I find anything
Wendy
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Hello Julie and Heather
Just to let you know we went to Chard at the weekend but the museum was closed for the winter :( and I don't think it opens again until after Easter.
I took a couple of photos, one is of an old lace mill that has been refurbished and is now the Library and the council office and a couple of blue plaques about the lace trade.
If you would like to see them please send me your email address in a PM and I will send them to you.
I will still go and ask in the museum as soon as it reopens.
Happy new year
Wendy
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Can I poke my nose in?
I was just fascinated by the industrial movement related here, and it rather looks from the birth places of the children that they went and came back and went again - maybe they didn't like it the first time and came back to Chard to try again, but had to bend to necessity.
I have several of this type of migration in my tree - not related to lace or Nottingham - but similar, and like you Julie I often wonder what their thoughts were as they left the countryside in Hampshire and instead of farm labourers became brick-makers in Sussex.
Wouldn't it have been wonderful if they'd left a diary!
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Another one looking at this thread being nosy. In our tree the number of people who left Somerset and crossed to the South Wales Coalfields is really amazing. I suppose an Agr labourer was fit and strong just what the miner owners were looking for
Pepsi