Whip Mounter

[hydrargyrum]

My wife's 4xgrandfather was a William Audley who live and worked in Horse Fair from around 1841 to 1856 (and his son, also a William, worked in the same area around the same time). He died in Hurst Street on 3 Jan 1856.
The Walsall Leather Museum Souvenir Guide states "horses were an essential part of Victorian economic and social life ... in total there were something like 3.3 million horses in late Victorian Britain. And there was a big export market too. In Birmingham in 1899 there were 21 whip manufacturers, 11 whip mount manufacterers, 1 whip mounter, and 9 whip thong makers.
I believe the whip mount was the tip of the whip (not the whip end) and it was often silver for the more wealthy patrons.
Has anyone any more information about this trade or the people in it?

 

[mikejee]

William is not included in Pigots 1841 directory, but is in the 1845 and 1849 PO directories at court 7 Horsefair. I attach an 1890 map showing the position in red of court 7. In 1855 there is a William Audley at 331 Bradford St, possibly the son. The position of that is probably the blue marked building on the other map. If not tht, then it is the building to the right of it. By 1856 he is somewhere (no not given0 in Heath St north. He is not mentioned again, but in 1862 Mark Adley, whip mount maker, is at 56½ Smallbrook St. I am pretty sure thaw s at the back of 56 and is marked in green. In 1868 Mark is at 6 court Thorpe st. , which would be on te site of what was later the drill hall in Thorpe st. I don’t have a map before the drill hall. By 1972 the Ausley’s seem to have gone from whip mounting.
You may know this already. If not, I hope it is useful
Mike

 

[hydrargyrum]

Thanks Mike, I had not seen the maps before. I think the Audley in Bradford Street is probably the son. I think that William the elder died in Hurst Street, as above.