Shoemakers around Leeds

[June Welsby]

I an looking for a shoemaker named John Senior. His family were living in Kirkstall on the 1881 census. He married Ann Wilkinson in in Leeds, Parish of St. Mary's, County of York on the 6/10/1867. His father was William, mother Jane. I know very little about this family except that John and Ann had 7 children and migrated to Australia sometime after 1881. I have been told that some of the Seniors migrated to the USA but didn't like it and moved back again. But which Seniors I do not know. If I could find out a bit about John's whole family, parents, siblings etc. I'd appreciate it.
Thanks. June Welsby

[Trish]

I an looking for a shoemaker named John Senior... If I could find out a bit about John's whole family, parents, siblings etc. I'd appreciate it...

June,

Do you have the following information on your SENIORs from the 1871 census -- living at 1 Cookson Street in Leeds?

Name / Age in 1871 / Birthplace / Relationship / Occupation
John Senior 23 Leeds, Yorkshire, England Head Woollen Warehouseman
Ann Senior 24 Leeds, Yorkshire, England Wife
Albert Senior 2 Leeds, Yorkshire, England Son
Martha J Senior 6 months Leeds, Yorkshire, England Daughter

Source information: RG10/4550
Registration district: Leeds
Sub-registration district: South East Leeds
ED, institution, or vessel: 43
Folio: 45
Page: 22
Household schedule number: 151

Regards,
Trish

[Trish]

June,

They are a little young but this is only couple I can see on the 1871 census who could be parents to John -- they lived at 11 Brass Street in Leeds:

Name / Age in 1871 / Birthplace / Relationship / Occupation
William Senior 45 Leeds, Yorkshire, England Head Labourer in ?Ware Mill
Jane Senior 44 Northallerton, Yorkshire, England Wife
George Senior 15 Leeds, Yorkshire, England Son Railway Labourer
Joseph Senior 12 Wakefield, Yorkshire, England Son Scholar
Alfred Senior 10 Leeds, Yorkshire, England Son Scholar
Samuel Senior 4 Leeds, Yorkshire, England Son Scholar
Anne Senior 2 Leeds, Yorkshire, England Daughter

Source information: RG10/4546
Registration district: Leeds
Sub-registration district: South East Leeds
ED, institution, or vessel: 24
Folio: 12
Page: 17
Household schedule number: 100

Hope this helps.

Trish

[jonarmitage]

June,

The marriage is listed on YorkshireBMDs for 1867 as you say. The place is given as St. Mary's, Quarry Hill.

If you do not already have a copy of the certificate, you can order one from the website. This will give addresses of the bride and bridegroom, names of both fathers and their occupations. In my experience (which is not extensive) siblings tended to witness the marriage, so that may give you two or three more names to research.

Quarry Hill is roughly east of the city centre, but quite close to it. Ann Wilkinson would almost certainly have lived near the church before her marriage. (I don't know if Quarry Hill was a separate parish at that time). Kirkstall is west of the city centre, a bit further out.

[June Welsby]

Thank you to Trish, & John. When the family moved out to Australia, first to Sydney then to Fremantle, Western Australia he is listed as a Shoemaker, in fact he owned a shoe repair shop in Fremantle. On the 1881 census they were living in Kirkstall he is recorded as a Boot and Shoe finisher. What is a Boot and Shoe finisher? Would he have had to do an apprentice for this? Is there anyway I can find out about it? Ann, his wife, worked in the Woollen Mill as a reeler so that is probably how they met. His father William is listed on the marriage certificate as an Overlocker. The witnesses for the marriage where David Wilkinson and Mary Jane Ramshill. Neither Mary nor Ann could write as they have made the mark of a cross on the certificate. John your detail about where Quarry Hill and Kirkstall is great I can look this up on a map. We were in England in 2000 and stayed a week in Yeadon. We went down to Leeds one day passing through Kirkstall but we couldn't stop as traffic was pretty busy.
June

[jonarmitage]

June,

I think a finisher ground off the extra bits round the sole and heel after they had been sewn on to tidy up and finish off the shoe. It's likely a shoemaker would have had to serve quite a long apprenticeship. Maybe someone reading this can come up with some more details. It sounds an interesting trade.

Are you sure it says overloCker and not overloOker?

Jon

[June Welsby]

Thank you John. Upon looking at the marriage certificate again it looks as if it reads OverloOker. What does this mean?
June

[Procat]

Hi June,

From Dictionary of old trades and occupations by Andrew & Sandra Twining:

"Overlooker

The name most commonly used in the textile industry for a Foreman in charge of a process or shed."

I have seen it used in a range of industries however - steel pen trade, confectionary factory, lace making industry.

[June Welsby]

Thank you Doug. I was once told that doing Family History you are actually researching History, I think they are quite right. An Overlooker has to be an old trade because I don't think it is used nowadays.
June