Master Shoemaker

[liz Stokes]

My great grandfather was a Master Shoe and Bootmaker. He worked independently and I think he may have learnt his craft in the Midlands (Wolverhampton) area although he was from Monmouthshire and returned there later. Does anyone know if it is possible to get any info about his qualification?
Thanks
Liz

 

[benny1982]

Hi Liz

What time period was this? You may be able to look him up in Trade Directories. I am not sure about obtaining records of how he learned his trade, you may have to try and trace his employers if you can to give you a better lead.

Ben

 

[darkcrystal]

My great grandfather was a Master Shoe and Bootmaker. He worked independently and I think he may have learnt his craft in the Midlands (Wolverhampton) area although he was from Monmouthshire and returned there later. Does anyone know if it is possible to get any info about his qualification?
Thanks
Liz

hi Liz,

I found this whilst having a google,

http://forum.bbcwhodoyouthinkyouare.com/tm.asp?m=1242

 

[liz Stokes]

Hi Dark Crystal,

Thanks for the site link about shoe and bootmakers. I have had a quick look and it looks very interesting. I hope to spend a bit of time following the links! It's been very helpful.

Thanks
Liz

 

[darkcrystal]

Hi Dark Crystal,

Thanks for the site link about shoe and bootmakers. I have had a quick look and it looks very interesting. I hope to spend a bit of time following the links! It's been very helpful.

Thanks
Liz

No probs Liz,

Wishart, that name rings a bell.... not for me but another person I know has that name in her tree....

 

[liz Stokes]

The Wisharts in my tree originally came from Kettle in Fife,Scotland. They were poor hand loom linen weavers and eventually moved south to Newcastle upon Tyne and the dockyards. I did get some info from the Wishart family website. I went up to Scotland in September and went to Kettle but was unable to find a grave of a Wishart that I know to be an ancestor. It is only a very small place and there arn't any graves in the surrounding villages of Wisharts known in my tree either. There were some that were unreadable due to wear and age so they might of been them - who knows? It could also be that they were too poor to be able to afford a stone. There was one interesting thing that I did see - lots of the graves in the whole area had a skull sign on them. I'm not sure what this means but maybe they were victims of some illness that went through the community or maybe there is a less sinister explanation. I'll have to follow that up at some point just out of curiosity.
Liz

 

[liz Stokes]

Hi
Thanks for the reply.
My ggrandfather,Thomas Edwards was born in Goldcliff, Monmouthshire in 1878. I know he was in Goldcliff in 1891 but I have been unable to place him in 1901 which would have been of interest as it would have shown what he was working as at that time. He did have a disability (foot) and I know that there were many in the trade who had disabilities as it was a trade that enabled you to compete on equal terms. Her married a girl from the midlands in 1910 and was in Goldcliff then. I know that the midlands had a big link to the industry but don't know if he met her there or indeed if he was ever actually based there. Unfortunately I don't have any family members who know the answer.
Liz