Thomas Clean

[Yorkyboyl]

In my tree I have a Thomas Clean, Shoemaker of Ness, and a record of a son, William been christened at Hovingham in 1770. Although I have not been able to trace anything on Thomas before this , I have
come across several generations of a family called Clean in the Riccall area, including a Thomas, shoemaker, born 1736, died and buried Riccall in 1810.
  Is it possible that there is a connection, did tradesmen travel around, did they have to be members of a guild or similar? It's not too far between these places, and while the dates would fit, it may be a
stretch of the imagination to put these together.
 Could anyone please help with either a positive or negative response, thank you.
 Brian     

[Spelk]

I am not aware of there being any Guild for shoemakers but they would certainly have had some sort of apprentice time.
As the tools of a cordwainer or shoemaker were portable it was easy for them to pack up and move to another village or town where there might be more customers or less competition. Hovingham and Ness (east and west) were just an hours walk away and Ricall just a days travel on foot.
My shoemaker ancestor of the 1700s was born in Hovingham. Lived in Terrington when he got married in York and the settled in Slingsby. A century later his Gx gson who was also a cobbler was born in Malton, married in Great Driffield, had children in Patrington, Malton, Great Ayton, Middlesbrough, Malton. Moved back to Middlesbrough then left his wife and married a widow in Blencarn in Cumbria where he died. That second marriage was bigamous.

[Yorkyboyl]

Hi there,
  Thanks for the response....not completely ruled out but not too much to go forward on. I need to do some further digging, but thanks all the same.
 Brian