Forum: Tailors and Dressmakers.

Before the 1840's, and the advent of the sewing machine, army officers would have their uniforms hand tailored. But who made the 100's of 'red coats' required by the 'other ranks'?. They were not tailored to fit I'm sure - simply issued to the nearest size. Some tailor must have had a contract to...

Please could anyone tell me if there is a Tailors Guild which might hold records of master tailors circa 1800-1860? My ancestor was a merchant tailor with businesses in both London and Dublin and I would like to see if there are any details held on him. It seems there was a strike or somesuch of...

Quite a few men of my ancestors were tailors – either ‘journeyman’ or ‘master’ tailor. I am assuming that there was some regulatory/governing body (or Guild) that assessed a tailor’s expertise and upgraded their status – from apprentice to ‘journeyman’ for example. If this is so, was there such a...

Hi My great x 3 grandfather was Thomas Taylor, a Master Tailor and Draper. He was born about 1801 and died in 1887. Through successive census records from 1841-1881 he is shown as a Master Tailor employing various numbers of men. Commercial directories indicate that there was a Thomas Taylor...

hey anyone know if there was many tailors in the peckham /peckham rye area/nunhead/camberwell in the 1860's 1880 . also where abou'ts they may have been situated small or large any buisness names:smile5:

looking for parents of henry thirkle born 1848 morpeth. His parents on any census records. He is on census but with his aunt. Been looking for a year now. Thanks

Can anyone tell me what this occupation is and what it involved? I have tried to google it but had no success. Is there a good website that gives descriptions of various occupations? TIA Suzanne

I wonder if anyone knows if you needed to be apprenticed to be a Hatter. My relatives were hat makers in England and came to the US in the 1840-50's. Their names were the Walker's from Coalville & Worthington and the Waterfield's from Coleorton. Anyway to find apprentice papers?

Hi, One of my ancestors (Charles/Karl Mitchell) is described as being a tailor of chiswick (c1850-1890), both journeyman and then a master. However I cannot find any records relating to this (other than on census and BMD certificates). Any help in finding some records would be much appreciated....

Hi, Has anyone found any decent Tailoring trade/genealogy books? I've got the "Uniting the tailors: trade unionism amongst the tailoring workers of London and Leeds, 1870-1939" (by Anne J. Kershen), which isn't too bad, but is mainly concerned with (obviously!) trade unions amongst tailors. ...

Can I check with someone that anyone wanting to become a tailor in the early 1800s would need to undergo an apprenticeship and that the parents/guardian would have to pay for the training unless the child was in the care of the parish?

Can anyone help.Ivy Royle a ladies tailor ,lived in the jewish area of Manchester.She met a jewish tailor on the train to Liverpool they then married and moved to Southport .The only marriage i can find is to a Norman R Bentley in 1939 .My problem is ,is this a jewish name & cannot find a birth ...

A couple of times recently I've come across the suggestion that a woman described in a census as a dressmaker or seamstress might have been using this as a euphemism, since she was involved in something much less wholesome. Is there any evidence to support this idea, please? Arthur

Hello all, Just jumping in here with my first post, outside of the introduction thread. Here goes! I know this is a long shot, but I've been researching my great-grandfather Henry BURKE, who was a 'foreman tailor' in Cork, according to the 1911 census. I've looked up the old business directory...

I am searching for any history on John James Fortin, tailor, born 1847 in Holborn, died 1926. He was a member of the Tailors Guild I believe?? Any info welcome.|help|

My Amos ancestors were a long line of Master Tailors. The earliest ancestor I can find is John Amos who was born c1727, I know not where. He was living in the Elsdon area of Northumberland by the mid 1700's. Would there be some sort of trade listing available from this time? I have not been able...

At least that's what it looks like on the census. Originally I thought it was 'Forman Sailor', but I'm open to suggestions. In later census entries his occupation was shown as 'butler'. Chris