The Brook, Wokingham

[behindthefrogs]

Sorry I should have explained more about a Fellmonger.  Similarly to a woolstapler the job varies between someone who simply sold skins and hides to someone who ran a knackers yard and sold all the animal products involved.

 However the skilled job was someone who took the hides from the slaughter house and removed the hair or wool from ther skins.  The initial  part of this process involved soaking the hides in a supply of clean water for six to ten hours to remove dirt and remains of flesh, and to soften the skins.  After further hand washing they were drained and the flesh side coated with lime and other chemicals.

This process loosened the hair or wool which was removed by a "puller" leaving both a skin to be sold on to a tanner and undamaged hair or wool.  The wool would be dried, conditioned and sorted before being sold on to a spinner.

You can thus see how the occupations of fellmonger and woolstapler were closely linked and why I referred to the need for a supply of fresh water.

David

[Emmarine]

I am also trying to find out more information about Edward Twycross, the silversmith who worked in Dublin in the 1820's, signing his hallmark as  TWY+,
Edward Power & Edward Twycross of Dublin in 1825.
 and the Edward Twycross who  wrote " Mansions of England and Wales" London 1846

they could be the same person.

[orak100]

Hi Gary,

Yes, this is very interesting. your ancestor must have worked for the Twycross family.  Do you have any other information, such as letters etc.
I have copies of photographs of the children.
Family members remained interested in the railways.

Chris

Hi Chris

Firstly a big apology for taking so long to get back to you (almost a year!) and I have no excuses except being spread too thin.

Anyway to belatedly answer your question...unfortunately I have nothing from Mary Chaplin - no letters, no diaries, no photos, nothing!  Interestingly she married a John Vass who spent the same census night in The Police Station!  No idea why or why he was there alone at the time.

If you DO have any photos, I'd love to have a look...just in case!  I have no idea what Mary looked like.

Regards
Gary

[joyce341]

This reply is about three years to late as i have not long joined but will put it in anyhow,I grew up in Embrook,spent many happy hours paddling and fishing in the Brook there,I was born in 1948 also in the Royal Berks Hospital,we first lived in nissen huts in Toutley camp Embrook at the other end of Toutley camp was Finchampstead Road,now days Embrook is classed as quite a good area,but not so in my day,(everyone knew everybody else) we then moved to Toutley road also the Finchampstead Road ran along the top here,you could walk to Hurst from here.
Families that I remember.
Randalls/Joyce/Frances/Cook/Parfitt/Hamblin/Eamer/Bowden/Langley/Tildsley /Bowyer/Dance,to name a few.
Joyce

[behindthefrogs]

I think that you are confused Joyce.  Finchampstead Road runs south from the centre of Wokingham being a continuation of Denmark Street and crosses the Embrook about half a mile south of the town centre.

Embrook from there runs from the south towards the west of the town before heading north west to the areas known as Embrook and Toutley which lie between the A329 and the A329M.  Toutley today is the corporation depot and tip.

David

[joyce341]

 
 Yes David,
another senior moment,it has been 40 years LOl, but as my brother lives near Finchampstead Rd should have known better,cant think of the name of the Road now that runs from Earley,past Embrook/Toutley Road/through to Binfield.9or at least did when I was young)
When I lived in Toutley Road were about 14 houses,gardens were a 1/4 of an acre ,the middle houses,ours included were knocked down as the M4 was going through there originaly but they changed their mind and the route,the Dog and Duck was my dads local.
Joyce

[behindthefrogs]

The only road that I can think of was Forest Road which joined the Reading Road at Winnersh.  It used to go to Binfield and beyond but was cut in half just outside Toutley when the A329M was built.

David 

[joyce341]

I was just about to reply,yes it is Forest Road,what is now Commons road in Embrook was Toutley camp,just looked on google,cant believe how its grown,from Dog and duck used to walk up the Hill ,two farmhouses belonging to Mathews green Farm then round the corner,our houses,starting from number 74 to 92,ours was 86,even numbers only,dont know where the numbers came from LOL no other houses around,then there was the pumping staion,water works and Static condensors at the bottom of the road,I worked there in my school holidays aged 13 and when i left school for a while,if you look at google there was a road originaly planned from M4 to A329,this was why our house was demolished.
memmories,LOl
Joyce

[shillen]

I,m not sure if I can help at all ...but saw your thread and know a little about the building you are talking about. The Brook

This building was brought in about 1981-82 by the Warr family and renavated but while doing this we uncovered some odd things ...if you are still interested please leave a post as I,m not sure as they are stil alive that I should post anymore here ..........sorry