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Occupation Interests / Re: Do you have corkcutter ancestors?
« on: Wednesday 06 December 06 18:52 GMT (UK) »
Sorry about all the typos in the last posting. I was in too much of a hurry!
Brian
Brian
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Occupation Interests / Re: Do you have corkcutter ancestors?
« on: Wednesday 06 December 06 18:47 GMT (UK) »
Hi Cheryl
James Beach was born in c1821 in the parsh of St George In The East, Tower Hamlets, London. In 1841 he was living (probably lodging) at 21 Cornwall Street, Shadwell, Tower Hamlets in the same parish, and working as a cork cutter.
By 1851 he had married Jane Bury (who was born c1826 in Scotland) and they were living at No. 50 in nearby Church Road. By now he was employing 2 men. At this point they had two sons George (3) and Thomas (2).
At the time of the 1861 census they had a further son, James (9) and a daughter Jane (4). They lived at 147 High St., still in Shadwell, and were doing well enough to have a domestic servant.
By 1871 James has presumably died and Jane is running the business employing 3 men (one of whom is her son Thomas) and 2 boys. They have now moved next door t No. 149. Her mother, also called Jane Bury, is now living with them (aged 71).
Still at the same address in 1881, Jane is employing 4 men, one of whom is Thomas - and a boy (her nephew Sidney james Thomas). She is also employing her 15 year old neice, Lily Bury, as a domestic servant.
I can find no trace of her in censuses after 1881. I haven'y searched the death records yet, but I may get around to it eventually. She must have been a formidable woman.
Cheers
Brian
James Beach was born in c1821 in the parsh of St George In The East, Tower Hamlets, London. In 1841 he was living (probably lodging) at 21 Cornwall Street, Shadwell, Tower Hamlets in the same parish, and working as a cork cutter.
By 1851 he had married Jane Bury (who was born c1826 in Scotland) and they were living at No. 50 in nearby Church Road. By now he was employing 2 men. At this point they had two sons George (3) and Thomas (2).
At the time of the 1861 census they had a further son, James (9) and a daughter Jane (4). They lived at 147 High St., still in Shadwell, and were doing well enough to have a domestic servant.
By 1871 James has presumably died and Jane is running the business employing 3 men (one of whom is her son Thomas) and 2 boys. They have now moved next door t No. 149. Her mother, also called Jane Bury, is now living with them (aged 71).
Still at the same address in 1881, Jane is employing 4 men, one of whom is Thomas - and a boy (her nephew Sidney james Thomas). She is also employing her 15 year old neice, Lily Bury, as a domestic servant.
I can find no trace of her in censuses after 1881. I haven'y searched the death records yet, but I may get around to it eventually. She must have been a formidable woman.
Cheers
Brian
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Occupation Interests / Re: Do you have corkcutter ancestors?
« on: Wednesday 06 December 06 00:09 GMT (UK) »
Hello Cheryl
Would like me to take this any further? I have already followed up Jane Beach. Her husband James first appears as a cork cutter in 1841 when was listed as 20 years old. By 1851 he is employing 2 men and has married Jane who is 5 years younger. In 1861 he is merely listed as a Cork Cutter. By 1871 he is dead and Jane has taken over the business, employing (I think) 3 men and 2 boys. In 1881 she has 4 men and 1 boy (perhaps one of them grew up), but I haven't yet managed to trace her further.
Please let me know if I can provide any other information. Obviously my time is limited and I can't follow up all of them, but if there are particular cases, give me the names and I'll do my best.
Reards
Brian
Would like me to take this any further? I have already followed up Jane Beach. Her husband James first appears as a cork cutter in 1841 when was listed as 20 years old. By 1851 he is employing 2 men and has married Jane who is 5 years younger. In 1861 he is merely listed as a Cork Cutter. By 1871 he is dead and Jane has taken over the business, employing (I think) 3 men and 2 boys. In 1881 she has 4 men and 1 boy (perhaps one of them grew up), but I haven't yet managed to trace her further.
Please let me know if I can provide any other information. Obviously my time is limited and I can't follow up all of them, but if there are particular cases, give me the names and I'll do my best.
Reards
Brian
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Occupation Interests / Re: Do you have corkcutter ancestors?
« on: Monday 04 December 06 17:31 GMT (UK) »
PPS 87 of them were women.
Brian
Brian
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Occupation Interests / Re: Do you have corkcutter ancestors?
« on: Monday 04 December 06 17:22 GMT (UK) »
Hello Again Cheryl
PS The 1881 census viewed on Ancestry.com gives the option of searching by occupation (it seems to be the only census that offers this facility). On a whim I entered "Cork Cutter" and nothing else. I got 1,327 entries (including my g-grandfather). I only checked a few of them, but they all seem to be cork cutters, one of who was a 17 year old girl called Elizabeth Hart, listed as "Machinist (Cork Cutter)". It would be a real labour of love to trace them all through other censuses to see if they persisted with the trade.
Regards
Brian
PS The 1881 census viewed on Ancestry.com gives the option of searching by occupation (it seems to be the only census that offers this facility). On a whim I entered "Cork Cutter" and nothing else. I got 1,327 entries (including my g-grandfather). I only checked a few of them, but they all seem to be cork cutters, one of who was a 17 year old girl called Elizabeth Hart, listed as "Machinist (Cork Cutter)". It would be a real labour of love to trace them all through other censuses to see if they persisted with the trade.
Regards
Brian
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Occupation Interests / Re: Do you have corkcutter ancestors?
« on: Monday 04 December 06 15:25 GMT (UK) »Hurray, my website is now complete.
Search the index for your ancestors or read all about corkcutting.
I look forward to hearing from you. link removed 2018
Cheryl
Hi Cheryl
Congratulations on the website. The piece is comprehensive and very well written. It has satisfied my curiosity about the trade. From the descriptions you give it is difficult to imagine why people stuck to it, although my g-grandfather did so all his working life. It must have had its compensations, although none of his children followed him (baker, factory foreman, two plumbers, publican, etc.).
I think I have another one for your index. I mentioned when I sent details of my g-grandfather, Frederick George Martin, that his wife Elizabeth was left alone in Portsmouth with her first four children in the 1871 census. The form shows that living in the same house at 39, Plymouth St., Portsea Island, Hants., was another cork cutter named John James Spencer and his wife Sarah. He was born c1820. In 1861 he was cork cutting in London. In 1881 and 1891 he is found following the trade just across The Solent from Portsea in Binstead near Ryde on the Isle of Wight. Sadly, by 1901 he is a widower in the Isle of Wight Union Workhouse.
Hope this helps
Regards
Brian
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