Do you have corkcutter ancestors?

[Amy K]

I have some more corkcutters for your collection.

FIRE AT MR REED'S, CORKCUTTER, WIND STREET, SWANSEA.
Cambrian newspaper, 21 April 1848.

it appears Mr Reed ceased trading....

J.F.REED, CORK CUTTER, OF SALUBRIOUS PLACE, SWANSEA, IS TO CEASE BUSINESS. Cambrian newspaper - 06 June 1851

WILLIAM JEWELL, CORK CUTTER, AT HAVERFORDWEST
Cambrian newspaper, 07 November 1840

JAMES RIDLER OF SWANSEA AGED 48.CORK CUTTER
Death notice - Cambrian newspaper, 01 January 1842

SWANSEA POLICE:GEORGE RIDDLER,CORK CUTTER,SWANSEA, FINED FOR ASSAULTING ANNE MORGAN,WIFE OF THOMAS MORGAN,CORDWAINER.
Cambrian newspaper - 03 December 1842, page 3

MR GEORGE ROGERS, CORK CUTTER, HAVERFORDWEST
Cambrian newspaper - 23 November 1844

WILLIAM RIDLEY, CORK CUTTER, CHARGED BY PC.42 WITH BEING DRUNK & RIOTOUS IN CAER STREET.
Cambrian newspaper - 05 July 1872, page 6.

[corkcutter]

Dear Amy,

Many thanks.  Some names were new and others added information to what I already had.  Two names actually linked to an enquiry I had had so I have forwarded the details on.  Someone will be happy!

Cheryl

[Amy K]

There is actually some more information online. I was being brief to give you an overview. It's well worth a look.

Amy

[corkcutter]

Will do.  Thanks.

Cheryl

[Amy K]

It's me agian, don't know if you have these... They're from Gloucestershire Record Office Genealogical Database.

1855   dixon   henry   U   Wotton-under-Ed   Q/Gc6/3   cork seller   Gaol
1829   jones   henry   U   Bristol   Q/Gc5/3   corkcutter   Gaol
1762   baker   james   M   gloucester   1762/227   corkcutter   Wills 1541 - 1800
1721   grover   james   M   gloucester   1721/310   cork cutter   Wills 1541 - 1800
1855   smith   john   U   Coventry   Q/Gc6/3   cork cutter   Gaol
1817   smith   john   U   Prescot   Q/Gc5/1   cork cutter   Gaol
1769   harden   richard   M   gloucester   1769/ 37   corkcutter   Wills 1541 - 1800
1840   eaton   thomas   U   Liverpool   Q/Gc5/6   cork cutter   Gaol
1850   anderson   wm   U   Bath   Q/Gc6/2   cork cutter   Gaol

[corkcutter]

Brilliant Amy, many thanks.  I only had one of that lot.  I really do appreciate your finds.  By the way, although everything is interesting, my index is only for English corkcutters (not Welsh or Scots, Irish).  Nothing personal - just trying to keep the size manageable!

Best wishes

Cheryl

[ssg_uk]

Cheryl, some more corkcutters for your list:

William Whitworth b 1810 Hull married Sarah Mills in 1833 St Nicholas Liverpool. Listed as corkcutter.
Son Thomas Henry Whitworth b 1842 Mytongate, Hull. Father corkcutter.
1851 census: William is Cork cutter aged 42 of 10 South Court, South St, North Myton, Hull, born Hull.
Thomas married Mary Brown 1863 in St Silas, Liverpool. He was a cork cutter aged 21 of Devon St, L'pool.
His brothers were also in the trade:

GEORGE WHITWORTH b 1840? In 1881 census, a widowed cork cutter aged 39, of 47 Johnston St, Blackburn. Born Hull.

William WHITWORTH b 1834 L'pool: A cork cutter aged 17 in 1851 census - in Hull with family.  Corkcutter aged 47 in 1881 of 121 Gloucester Pl, L'pool

Next generation: My ancestor, another Thos Henry Whitworth was not a corkcutter. However his cousin Henry H Whitworth (son of William b 1834) was.

Good luck with your index.

[corkcutter]

Many thanks for the Whitworth corkcutters.  They had not occurred on the index before.  They are now added with a note of your name as a reference in case anyone enquires about them.  (I always ask permission of the referee before giving out the information).

Thanks again

Cheryl

[oldvic]

Hi Cheryl

I throughly enjoyed reading your article on Corkcutters in PFH and and was immensely enthused to go to Uttoxeter and find out more.  Thanks for explaining the link between cork cutting and shoe making. 

In the meantime in reply to your request for cutting ancestors:

My 'shoemaker' ancestor (maternal g.g.grandfather) was George SAMPSON, b 1817 in Uttoxeter to George SAMPSON, a 'corkcutter' born either in 1788 Newton, Linford, Leicester to George SEMPSON (B 1789 Barlborough, Derbys), or in 1784 to George SAMPSON (St John?? the Less, London).  Both sets of descendants have similar naming conventions so that doesn't clear the mystery.

George (corkcutter) was apprenticed in Uttoxeter, via the Overseers of St John the Baptist, London.  There are a few letters in the Uttoxeter Heritage Centre I understand.

Have you heard of George (snr) and/or can you shed any light on his origins please?

Carole

Hello Tim,

Re your corkcutting ancestor - I've been studying cork cutting in England for the last two years and so have quite a lot of information about it now.  I have never come across any connection between tobacconists and corkcutting (until much later circa 1890 when some cutters made cork filter paper for cigarettes.)  1861 was about the time when mechanisation of the industry was really taking hold.  Maybe he was made redundant, tried the tobacco job, and then found another place back in his old trade.  Corkcutters who owned their business managed fairly well economically.  Their workmen did not earn a very good living but it was steady work, indoors and not too heavy.

  I wrote an article for Family History Monthly on corkcutting which came out at the beginning of this year.  You can probably get a back number if you would like to know more about the job.

If anyone reading this had corkcutting ancestors, I would love to have their names, dates and location as I am trying to build up an index of corkcutters in England.

Thanks,

Cheryl