Shoemakers, Bootmakers, Saddler and Harness Makers

[confused73]

Hallo Simon, would you by any chance have a Leadsdale or very similar name in your shoe maker list, he would have been around in the early 1800s.  Thank you.

[davefoster]

I'm planning to prepare a page on the life of a shoemaker in mid 1800s.  Any suggestions on websites, ideas, books etc?  My ancestor, James Foster,  lived in Yorkshire. 

[MaryA]

Google Cordwainer, you will find quite a number of sites.

[millymcb]

Hi Dismo

Just wondering if you got anywhere with your database of Shoe and boot makers?

I have found more info on my James McBride - shoemaker and/or cordwainer in Manchester - originally Ireland. (I posted his details somewhere on this thread).

I have 1841 Census, burial and death info now...
See my post here which has some info if you still want it.
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=668060.msg5131376
 
Milly

[BonnieDownUnder]

My 3xggf William Cook was a 'saddler'

bc 1793 Thirsk, Yorkshire died 15 Dec 1865 Boroughbridge.

His death notice in the Yorkshire Gazette reads:

COOK - on the 15th inst., at Boroughbridge, at the house
of his son, aged 72, Mr William Cook, saddler, late of
Walmgate, in this city

C1851 has him living at Black Horse Road  - I wonder if it still there?

[sandyjose]

I have 3 generations of shoemakers in my family.The first is William Gunning born 1823 in Newtownards Co Down,I don't have any census records for him as they were all destroyed but on his son's wedding entry,by which time he had died,it states shoe maker for his occupation.3 of William's sons were shoemakers,Thomas, 1855-1925, David, 1858-1921 and James, 1854-1911.Thomas,after he married in 1877, went to live in Glasgow,he's on the 1881 and 1891 censuses but he also was traveling  backwards and forwards to New Zealand,he's on the censuses in New Zealand and his brother James had moved there after he married.By 1901 he had gone to live in New Zealand permanently leaving behind his wife,son and daughter. His wife and daughter went back to Ireland but his son William James,my grandad,stayed in Glasgow where he was also a bootmaker.After going to Ireland to get married in 1903,William James returned to Glasgow where he worked as a bootmaker for the co-op.He died in 1920.David, worked as a bootmaker in Newtownards until his death in 1921.He had a big family but I don't know if any of his sons carried the business on.Hope this helps your research.

[susan42]

Fullarton Dick b 1778 in Ayr
Occupation in 1802 Shoemaker in Ayr

Susan42

[syljun]

Henry Harding b. 1847 Somerset
1891 Census - Kensington, London-Shoemaker. Died 1898
wife Eliza Harding - 1901 census Kensington - Shoemaker b. 1850 Dorset.

[Freespirit1]

My 4xg grandfather, Thomas Morgan was variously described as leathercutter and shoemaker.  His details are as follows:
Baptised 14 June 1812 Westbourne, Sussex
1841 census: Thomas Morgan, leathercutter, Ryde, Isle of Wight
1851 census: Thomas Morgan, leathercutter, Newport Road, Ryde, Isle of Wight

He was also described as a leathercutter on his son's marriage certificate in 1853.

Thomas's father and grandfather were blacksmiths but his mother, Sarah Holt, came from Bosham near Chichester.  When researching in the West Sussex Archives at Chichester, I came across a number of references to a Holt family in Chichester as curriers and cordwainers, also taking on apprentices.

It seems that Thomas Morgan  and his family always used the term leathercutter but his death on 7 June 1859 was reported by someone by the name of John Allen, who described him as 'Boot and Shoe Maker Master'.  I later found John Allen (no relation to the Morgan family) on the 1861 census as follows:

John Allen, 47, boot and shoemaker and leathercutter, 32 John St, Ryde, IOW

In a completely different branch of the family I have also found:
William Skinner, baptised 22 April 1724, Buxted, Sussex. 
From 1748 to 1770, William appears as a cordwainer in Buxted taking on apprentices.  He died in Buxted in 1788 at the age of 64.

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