"Draper & C"

[Mary Anne]

I have a man, Charles Page, listed as "draper" on his marriage registration in Islington in 1844 and then on the 1851 census, living at Tower Hamlets, in St. George in the East, he is listed as "Draper & C" and his wife as "do". They are well enough off to have a female domestic servant. He later emigrated to Canada and in the 1861 Canadian census is listed as a "merchant" (which to me, when unqualified, means *dry goods*).

My question is: what does the "...& C" connote on the 1851 census? clearly his wife is working with him, so could it mean he has drapery "company" or "enterprise"? (Maybe this is a stupid question, since he would in any case be likely selling his materials from a shop...)

TIA

Mary Anne

[Peter Goodey]

My question is: what does the "...& C" connote on the 1851 census?

etc; etcetera; and so on.

[Mary Anne]

Duh! and here was me thinking it was something more complicated.

Thank you Peter.