Shoemakers - Family History & Genealogy Message Board

Re: Guild of Cordiners, Glasgow, Scotland

janemfraser_1 — 2013-03-16 16:11:55Z

I had written:
"The earliest James SMITH has estimated date of 1742."

This James SMITH's entry reads:

BG C SMITH James E 1742

The sponsor column (between "James" and "E") is empty.
B means Burgess Roll;
G means Guild Brother;
C means Cordiner;
E means Estimated date (indicated from references).

So, not much information. Sorry there isn't more.
Jane

Re: Guild of Cordiners, Glasgow, Scotland

richard_smith61 — 2013-02-08 10:35:38Z

Hi Jane,
I have been researching may ancestors, and come back the James Smith, Shoemaker (married to Agnes McFarlane) and the dates you show below appear to fit Estimated 1742.

Are there any other details?

THanks,
Richard.

Re: Guild of Cordiners, Glasgow, Scotland

TOOlaroo1 — 2012-12-17 05:30:54Z

Thanks anyway.

Stephen

Re: Guild of Cordiners, Glasgow, Scotland

janemfraser_1 — 2012-12-15 19:23:07Z

Stephen - sorry, no Robert WHITE. The only WHITEs (Matthew and Pete) became guild members in 1898 and 1934.

Jane

Re: Guild of Cordiners, Glasgow, Scotland

TOOlaroo1 — 2012-11-25 18:34:25Z

G'day,
My Great Great Grandfather Robert White was a shoemaker in Clackmannan and continued the trade when he emigrated to Australia in 1859. Is there any record of him prior to this point.

Many thanks
Stephen

Re: Guild of Cordiners, Glasgow, Scotland

janemfraser_1 — 2012-10-27 12:48:46Z

Sorry, no James JOHNSTON (or JOHNSON or JOHNSTONE). The only William YOUNG became a member in 1902. Jane

Re: Guild of Cordiners, Glasgow, Scotland

billjohnston30 — 2012-10-25 17:01:02Z

Do you still do look-ups for the Guild?
This is my Great Great Grandfather & his son-in-laws father. My speculation is that since they were in the same trade, it is how their children met. Both are listed as Shoemakers (journmen) on documents (census, vital)
James Johnston (1827-1897)
12 Tureen St. Glasgow

Thomas Young (1822-1892)
2 East Wood Lane, Gallowgate, Glasgow

James Elliot (shoemaker)

kaycsps — 2012-10-25 11:02:41Z

Hoping someone maybe able to help me find James Elliot who was a shoemaker - born about 1785 and living in Cavan Ireland about 1810. He was married to Catherine Reilly.

Re: Shoemaker's Guilds - Edinburgh and Prestonpans

trann120 — 2012-10-25 09:16:40Z

Hiya,

If you trawl online you should find quite a few Burgess record books. You should get most by using the links through the SGS website.
http://www.scotsgenealogy.com/Resources.aspx
Also, the helpers at the SGS are unbelievably good at pointing you in the right direction when you hit a brick wall.

You need to be sure of which part of Edinburgh your shoemakers were from. The core parishes of Edinburgh were so small that even moving 50 yards along a road may move you into another parish and so you need to be as very careful. I have shoemakers in Edinburgh itself, in Canongate and in St Cuthberts parish. Each parish had a trade guild of Cordiners (St Cuthberts may have had several).

The best surviving records are for Edinburgh Parish and can be found at the National Archives in Edinburgh.
http://www.nas.gov.uk/guides/crafts.asp

The actual guild was officially the Incorporation of Cordiners. The guild still continues (at least in name) and is part of the Edinburgh trades guild.
http://www.edinburgh-trades.org
They do sometimes have opendays (they were open all August '12 as part of the Edinburgh festival and had a rather good exhibition on) and you can contact them and arrange a visit, but please note their records are in the NAS.

The NAS also has some other cordiners records, for Canongate for instance. I've not seen anything relating to Prestonpans specifically.

There is a wonderful set of books online written my Tom Hoffman from Birkbeck in London. He has studied the guilds and produced a scarily detailed bibliography which you can find using google (or any other search engine you so desire...)
"Guilds and related organisations in Great Britain and Ireland, a bibliography"
You want part II which covers Scotland, page 237 onwards.

Hope you find what you are looking for.

Regards
Trann

William James, shoemaker

rosemary_richardson1 — 2012-10-18 21:36:55Z

Does anyone have any information on a shoemaker called William (or Thomas) James in the London or Wokingham area in the early 19th century? He had a wife called Jane although we can't find any record of the marriage, and a son called John Leverson James, my great great grandfather.

Journeyman

bethford4 — 2012-09-01 19:18:39Z

A journeyman is someone who has completed their apprenticeship, but is not yet a master craftsman - not someone who was poor

Re: Guild of Cordiners, Glasgow, Scotland

jeffreyscott41 — 2012-08-26 08:08:07Z

Hello Jane,
Thank you very much for that,I think you have helped put a hole in a wall!
Regards Jeffrey Scott.

Re: Guild of Cordiners, Glasgow, Scotland

janemfraser_1 — 2012-08-25 23:32:14Z

Jeffrey - I apologize for missing your question.

These entries are too early, I think, but here they are.

BGA McDONALD Donald, A Donald McDougald C B 18. 9.1760
which means Donald was the apprentice of Donald McDougald, Cordiner, and was listed on the Burgess Roll on the given date.
BGA means Burgess, Guild Brother, Apprentice

BG McDONALD Duncan E 1794
The E means estimated date.

There are no entries with the surname HOPE or HO... or HU... that could be a variant.

Jane

Re: Guild of Cordiners, Glasgow, Scotland

jeffreyscott41 — 2012-08-25 17:54:41Z

Hi Jane,

Hope you don't me asking again and maybe you have already replied and I did not receive your answer, but have you any records on the Daniel McDonald(born 1795 holland british subject) and Daniel McDonald born Glasgow 1825 both cordiners /cordwainers/master shoemakers in Glasgow.Also Any information on Robert Hope and Walter Hope also cordiners Glasgow early 1800's.
Any information very much appreciated.
Regards Jeffrey Scott.

Re: Guild of Cordiners, Glasgow, Scotland

joyjoy876578 — 2012-08-06 17:38:53Z

thank you

Re: Guild of Cordiners, Glasgow, Scotland

janemfraser_1 — 2012-08-06 16:53:11Z

Sorry. No COPELAND entries at any time. Jane

Re: Guild of Cordiners, Glasgow, Scotland

joyjoy876578 — 2012-07-31 03:59:53Z

Could you look up Charles Copeland of Glasgow, Scotland around 1860s to 1890s

Re: Beggs & Cobb Tannery in Woburn or Winchester, MA

ellcee39 — 2012-07-08 11:12:01Z

Bill;

We met a number of years ago at your home. You shared some wonderful photos of your family which we enjoyed very much. My wife is the great grandaughter of Thomas G. Beggs. We are still working on the Beggs family tree and would like to meet with you again

L. Craig

Re: William Elliott - Master shoemaker

Champlain9 — 2012-07-06 12:41:58Z

Hello
Where was he working? do you know of any relatives?

Janice

Ancestry Admin

William Elliott - Master shoemaker

ihoppmann1 — 2012-07-06 12:40:57Z

Would you have any information on a William Elliott who was working in the late 19th early 20th centuries.
Thank you

Re: Guild of Cordiners, Glasgow, Scotland

jeffreyscott41 — 2012-04-08 18:46:50Z

Good evening Jane,
I hope your look up offer still stands, if not I am sorry for disturbing you.
Looking for any information on my great grandfathers x2 and x3 Both Daniel McDonalds first born in Holland 1795 and died Glasgow 1862 and the second born Glasgow 1825 died Glasgow 1897 both were on various records as Cordwainer, shoemaker journeyman, or bootcloser and both lived and worked close to the city center. I would also be interested to get any information you may have on a Robert Hope and his son Walter Hope both shoemakers in Glasgow in the early 1800's
Thank you for any effort you make on my behalf.
Jeffrey Scott.

Re: Guild of Cordiners, Glasgow, Scotland

rosemarymorrison48 — 2012-04-06 18:28:53Z

Jane - sorry not to have replied before to thank you for this look-up. My ancestor was a shoemakers' apprentice in Edinburgh (7 years) but maybe Glasgow didn't recognise the qualification!

Rosie

Re: Guild of Cordiners, Glasgow, Scotland

janemfraser_1 — 2012-03-27 14:18:23Z

Rosie - sorry, there is no one named WELLS. Jane

Re: Guild of Cordiners, Glasgow, Scotland

rosemarymorrison48 — 2012-03-19 21:53:02Z

Hi Jane,

If you are still doing lookups, it would be very helpful to me if you could check an ancestor. He was in two or three editions of the Glasgow Directory as a Shoemaker in the 1870s, and his death cert said he was a Master Shoemaker. His address was in Duke Street, opposite the meat market!
His name was WILLIAM WELLS.

Rosie

Re: The Life of a Shoemaker in Southern Italy?

plapilla — 2012-02-08 16:09:44Z

Happy to have helped you. If you come across any other Italian occupations with which you need help, you can email me at plp36@yahoo.com. I've done extensive research on the various occupations I have found in the Italian records for my husband's ancestry, and my own, so I could possibly have information to help you. Too many researchers make the mistake of accepting translations of the Italian words into English without really giving thought to what was involved in the occupations or trades of their ancestors.

Re: The Life of a Shoemaker in Southern Italy?

josie07m11 — 2012-02-08 13:34:24Z

Thank you so much! I tried searching at my college library and my local library but found nothing. This helps :)

Re: The Life of a Shoemaker in Southern Italy?

plapilla — 2012-02-08 12:50:03Z

The following is based on some research I have done about this occupation:

The calzolaio or cobbler was unlike his counterpart here in the United States. He did not repair old shoes, as did those who were called ciabattini. The shoe repairman worked in a shop near to where the cobbler’s shop was located in the town. The cobbler, instead of repairing old shoes, custom-made new ones for those who were financially well-off and/or of distinction. He was almost always consigned his work on Sundays, or on town market days. The contadini, or peasants, were never his customers though. These poor people typically wore sandals, which they purchased from traveling merchants at local markets. The cobbler would never condescend to make the type of shoes they needed.

A cobbler always owned a town shop which normally had walls filled with hides or skins of all different kinds, which would be used in the making of shoes and their soles. He also had wood forms to shape the shoes, and a variety of tools, such a hammer, which would be used to nail the sole to the bottom of the shoe, pincers, which were like forceps, and needles to use for whatever sewing had to be done. He would also have polish that a beekeeper had brought to him to use on his finished product

Some references which are in Italian:

www.andreasormani.altervista.org/mestieri.htm

http://www.educazione.sm/scuola/servizi/cd_virtuali/lavori_s...

Re: The Life of a Shoemaker in Southern Italy?

jasche — 2012-02-05 11:50:42Z

I can't answer your question specifically, but I would try going offline -- and go to the local library. If you need help you can always ask the librarian. Books not available in your library may be available by library loan.

The Life of a Shoemaker in Southern Italy?

josie07m11 — 2012-02-05 03:04:31Z

So I've discovered that my great-grandfather Giovanni Mangani (b.1870) was a shoemaker (calzolaio) in Chiaramonte Gulfi, Ragusa, Sicily. I've tried looking online but it's hard to find things about the lives of people in particular occupations, let alone in a particular place. I don't need specifics, but would anyone know where I can find some information about the life of a shoemaker in southern Italy during the mid/late 19th century?

Re: Guild of Cordiners, Glasgow, Scotland

janemfraser_1 — 2011-10-30 00:42:34Z

I apologize. I seem to have overlooked this request.

There are several William SMITHs but the only one before 1800 is SMITH William with estimated date of joining 1767 (E means "Estimated date (indicated from references)"). The earliest James SMITH has estimated date of 1742.

Re: Guild of Cordiners, Glasgow, Scotland

janemfraser_1 — 2011-10-30 00:36:51Z

I apologize. I seem to have overlooked this request.

There are 3 Thomas BOYDs, but they are all in the 20th century.

Re: Guild of Cordiners, Glasgow, Scotland

janemfraser_1 — 2011-10-30 00:35:11Z

I apologize. I seem to have overlooked this request.

There are two John HALLs.

HALL John Apprentice to Samuel Osborne cordiner. 7.10.1743
HALL John, sponsored by John Hall cordiner 19. 9.1771

Probably related:
HALL James Apprentice to Samuel Osborne cordiner. 7.10.1743

Re: Guild of Cordiners, Glasgow, Scotland

janemfraser_1 — 2011-10-30 00:32:06Z

I apologize. I seem to have overlooked this request.

There are no listings for IRVINE. The closest is a John Haddon IRVING.

Re: Guild of Cordiners, Glasgow, Scotland

janemfraser_1 — 2011-10-23 00:10:38Z

There are 2 entries:

Cordiner McFARLANE William, [sponsored by] Wm. McFARLANE M [Merchant], 23.12.1834

McFARLANE William, [sponsored by] John McFARLANE C [Cordiner], 20. 9.1787

I hope these help. Jane

Re: Guild of Cordiners, Glasgow, Scotland

hughmacfarlane — 2011-10-13 12:57:53Z

Hi,

My great great grandfather was a shoemaker in Glasgow

William Mcfarlane.

Is he on your list?

Many thanks

Hugh

Westbrook's shoe and boot makers of London England

boydavid — 2011-09-05 14:34:21Z

Hello,
I would like to hear from anyone who has Westbrook's in their family tree who were Shoe and boot makers in London England in the 18th-20th century.
David Riggs DHRiggsLondon@aol.com

Re: Boot Manufacturer BLIGHT, Plymouth Devon

dainefoote — 2011-08-28 18:43:05Z

Hi I am also related to Richard Blight who owned a boot factory in Plymouth. He was my Great Great Grandfather on my maternal side. The factory was lost by the family after the death of Richard in the late 1800s.He was the third in the line as we know it of Richard Blights.

Re: 19th century shoemakers

contact4548 — 2011-06-20 10:02:13Z

The Cordwainer/Shoemaker was different from the Bootmaker. Cordwainers used Cordovan leather from Spain because it was softer and made better shoes for those who could afford it.So this would have been imported.
Apprenticeships could either be via the family ,father to son etc or by being apprenticed to someone outside the family. Apprenticeships often lasted 7 years with some boys never achieving their skill.
Apprentice Records for your ancestor may be found in the local record office to the county where he lived if these have survived.
If this was a family apprenticeship then probably no documents would ever have been generated. Do not forget to trace Poor Law apprentice records as young boys were often put out to work in this way to save the overseers of the parish having to pay the additional burden of their upkeep .
Hope this helps.

Re: Philadelphia Shoemaker list

amymollman_1 — 2011-06-01 01:47:18Z

I am also looking for a relative John Severson who worked as a shoemaker in the Philadelphia area in the late 1700 early 1800. He had a son named James T and wife Mary.

Re: Shoemaker's Guilds - Edinburgh and Prestonpans

felgate4042 — 2011-05-21 03:53:19Z

Possibly the Burgess records have not been released for the period in which you are interested. My family were in the 1700s to around the 1820s. I just checked my files and the set of records I viewed go from 1761 to 1841. The film was Roll of Edinburgh Burgesses 1761-1841 LDS Film 0844781. I hope this helps someone.

Re: Shoemaker's Guilds - Edinburgh and Prestonpans

suemelling67 — 2011-05-17 12:00:51Z

Hello

Just found this thread.

I just discovered that i had some relations living in Portobello, Edinburgh at least upto 1919
Samuel Lingard of 73 willowbrae road, portobello was a boot and shoe maker... becoming a Shoe shop Manager in the 1911 Scotland census.

But i cant find him in the trade records yet?

Cheers john melling

Re: Storeys/Storys who were SHOEMAKERS in Ireland - list

jackstorey1 — 2011-04-03 21:17:50Z

The "Title" 'Storeys who were SHOEMAKERS in Ireland - List' explains that I know of some Storeys who were Shoemakers. I have many STOREYS listed who were shoemakers from my book "Storeys of Ireland"

Re: Storeys/Storys who were SHOEMAKERS in Ireland - list

Sandy_Fackler — 2011-04-03 16:11:23Z

Re your statement "SHOEMAKERS were highly regarded as skilled craftsmen in the 1800s and commanded a respectable position in society." What do your base your statement on? Do you have research or a source? I have an ancestor, John CAMPION, in Ireland who was a shoemaker and he continued the trade, as did his sons, when they came to the US in the 1840s.

Re: Master Shoemaker Aberdeen

christopherbearman — 2011-03-28 19:10:37Z

hello, the journeryman part means they were in poverty,

Shoemaker unrest rebellion of shoe manufacturers in Montreal in 1849

tomwdcraftr — 2011-03-08 18:46:29Z

My GG Grandfather was John McMullen who immigrated from Ireland to Quebec about 1847. I think he was in a Montreal directory for 1848 and 1849 as a laborer and in 1850 as a shoemaker. I know he was a shoemaker from Irish records. I don't know what kind of labor work he might have done in 1848/49, but, perhaps it was for a shoe factory or another job to try to get funds to start his own business which it appears he may have done for just one year in 1850?

On the 1851/52 census his wife Margaret and Sons Arthur and William John were living with a Johnston family in Montreal who were tailors. Margaret showed as married, but there was no husband present on the census who should have been John.

I've been curious about that, and thought he may have died, or perhaps was in process of relocating the family, or maybe was in jail??

I've now stumbled upon happenings in Montreal, however, dealing with unrest amongst shoemakers in 1849.

Apparently, in the Spring of 1849, shoemakers ravaged a shoe factory and destroyed sewing machines. Other reading indicates this may have been done to the Brown & Child Company who was introducing machinery in it's plant and employing unskilled labor.

Apparently, some individuals were prosecuted in police court for some of the violence. It's also said the company brought charges against 22 from the shoemakers society, but they were acquitted.

I wonder if anyone might have more knowledge about this event? It seems this took place in Spring of 1849. One article I read said there were articles in October 1849 in the Montreal Transcript & Commercial Advertiser, and the Montreal Gazette.

I have no idea if my GG Grandfather might have participated in this event or not?? But, I guess I wonder if he may have possibly been in jail during the period of the 1851/52 census if he had taken part in some of this protest??

Anyone familiar with this event???

Thanks!!! Tom McMillan (Washougal, WA)

Re: Harvey shoe & bootmakers Philadelphia, PA

dkpe300 — 2010-12-28 02:16:14Z

You should check McElroy's Philadelphia City Directories, the listing is by name, occupation and address. Several volumes have been made available to view on line.

Re: Guild of Cordiners, Glasgow, Scotland

christy15044 — 2010-11-09 11:42:07Z

I would be very grateful if you would see if you could find any mention of two relations of mine from Glasgow, both Shoemakers (Cordiners), who may have been members of the Guild.

They are William Smith (b. 1714 Glasgow) married to Isobel Purdie and his father James Smith (b. 1687 Glasgow) married to Mary Rutherford.

Re: Shoemaker's Guild of London?

puravidaamigo — 2010-11-02 15:19:43Z

Thank you for the info. I guess one needs to write them a letter inquiring as to the records they may hold. Good luck in your searching.

Re: Shoemaker's Guild of London?

DKieniJudd — 2010-11-02 10:49:51Z

It was/is the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers (http://www.cordwainers.org/index.aspx), though I've no idea if they hold any records. The Guildhall Library holds records of them from 1395-1974.
I am looking at a London shoemaker / cordwainer from the 1830-1870s, but unfortunately I am in Australia.

Re: Guild of Cordiners, Glasgow, Scotland

joekate — 2010-10-29 04:23:48Z

Hello Jane,
My 3rd great grandfather, Thomas Boyd is listed as a master shoemaker on his daughter's death record. He lived approximately 1780 to 1845. My only reference i Have is the death record and birth records. All of his children were born in Smailholm, Roxburghshire. Any help will be highly appreciated.

Joe Boyd Williams
joewilliams6788@gmail.com