Cordwainers

[vetsy]

This might be a dumb question to ask, however I need clarification.

Did Cordwainers in general have a social standing in the 1800s.

I have an ancestor who was a cordwainer and, given my limited knowledge on the subject (I hadn't even heard of the name before until I came across this particular ancestor and someone on Forums kindly deciphered it for me!), it seems that it was a more specialised occupation than just a shoemaker/bootmaker.

Most of my ancestors were domestic or agricultural labourers, carpet weavers, servants, or brickmakers, so to find a Cordwainer amongst them was quite a find albeit it a distant connection.

Any input on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Vetsy

[Mutley]

This site may explain the occupation:
https://www.cordwainers.org/

[karenjames6]

This might be a dumb question to ask, however I need clarification.

Hi I dont know if i can help, my mums family came from berkshire Adington Farringdon etc and i found cord wainer and shoe binder and agricultual labourer, as far as i know they were proper country people and had a chicken farm, a cord wainer is as far as i know a skill in which is working with leather to make shoes and hes wife was a shoe binder which is to fit people with difficult feet problems etc i hope ive helped karen

[ChristineR]

This might be a dumb question to ask, however I need clarification.

Did Cordwainers in general have a social standing in the 1800s.
.....Any input on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Vetsy

I think even a plain old shoemaker had a higher social standing than a labourer - evidenced by my female ancestors making sure dad was credited with that occupation, even though he no longer seemed to be working at it in that period of his life. The sons were not as fussed and had him recorded him as a labourer.

The site that Mutley posted gives an excellent clarification - a maker of fine footwear being a cordwainer.

Christine

[adriansmith]

Forgive my ignorance, and for hi-jacking the thread. Did cordwainers serve an apprenticeship? If so; would it be possible to find indenture papers?

[Peter Goodey]

Providing you're talking about 1710-1811, yes (not the indentures themselves, of course). See the National Archives research guide

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/c...sLeafletID=295

Some or all of the Apprenticeship Books have been produced on CD to buy. I think there's a partial index to IR 1 online.

[adriansmith]

Peter,

I don't know how I missed your reply but it's exactly what I'm looking for.

Many thanks,

A.

[John & Mon]

Hello Cordwinders were people who make shoes.

[leonardpiggin]

I is only a bit of trivia but I read somewhere that shoes up to the early 1800,s
all shoes in pairs where the same and then they started to make a left and right.For what its worth.
Len

[earthmother]

Forgive my ignorance, and for hi-jacking the thread. Did cordwainers serve an apprenticeship? If so; would it be possible to find indenture papers?

In reply to your query, yes they did serve apprenticeships.

I have a Cordwainer ancester, Charles Gregory of Ratby, who on both the 1851 and 1861 census has a 17yr old apprentice (1man, 2boys on the latter).

I haven't traced the family greatly yet as they're not on my main line, but his eldest daughter is detailed as a Tailoress (rather than simple Dressmaker), and in later years his widow is the village grocer, so definitely slightly further up the ranks to the AgLabs.