Week 58: My ancestor was a plumber

[Jill on the A272]

Week 58: My ancestor was a plumber



This is an opportunity to showcase a plumber 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: Builder]

[Jill on the A272]

Richard Watkin Burnip (b1852 Epworth, Lincs-1918, Hull) my 2x great grandfather's brother began work as an apprentice to a plumber and glazier.

His parents had strong links with Kingston-upon-Hull where they had lived prior to Richard's birth, and by 1881 Richard had moved there and applied his plumbing skills with pipes in a very different way - by making organ pipes for church organ builders Forster and Andrews

[Janet in Yorkshire]

No plumbers in my tree, but here's a link to an interesting snippet

https://www.wavin.com/en-en/News-Cases/News/History-of-plumbing-pipes-and-plumbers-Medieval-times-part-III-of-a-series

That got me reminiscing. I was born just after the end of WW2 and came to live in a remote, small village in Yorkshire, where we had no need of a plumber! I remember the old earth closets and all our water supply came from underground cisterns. The one that served our part of the community was opened up at tea time every day and two old chaps suspended a bucket on a rope and drew up water, which was then transferred into pails - each house had two, which were stored in a cool place inside the home. I can remember the streets being dug up, water pipes being laid and the novelty of turning on a tap and seeing water come out. I recall being a bit scared of the toilet at first in case the sudden flush of water sucked me up and dragged me down into the sewers

I am still mindful of what a precious resource fresh water is and even today try hard not to "waste" it - old habits die hard as I still remember my Mum and the other mothers carrying the filled buckets with great care so that no water slapped over rims and was wasted. Monday wash days must have been an absolute nightmare.

My friend is five years older than me and has always lived in the village - never been away for more that a single week at a time. Some years ago the village church committee decided to modernise their facilities by installing a toilet and there was much discussion about perhaps the village should keep up with the times and choose a compostable model. Friend is on the PCC and was absolutely horrified - normally very calm and diplomatic, she let rip and told them to stop playing at being "trendy" as they had absolutely no conception of what a retrograde step it would be! The church is still without a toilet, or any running water at all; it is served by a standpipe at the entrance to the church yard.