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Confectioner: where might he have worked?

  • Thread starter Thread starter LeanneMc
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LeanneMc

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Hi All,

I have a Charles HARRIS confectioner in my tree. Charles was living at 30 John St in Birmingham in 1841 and 7 South St Kidderminster in 1851. Does anyone have any ideas on where, or for who he might have worked?

Cheers
Leanne
 
Does it say if he was a worker? Is it possible that he had a confectionary shop and then moved to another shop?
Polly :)
 
Leanne
I think at that time confectioner would mean cakes, pastries etc rather than mainly sweets. Chartles Harris is not listed in the 1841 directory, but there is a John Lord, baker at no 14 John St, so he might have worked there. The directory does not list Charles, as he was probably only a wage-slave (as they say), but on the same page of the census is Henry brown, publican. He is listed in the 1845 directory at The Anchor, 34½ John St (next to London Prentice St). Also Ashwood Haddon is listed at no 32. This would probably mahe charles at no 32 (listed in 1845 as William Clark , boot last & skoe tree maker.)
mike
 
Hi Mike,
Thanks for that. I like to blame Charles for my sweet tooth, so I would be very pleased if he was a baker!
So do I take it from what you write that there wasn't actually a 30 John Street (or just that there is nobody list there in the 1845 directory. I'm assuming the houses on the street were a mix of business and residential (or that there were a number of people living and working at the same address) at the time. Thanks for the help I will look into John Lord and see if i can turn up anything else on his business.

Can you tell me if John St still exists. I don't think I have correctly located the "original" John St on a modern map.
Thanks again
Leanne
 
Hi Polly, I am assuming he was a worker as it doesn't indicate in either census that he was an "employer" or give any indication that he ran a business in any other document.
thanks, Leanne
 
Leanne
I realise now that my last post may be a bit confusing. For some reason I forgot you had given me the number in John St (!!-getting old), and was working back from the census, in which numbers are not listed.
Before 1845 (in Birmingham at least, as far as I know), the directories only included a list by name and by occupation (sometimes only listing by name).There was no listing of occupants in individual streets. Therefore I am not able to comment on no 30 in 1841. In 1845 no 30 was listed as occupied by Joseph Clark, cloths salesman, though, (it may or may not be a coincidence that no 32 was occupied by William Clark). Of course, Charles could still be living at no 30 as a lodger , or in a flat (though I don’t think they used that word then)., with the business side of the building kept separate. That was not uncommon.
As a matter of interest, where did you get the address no 30 from, as it is not on the 1841 census.
If what I have said is still confusing, please let me know and I’ll try to explain better
Mike
 
Hi Mike,
I must be getting old too as it made sense to me! You've given me a year for when Charles and family moved on to Kidderminster (or at least out of no.30). Though you are may be right he could have still been lodging as in 1841 it appeared that there were three lodgers living with Charles and his family.

\\ Charles Harris 43 confectioner (Born: MEOT)
Mary Harris 40 (MEOT)
Rose Harris 6 (Warwickshire)
James Harris 1 Mo (Warwickshire)
\ Henry Kemp 24 Painter
John Jenew 56 Painter
Robert Perkins 41 labourer

The 30 John street comes from James birth certificate (and death register he died at 10 weeks).
The family listed before them in the census is James Hadley gunmaker and the family after Samual Pass a bricklayer.
Thanks for your help you have given me a couple of new leads to follow for this elusive family.
Cheers
Leanne
 
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