Dublin Silk Weavers and Tallow Chandler

[PK2]

Does anyone know if there were silk weavers employed in Dublin? and if there were were would this be done in a particular area, similar to say Manchester in Lancashire. Also a tallow chandler. These occupations are stated in the Manchester Census of 1841. I know it was demanding work requiring good eyesight and I am trying to find out what areas they might have come from in Dublin.

The period would be prior to 1833.

If anyone can help I would be very pleased to get any advice.

Thank you,
Pat

[feathers]

There were silk weavers in the Coombe and Liberties area of Dublin in the late 1700s and on into the 1800s.  There is some information on the site www.weavers.ie which gives a broad outline of the areas and buildings.

[Oaks and Acorns]

Probably the biggest candle makers in Dublin were Rathborne's of East Wall. As far as I can remember they had the contract for all Church candles in Dublin.

Brief history here:

http://www.lalor.ie/history

Dara.

[Quaxer]

Pat

Various books and Government Reports exist upon silk weaving in Dublin9only some of which I have seen) and if you would like a few references , just come back.



Regards     Quaxer

[PK2]

Thank you so much Feathers and Dara and and Quaxer.

The sites are really helpful and I was surprised to learn that about the time my Tallow Chandler came to Manchester the candle trade was already in decline due to gas installations, so for a while I will concentrate on that. The silk weavers are connected too but I have been unable to find a definite link in just how they are. But I will look at all the sites, and hopefully I will find a common area to begin my searches. Thank you so much for your suggestions, I am surprised also to learn of the decline in the silk trade by 1829. This all fits in with the few records I have of these families arriving in Manchester c 1830's.

Thank you all again,
Pat

[Graham Whitehead]

There is a list of Weavers and Related Trades Dublin 1826 which are in the Dublin City Library and Archive, which I found helpful.  My ancestors named John and Mary Ann Brooks (née Flood) left Dublin at the failure of the silk weaving industry and moved to Coventry another centre of silk weaving  c. 1828-30 where Mary Ann died of an outbreak of the asiastic cholera in 1849.

[PK2]

Dear Graham

Thank you so much for the information I have so far found it very interesting even though I am probably not on the right search link for the Weavers and Related Trades Dublin 1826! I have downloaded one PDF that gives me old maps and the history of the areas of Weavers Square and Liberties and I am fascinated by the diggings and excavations that too place I will download the other part too. It will be a big learning curve for me but I do thank you for this as I did not know the Archives carried so much more on line than what I first thought. Not only that I learned that there were also malt houses, another of my ancestors occupations. I will spend some time reading this one alone.

I was sorry to hear of you ancestor's early death in Coventry I think it was just as bad for them in Manchester too. My direct ancestor and one sister were the entire survivors of a family of eight most of them dying before the age of 5. I have tenuous links to 5 other families, all silk weavers, from Dublin so I am almost sure that I am at last on the right path to find a common area. Did you find any Parish Records? Mine are all RC.

Thank you again,
Kindest regards,
Pat

[Graeme Dunne]

I notice that this was an old query, but for anyone looking in the future, I can recommend a book called 'Pomp and Poverty' A History of Silk in Ireland by Mairead Dunlevy and a two part paper back "Industrial Dublin Since 1698 & The Silk Industry in Dublin.

My family in Dublin were Dunne's and their last link to the Industry was O'Reilly Dunne & Co of 30 College Green Dublin and manufacturing took place in the tenements of Marks Alley. They were taken over by Atkinsons who at the time were located at 32 College Green Dublin.

Cheers

Graeme Dunne

[Graham Whitehead]

Hello Pat (PK2)
Yes, there are Parish Records, and I started with RC (all Dublin) but, to my surprise found my Brooks family were originally Church of Ireland.  I could not find the baptism of my direct ancestor, but did find his siblings with the right parents, so he married Mary Ann Flood (RC) who died in Coventry, and I am descended through the second marriage, my gt-grandfather married at Coventry St Michael(later the Cathedral) and this was C of E.  So the RC line finished by my grandfather who was baptised in the C of E.  He always said he was sent to an RC school but ran away from it!  Best Regards
Graham