Tweet
I am interested in my great grandfather's bootmaking/boot dealing business in Leatherhead, Surrey (he was Albert Smith) and am unclear on how you go about finding out about the business premises. I have googled all sorts of combinations, but have come up with no real answers. I know the business was in existence when he was married to Helen in the 1901 census and then his second wife in the 1911 census. The address is just given on the 1911 census as North Street, Leatherhead, there is no name of the premises. On the 1901 census ref RG13/585 its given as 69 North St and is described as a boot shop.
-
-
have you looked at business directories? do you know how the business ceased to exist? -
Not sure if you live in the area Lorraine but if you do your local library may have old business directories and you should find your g grandfather listed in them.Daphne
Looking for Northey, Goodfellow, Jobes, Heal, Lilburn, Curry, Gay, Carpenter, Johns, Harris, Vigus from Cornwall, Somerset, Durham, Northumberland, Cumberland, USA, Australia.Comment
-
Unfortunately not, I live in Yorkshire and Surrey is a fair journey away.Originally posted by geordiegirl View PostComment
-
I know that when he died, there was no-one to carry the business on, as he only had two daughters Lilias (my grandmother) and Sybil. I am not sure when he died, he was certainly about in 1911 but after then I am not sure.Originally posted by kylejustin View PostComment
-
You'll find some old trade directories here:
Historical Directories
Ancestry also has old phone books.Comment
-
your family may have sold the stores that your business was in.
or sold the business?Comment
-
Unfortunately Surrey does not seem to be covered by any of the directories on line, either that or I am looking in the wrong place.Comment
-
I don't really know, but it would appear that there was bootmakers shop and the family lived above it. My Mum very vaguely remembers visiting her stepmother, but that was in a detached house separate from the business in North Street; I believe that Edith outlived her daughter.Originally posted by kylejustin View PostComment
-
Lorraine
I live not too far from Leatherhead and may be able to go and see if 69 North Street still exists and take a photo for you. There has been a lot of rebuilding in Leatherhead and I don't know the area very well, but I do know where North Street is. If I can persuade my OH to go for a little drive tomorrow, I'll have a look for you if you like.
I would offer to go to our local history centre for you, but I can't say when that will be though. I am my 92 year old mother-in-law's carer, and whilst she is OK for short car rides, I don't think she would manage in the library for very long whilst I looked stuff up :oComment
-
The Historical Directories website does have a 1913 Kelly's Directory of Surrey but there is no A Smith listing for Leatherhead. The only boot maker I can see listed on North Street is J W Haylock Limited, but it doesn't give the number so I don't know if it was at the same shop.KiteRunner
Every five years or so I look back on my life and I have a good... laugh" (Indigo Girls, "Watershed")Comment
-
If the Directories are not online then the only other way is to visit the place where he had his business and plot the business in the directories backwards and forwards to when they start and finish. I did this successfully with a business in Bath that I managed to trace through about 50 years through the Directories BUT it does take time, so you need to allow yourself at least one whole day at the relevant library to be able to do this successfully. You often find advertisements for the business which you may want to photocopy.
The other place for defunct Businss is TNA and you may or may not be lucky there. I did find my grandfather's small business there back in the late 1990's but sadly for me when I found it, there was a D beside the company, denoting the papers had been there but now destroyed early 1990's.:(
JanetComment
Comment