Week 44: My ancestor was a draper or mercer

[Jill on the A272]

Week 44: Draper or mercer



This is an opportunity to showcase a mercer or draper from your family tree, you might want to offer a short biography and speak about their work eg
Name
Birth location/date
Family background
Where you've found them on the census
Their workplace/employer
Any tips on researching this occupation?

Trades and Occupations - Family Tree Forum

[Next week: Landowner]

[Jill on the A272]

William Norman was a mercer in Maresfield, Sussex and was my husband's 8x great grandfather, he is mentioned as such in his will of 1698, he left 20 shillings to his daughter, five pounds each to two grandsons and the residue to his son John, a surgeon.

[Jill on the A272]

Another mercer from my husband's tree and also his 8x great grandfather, was James Holford b1628 Cuckfield, son of John Holford, clothier (John's home was at Maltmans in Cuckfield High Street, the house is still called that). James had his business at Horsted Keynes and I have been told lived in the house next to the church.

James Holford is mentioned in the journal of the Rev Giles Moore, rector of Horsted Keynes. There is an online transcript from 1848 on The Weald site, I have just ordered a hardback copy with a newer transcript (1971) and hope to learn more as another ancestor is mentioned in it, Richard Harland who was Giles Moore's tailor who would have made up the cloth bought from Holford.

[cbcarolyn]

I have one chap who I would love to be able to find a few more snippets about him

https://www.familytreeforum.com/foru...orge-1842-1914

Thomas W George, he was a cousin of my direct line.

in 1881 he is a draper and hosier in 118 Upper Street, Islington with his sister and cousin working for him, 1891 with just his sister. In 1901 says he is still an employer but has moved to Lambeth - I assume he still has business, but now got a property away from the business ready for his retirement.

The rest of the family were farmers or trades like blacksmith or carpenter, and from Cornwall.

According to the newspaper write up on his death he amassed a considerable sum from his Drapers shop in Islington, I am surprised that you can amass such a fortune from drapery, in the right place it must be lucrative.

He left £2500 in 1914 apparently £340k in todays money

https://www.in2013dollars.com/uk/inflation/1914?amount=2500

[Jill on the A272]

Several of the descendants of my 5x great grandparents Susanna Nobes and John Badcock were drapers.

Their grandson John Badcock my 3x ggf was a draper and also a grocer in Shrivenham, Berkshire who was declared bankrupt shortly before his untimely death aged 41 in 1832, which left his five children orphans.

Two of their great grandsons, brothers Joses Badcock (1819-1897) had a drapers business in West Ilsley, Berkshire, Joses was Draper, grocer, mercer, chemist and agent for Guinness's stout in 1847, the same year that he also went bankrupt. One of his brothers, John worked for him. Joses went to Australia where other brothers were living.

Another great grandson also called Joses Badcock (1823-1909) was a linen draper at 108 Tottenham Court Road, London, he was in partnership with his brother John (1825-1901), though Joses later went to farm at Lidiard Millicent and John retired to Benson, Oxfordshire. Their brother Tom (1827-1904) was a linen draper in Hampstead and later Lambeth. They were by far the most successful businessmen.

Richard Badcock (1794-1895) was another linen and woollen draper grandson of John & Susanna in Abingdon, where he eventually became mayor and was father of the Badcocks who went to Australia.

[cbcarolyn]

I have been pondering what my ancestor actually sold. A Google around makes me think in early 1800s it was a trade/skill that you could apprentice and belong to a guild. And by the time my chap was doing it, it was really a shopkeeper selling cloth, Thomas also sold gloves. I did wonder if he travelled, but not found any evidence of this.

There is a guild, but I reckon my man not part of this

The Clerk
Drapers' Hall
Throgmorton Street
London EC2N 2DQ