Paul Townsend
IP: 62.30.202.10
Mar 9th, 2007 - 9:25 PM |
Re: Peacock : Boot factory fires
Hi
Bank Street, Kingswood, Bristol is still here (so named because there is bank on the corner) Today this is a narrow walkway off the main High Street. But in living memory it was semi industrial. Not sure where the factory would have been.?
In the early period Kingswood boot factories tended to be small, family-run units relying heavily on outwork. The various parts of the boots were collected by the outworkers from the factory and made up at home, the boots being returned to the factory to be 'finished'. This type of production which was later superseded by larger, more mechanised factories better geared to mass production.
For hundreds of years, leather production and manufacturing has been a high profile feature of Kingswood, and there were many companys in this trade, the largest comany to survive was G.B. Britton.
Here is a list of just a few:
AARON JOHNSON
Aaron Johnson owned the Britannia Boot Works at the junction of Britannia Road and Forest Road. Part of the buildings were destroyed in a fire and he is supposed to have perished with it. He does, however, reputedly still "visit" the factory on occasions! (not sure if this is the same fire? but there were many fires.)
DERHAM BROTHERS
Derham's business was started by James and Samuel Derham in the 1830's or 1840's, and was among the first to make ready-made footwear. The company moved to Soundwell in 1906 after the earlier factory was destroyed by fire. In 1910, the factory was bought by Clifford and Percy Steadman of Steadman and Co. Derham's, like many other employers, got involved in the social side of their employees' lives. Derham's owned allotments in the area for the use of their employees.
BRUCE LEWIS
One of the factories that ceased production in the 1950's was that of Bruce Lewis. Originally his factory was located at 53 Downend Road, Kingswood (Gordon Boot Works). During the Second World War his business was housed with the Saunders Brothers at 25 Downend Road. (Many businesses were grouped together during the War so that the empty factories could be used for different types of war work).
In 1947 a fire broke out at this factory and half of it was destroyed; however, as the building was insured, Bruce Lewis had sufficient to start up again in Forest Road, Kingswood. He subsequently went into liquidation in the 1950's.
When the British Shoe Corporation came into Kingswood, they took over the building, in Forest Road, that Bruce Lewis had occupied. It was this organisation that took much of the female labour force of Derham Brothers and Pratt when those factories closed down,
SAUNDERS BROTHERS
The firm of Saunders Brothers, whose property Bruce Lewis shared, was begun by Edwin Pearce Saunders. He originally started trading from a small building in Cross Street, Kingswood, but later on moved into Alsop Road. Here he bought several small cottages, had them demolished and erected his factory.
He also bought two cottages on Downend Road and had them converted into Kilvie House, now Kilvie Guest House. When his parents died, he took his brothers Tom, Charlie and Harry into the firm, and they remained partners until 1910. Edwin's son Ne!son, joined when Edwin bought out his brothers, who carried on working as paid employees. Edwin worked until his retirement in the l930's. lt was nelson who had the house 'Myrtle Glydd' built and lived there, almost opposite the factory. His sons, Keith and Terry, were the last Saunders Brothers in the firm ' and they ceased production in 1957.
PRATT
A major employer in the heavy boot industry in Kingswood, this firm manufactured an extremely good, high quality agricultural boot. The business was started by Edward Woodhall Pratt in the 1880's. William and Ted Pratt ran it after E.W. Pratt retired. The Pratt family eventually sold out to Derhams, and the factory was demolished in the 1960's.
POW
lssac Pow, 1839-1910 was a manufacturer, and was the first to install permanent machinery in his factory. He was also a member of Kingswood Urban District Council and Chairman of that authority in 1901/2.
"Yes I went in a boot factory .... Pow's, Moravian Road."
"And what did you do there?"
"Powder the uppers before they did go out, so they did slip. Oh yes it was alright at Pow's, 1 got on alright there."
HOARE AND DOUGLAS
The boot manufacturer business of Hoare and Douglas was originally housed in the out buildings of a property on Whittucks Road, now known as Oakfield Road. An attempt to sell the property, known as 'Hanham House', was made on 2nd November, 1898 at the Jolly Sailor Hotel, Hanham, whilst Hoare and Douglas still had a two and a half year lease on the buildings they were using. The bill of sale for this can be seen in the Reference Section of the Central Lending Library (Bristol). They continued trading in Oakfield Road until acquired by G.B. Britton in 1956.
THE MOON FAMILY
The last family firm in Kingswood was that of Moon. It closed in 1971, Charles Moon and his brother Raymond being the last members of the family to be working. They believed the reason they were able to continue for so long was the fact that the machinery required for their work was owned by them. Most firms rented theirs, and slack periods in working brought about many closures of small factories as they either could not keep up the payment on the rent and the machines were repossessed, or they bankrupted themselves trying to keep up the rent.
When Moon's closed there were just six men still working, the youngest being 42 and the next eldest 63.The two brothers left in the firm could produce a heavy riveted boot from beginning to end.
F WILTSHIRE
F. Wiltshire's factory was on Church Road in Soundwell, and is now part of Soundwell Technical College. The factory was built in 1913 by Alderman A. Wiltshire, who founded the firm in 1904.
G B BRITTON
G.B. Britton is perhaps one of the most famous firms left in the area. The company was founded in 1875 by Bryant and Britton. in the 1950's they introduced the process of vulcanising the one-piece rubber sole to the leather upper of the shoe, which gave the combination of strength and protection with lightness and flexibility.
The process was a great success for them, but for others it tolled the bell of doom. Those firms which would not or could not introduce this system went out of production.
HOLDFAST BOOT & SHOE COMPANY of Kingswood
It was situated at the lower end of Park Road, Kingswood.
|
Monique Peacock
IP: 201.216.81.151
Mar 26th, 2008 - 4:57 PM |
Re: Peacock : Boot factory fires
I have just found your question on the gertlushonline.co.uk site regarding Aaron Peacock Luke and Arthur and the boot factories. I have also been researching the Peacock's of Mount Hill, Kingswood as they are my husband's ancestors.
The problem is that that there were four or five Aaron's all living at the same time so it gets a bit confusing. Not only that but there were a great many Peacock's all living at Mount Hill during that era.
ROBERT PEACOCK - BORN 1820 WIFE MARTHA - BORN 1820
MARRIED IN 1840
CHILDREN; MATTHEW PEACOCK - BORN 1844
MARK PEACOCK - BORN 1845
LUKE PEACOCK - BORN 1849 - MASTER SHOE MAKER
ELLEN PEACOCK BORN 1849
JOHN PEACOCK - BORN 1852
HESTER PEACOCK - BORN 1853 BOOT MACHINIST
ARTHUR PEACOCK - BORN 1857
MARY PEACOCK - BORN 1858
AARON PEACOCK - BORN 1860 BOOTMAKER (died 1904 age 45)
LILY PEACOCK - BORN 1863 - SHOP WOMAN
On a later census Aaron is shown as Roberts A Peacock and I worked out that he was probably known as Robert's Aaron after his father, as there were 4 or 5 Aarons as I mentioned.
Aaron Peacock married Elizabeth Emily Tucker in 1881.
CHILDREN; MINNIE PEACOCK - BORN 1883
AARON G PEACOCK - BORN 1884
FRED PEACOCK - BORN 1885
FLORENCE PEACOCK - BORN 1886
BEATRICE PEACOCK - BORN 1887
HENRY PEACOCK - BORN 1889
ADA, B PEACOCK - BORN 1889
MAY M PEACOCK - BORN 1892
ALBERT E PEACOCK - BORN 1893
EDITH PEACOCK - BORN 1894
OLIVE PEACOCK - BORN 1896
RUBY PEACOCK - BORN 1897
HORACE B.P. PEACOCK BORN 1901
In the 1901 Census Aaron Peacock is listed as a boot manufacturer with own account company, living at 16 Hanham Road with his wife and children and Elizabeth's sister Rhoda Tucker.(33) boot machinist.
I hope this is of some help to you, this is only the family that you asked about but there were several other Peacock families living in Mount Hill or close by at that time and most of them were in the boot and shoe trade.
I am also trying to piece together the history of the area and it is difficult to find newspaper articles without paying to view on line as I am researching from abroad.
Have you tried the site www.genuki.org.uk where you can research birth, death and marriages for free and a lot of history of Gloucestershire as that area was then in the parish of Bitton and came under Gloucestershire not Bristol.
I would be interested in anything further you have on the Peacocks.
|
First
Prev
Reply
Home
bravenet.com