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    Hi, does anyone know what a string cleaner is please? My 1×great grandfather who was living in South Twerton, Bath at the time was doing this, at home around the late 1800s.

    Thank you :o

  • #2
    not 100% but in the depths of my mind, i think its to do with pianos
    Lorraine

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    • #3
      I was going to say have you had a look in our 'Big Book of Genealogy'



      but I can't see that trade in there, but, I can add it
      Julie
      They're coming to take me away haha hee hee..........

      .......I find dead people

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Summerwyche View Post
        Hi, does anyone know what a string cleaner is please? My 1×great grandfather who was living in South Twerton, Bath at the time was doing this, at home around the late 1800s.

        Thank you :o
        Summerwyche, do you have him on the census at all, is his occupation continual? a 'stringer' usually works with Bows I think, can you enlighten us at all?
        Last edited by Darksecretz; 05-11-13, 16:52.
        Julie
        They're coming to take me away haha hee hee..........

        .......I find dead people

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by loltel View Post
          not 100% but in the depths of my mind, i think its to do with pianos
          not saying you are wrong Lorraine, [by my posting before, just I can't find anything to say what the occupation is!] :smilee:
          Julie
          They're coming to take me away haha hee hee..........

          .......I find dead people

          Comment


          • #6
            Hi Julie,
            Yes I do have him on Census' 1881 he was a Grocers Porter - 1891 String Cleaner and 1901 String Cleaner as were two of his 10 children.

            I have endeavoured to trace this on the internet and I come up with Hemp Rope - Musical Instruments. I was wondering whether there was a Rope Factory in South Twerton. I hve been lookng for sometime now and have hit a brick wall so it has not become a 'compulsion' - not good!

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            • #7
              Hi Julie,

              I did look in the BBoG but to no avail...

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              • #8
                Hi Loltel,

                I will embark on the piano trail - thankyou

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                • #9
                  Summerwyche,

                  can you give us a name and dob/pob please, just a thought, have you looked in any trade directories?
                  Julie
                  They're coming to take me away haha hee hee..........

                  .......I find dead people

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I wonder if it was the sheep intestines he cleaned?

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Susan's suggestion is a good one. Sounds as if it's a process involving dead animals. I've found a newspaper report where complaints were being made about the smells from a building where they were 'cleaning strings'.

                      The OED defines string as 'In an animal body: A ligament, tendon, nerve, etc.; an elongated muscle or muscular fibre; the frænum of the tongue.'

                      Could it something like making violin strings?
                      Phil
                      historyhouse.co.uk
                      Essex - family and local history.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        they used cat gut for stringed instruments didn't they ?
                        Definition, Synonyms, Translations of catgut by The Free Dictionary

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                        • #13
                          Hi Phil,

                          Would they done this in their own homes?

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                          • #14
                            Hi Vale,

                            Yes they did and still do in some Countries around the world.

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                            • #15
                              Hello everyone,

                              Many thanks for your input. I have now found the answer. A String Cleaner is some one who cleans the string heddles on a loom therefore my Charles Robinson worked for one of the factories in Twerton (at home) cleaning these strings - thank goodness no animals involved - ha ha here here.

                              Thank you again

                              Comment


                              • #16
                                Originally posted by Summerwyche View Post
                                Hi Phil,
                                Would they done this in their own homes?
                                Sounds like a dirty job if this is the right job description. Does the census say that he works at home? If so, it could be in an outhouse. All speculation of course.
                                Phil
                                historyhouse.co.uk
                                Essex - family and local history.

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