"Breeches Maker" in 1790-1797 Cambridge Directory

[Gaie]

Hi Keith, Meles et al

Yes, she's lovely, isn't she! !

Browsing the net, there seems to be an association between breeches-makers and glovers, possibly because of the leather link - kid gloves etc.

I suppose a maker of breeches for guns would be a breech-maker, not a breeches-maker?

Kind regards
Gaie

[Hackstaple]

During the war, when I was living on a farm in Wales, we were able to sell dried and part tanned moleskins to the Government at quite a good price each. I may misremember but I think it was One Shilling Three Pence each.

[Keith Sherwood]

I must try and see how much the mole and sparrow catcher got per head in Ickleton, Cambs 200 years ago, if I can find my scruffy notes in my hopelessly disorganised files.
Wasn't William Shakespeare's father a glover at one time...?
keith

[Keith Sherwood]

By the by, and I'm digressing from the main thrust of this thread, I see that on Easter Monday 1800 Abraham KNOTT the molecatcher received 10d for 5 moles.  Later on someone else gets 12 shillings and 6 old pence for 75 moles, which is still exactly tuppence a mole.
Someone else gets £1 0s and 3 and a half pence for sparrows, though the quantity was not noted, so one can work out for oneself how much sparrows were worth a head then...
keith

[Gaie]

You'd be hard-pressed to catch a sparrow nowadays! !

There seems to be some info on breeches makers here:

http://journals.cambridge.org/

It seems to be a subscription site, and the abstracts aren't displaying the tantalising snippets that the search engine hints at.  Is there access at Cambridge libraries?

Kind regards
Gaie

[Keith Sherwood]

Gaie,
Yes, very frustrating when some websites are quite happy to share their information for free, and others want to charge for it.
This theme throws up all sorts of interesting questions.  I wonder when the expression "bespoke" in relation to tailors first appeared.  I imagine Samuel Johnson had a great influence on descriptions like this in the English language not long before John JOHNSON cut out and stitched his first pair of breeches.
Have found a 1767 apprenticeship entry on the excellent Cambs Family History Society site for a John JOHNSON of Over, which might tie in with the man I'm after, born either 1755 or 1756 there.
Trying to discover whether this individual was apprenticed to a breeches maker or not, TNA reference, but not quite sure how I'll be able to view the more precise details...
keith

[liverpool annie]

Hi Keith and Gaie !! 

I found this ...... !!  Edward Johnson was an apprentice in 1814 !!

Some of the trades followed by the Snitch's apprentices between 1750 and 1822 were: Glover, Butcher, Weaver, Tailor, Carpenter, Blacksmith, Bricklayer, Wheelwright, Cordwainer (shoemaker) Mat Maker, Stay Maker and Breech Maker.  The average period of service was for seven years and the fees ranging from £5 to £15

Details from Apprentice Indentures

1814 Edward Johnson Joseph Keep, Girtford Tailor

http://www.snitchfamilyhistory.co.uk/john_snitch's_charity.htm

[meles]

... and a tailor, not a breeches maker.

Well done, Annie!

meles

[liverpool annie]

Hi Meles !

That Keith Sherwood has Johnsons all over the place ... believe me I know !! 

This Edward could have been one of his ........