Wortley GLS

[velcro]

Hi

Any assistance to find where in Wortley the premises of this businessman please?
 1861 Census
Watby/Wortly?,
Wotton under Edge, Glous
RG9/1750/79/13

Thomas EXCELL, 80, Head, Mar, Grocer, born Alderley, Glous

Cheers
Velcro

[t mo]

not knowing glos  is watby/ wortly in wooton under edge only i,ve looked in some historical directories and so far can,t find your thomas excell
trevor

[CaroleW]

The address on the 1861 image appears to just be Wortley - as it is for many other entries so I would guess it was an area/ village in Wotton under Edge

[velcro]

Hi

Thank you for the response. Is there a Grocery Store in  1861 Owned by Thomas Excell/Exall in Synwell WUE GLS?

Cheers
Velcro

[velcro]

Hi

Son Charles Excell b1813 WUE GLS
Census shows
Occupation   1841   Coal Dealer
Occupation   1846   Greengrocer
Census   1871   80 Bunhill Row, St Lukes, Finsbury London EC1
Occupation   1871   Oil and Colourman should this read (Coalman?)

Any records of this business with the Oil?

Cheers
Velcro

[Ferreter]

Hi Debbie

This  is Jilly who sent you the information about Charles Excell.  Charles Excell's businesses were in Bunhill Row, St Luke's Middlesex not in Gloucestershire.

Cheers

[Ferreter]

Hi Debbie

This is Ferreter again.  No the term colorman should not read coalman.  I got this information from the original handwritten census. I have noticed this term before.  The term oilshop was often and sometimes still used to describe what  we would generally call a hardware shop.  Selling oil, paraffin, candles nails paint etc. etc.  The colourman would refer to mixing paint colours etc. Coal dealing would have been a separate enterprise.  Charles was a coal dealer when he first moved to London and was living in Ironmonger Row.

Cheers

[Pels.]

No the term colorman should not read coalman.  I got this information from the original handwritten census.

Not that you need it, but this might help confirm what you've just said ! 



Kind regards,

Pels.

[Ferreter]

Thank you Pels.  Nice to have the confirmation. You obviously have access to the originals. I got my copy about 12 years ago on one of my many trips to the family records office.  Following which I visited the site where the shop would have been.  Gone I'm afraid.  More than likely destroyed by second world war bombing as was much of the area.  However I did find the shop in the Kelly's Director where Charles was described as an oilman.  So much easier to search for family now that we have computers, and the last thing I would wish would be to lose the convenience and breadth of knowledge one can gain with their use  However, I have to confess that I do not regret those early days when everything I found seemed to take much more effort but the joy of finding each detail was like uncovering a prercious gem! Charles was my great great grandfather and by following his trail so avidly along with my other ancestors I almost feel I knew him.  I have in my possession a beautiful old Grandfather clock which was left by Charles and his wife to their grandson who was my grandfather George Excell Harvey, then subsequently left to my father and then to me. 
On the handpainted face of the clock it gives the maker's name and place where it was made.  it is woen away and says Thornb... which I have now found out is Thornbury. A town not too far from where Charles lived in Iron Acton in Gloucestershire.  So the clock travelled with them on their move to London.  Wish my Dad was still alive so I could tell him   Oh the joys of genealogy!! If there is interest, I could probably take a picture of the clock and post it here/