Do you have corkcutter ancestors?

[Amy K]

I came across a "Cork Manufacturer" today.

George William Moore, Cork Manufacturer, Captain Carey's Lane, Bristol.

Source: Kelly's Directory of Somersetshire, With the City of Bristol, 1889, page 52

[Spike1]

Hi Amy K,

               Thank you for that but my ancestors lived and worked in the east end of London. Just as a point of interest do you know of a Joseph Milligan working with cork and again thank you

Regards
Spike

[corkcutter]

Hi Amy,

Thanks for that.  Another one I didn't have!  Keep them coming.

Cheryl

[Pattym]

Hi Cheryl,
I was very interested in your article on corkcutters in Practical Family history. I have been trying to find out about the trade ever since I found that my 3&4X G-grandfathers were cork cutters in Newcastle St Andrews. William Doughty is listed on his marriage certificate 1846 as Corkcutter, and his father John Doughty's profession is also given as corkcutter.
The 1871and 1881 census have William still working as a corkcutter living in Vine ST. St Andrews, and in 1881 William's son Thomas (24) and a lodger Mark Gowens(45) are also CCutters. Do you think that this was a family business? and do you have any other Doughtys in Newcastle on your index?
Your article has been a great help to me, and I hope that my info will be of help to you.
Cheers,  Pattym 

[corkcutter]

Dear Patty,

I'm glad you found the article interesting.  I only had one Doughty on the list - Doughty & Co. in a Newcastle trade directory for 1890.  Interestingly there is another firm called simply Gowens listed in 1898 and 1910 - almost certainly some connection with the lodger!

Your message inspired me to go back to Newcastle records.  I get most of my index from trade directories and new ones are becoming available all the time.  I found lists for 180l, 1827 and 1850 (and had already covered some later dates).  No Doughty or Gowens on any of these.  Of course, we can't be sure, but I think your family were rather like mine - corkcutters working for other people for generations and then making it to being their own bosses just at the end of the nineteenth century when business was beginning to slack off.  Poor timing!

I shall keep your name linked to Doughty as a reference and contact you if I discover anything else or if anyone else contacts me looking for corkcutting Doughtys.

Thank you for the information on your family.  They are now on the index.

Best wishes

Cheryl

[tazzie]

Hi

  Is a cork sorter part of the same trade.

   I have William H Liscoe b1870 in Bermondsey

  as an employed cork sorter in 1901.No one else in the family was in the trade

                          Tazzie

[corkcutter]

Hi Tazzie,

Yes, a cork sorter was in the same workshop and there were quite a few around the Bermondsey area at that time.  By 1901 the corks were being turned on treadle driven machines but then had to be quality checked for size and grain quality.  Also a lot of foreign corks were being imported from the big factories in Spain and Portugal.  They were sorted in the English workshops and then sold on.

A lot of cork sorters were women and I'm afraid that  it was pretty bottom-of-the-hill work!  Still, he will go on my index with the corkcutters and hold his head up high.

Many thanks for the information

Cheryl

[behindthefrogs]

The tobacco my grandfather used to smoke smelt like burning cork!!

[Realme46]

Here's another one who I think was an ancestor_I am still researching him. He is on the 1851 census as Richard Hoffer, but Piggot's directory and IGI have him down as Heffer. I am wondering if he came from Denmark of somewhere to the port.

PIgots directory 1830 Bristol
HEFFER Richard        Cork Cutter                   16?? Peters Street, Bristol

I am trying to find out more about him. I think he had a daughter, Mary Ann, who married a David Morgan. Mary Ann Morgan was the landlady at the Ship In in Pipe Lane around 1888.