Tailoring trade/genealogy books?

[usernick]

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.

(this is also on Google Books)

Are there any others out there?

I had booked myself on the Society Of Genealogist's course, "My Ancestor Was A Tailor", last November, but work pressures meant that I had to give it a miss. If only a book could be released with that title...

Cheers,


Nick

[Spangle]

Hi Nick,

I'm searching for such a book too. Perhaps it would help for you to state what kind of tailoring you're interested in - e.g. master tailors, journeymen, or whatever - and what area of the country/world and what era?

I'll certainly keep an eye out for you.... and if you come across anything regarding master tailors in the Savile Row area of London and in Dublin, circa 1830 to 1860, please do let me know!

I've found a couple of odds and ends on the journeymen's strikes and unrest (mainly Dublin) in the 1840s and soforth - if you think anything I have may be of interest let me know and I'll happily email them to you.

All the best,

Spangle

[bibliojunkie]

I missed the SoG talk too because of illness. Perhaps it will be repeated at some stage. I am also interested in a book/pamphlet on the topic. My gggrandfather was a master tailor who appears to have been in business in both London and Lancashire at the same time.

Ali

[usernick]

Well, I come from 4 generations of tailors (a variety of Jouneyman and Master Tailors), which only really stopped with my Grandfather (his brother carried on the trade, but worked for Marshall & Snellgrove in Oxford Street before joining one of the Saville Row Tailors, as opposed to "working from home").

The areas include Norfolk, Suffolk, and Greenwich/Lewisham/Lee.

I've recently found an invaluable book (that I've been after for a long time) - it's called "Born A Tailor's Son" - by Walter K. Wilton (published in 1991). It's essentially the early history of Walter K. Wilton and his life through the early part of the 20th Century. What's so great about this book is that it's set in Dickleburgh, Norfolk, and they lived in the same house as my Great Great Great Grandfather and family (who were also tailors)! The book, however, only has a couple of pages on the actual tailoring business (which, in itself, is very detailed - an essential read). It's also long out of print - it took me 2 years to find a copy for the princely sum of £2.50 from ebay!

So, essentially anything that describes the ups & downs of the tailoring trade - i.e. how it was affected by the manufacturing of readymade clothes, as well as the importing of cheap clothes from abroad.

During the 1830's/1840's, in particular, I've noticed that a couple of the family emigrated elsewhere, or got involved in crime (only one, so far!), or changed jobs altogether. I know that the 1840's was also the subject of a recession, however...

I've checked the Society Of Genealogist's calendar for 2010, and there's no repeat session this year...

Cheers,


Nick

[mrsnoah]

I missed the SoG talk too because of illness. Perhaps it will be repeated at some stage. I am also interested in a book/pamphlet on the topic. My gggrandfather was a master tailor who appears to have been in business in both London and Lancashire at the same time.

Ali

I have a brick wall- Cutler, Tailor who was a father to a girl born in Liverpool.The only others of that name at the right dates seem to come from Hanover Square in London.

[bibliojunkie]

Sorry can't help with Cutler. My family comes from the bit of Lancashire that is now in Cumbria.

The topic of tailoring reminds me of a meeting years ago with a woman who was a Savile Row tailoress. Recent clients included various celebs from the glam rock world who wanted elaborate costumes. She told me her last 'make' had been a waistcoat for Edmund Halley of comet fame. When I queried this statement she then told me it had been a commission for an exhibition and traditional cutting and sewing techniques were required. Her employer had pattern books from the 18th century in their archives.

Ali