Week 50: My ancestor was a peruke/wig maker

[Jill on the A272]

Week 50: Peruke/wig maker


Samuel Pepys wearing his peruke.


This is an opportunity to showcase a peruke or wig maker 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: Finance]

[Lin Fisher]

This is my favourite occupation, never heard of a Peruke Maker until I found out about Joseph.

Joseph Harrison was baptised on 9 Jan 1726 at St Nicholas Leicester and married Rebecca Scarborough on 8 March 1754 at The Fleet Chapel London. He was a peruke maker but not sure why they married there as they were both over 21.

He moved back to Leicestershire and they had 7 children. He died April 1768 and was buried on the 10 April in Leicester.

His will stated he was a peruke maker as well.

[jenoco]

According to his marriage licences, my 5x great grandfather, John Philbrick, was a peruke maker in Coggeshall, Essex. He was born circa 1711 to John and Martha (Hooper). His father died shortly after he was born and his mother remarried Egerton Cross in 1725. A year later, she paid £9 for John to be apprenticed to a barber, Rob Whaley.

John married Amy Spurgin in 1732 and they had six sons and two daughters before Amy died in 1758. He then married Elizabeth Bridgeman, 20 years his junior, in 1762 and had a further three children. He was buried 29 December 1778.

John’s son, Thomas, was also a peruke maker, he later became a victualler. Several of John’s grandchildren and great grandchildren became doctors and lawyers, although not in my line!