Wednesday 7 June 2017

Cabinet makers, Joiners and Upholsterers

Michael Wouldhave (MI101) married Jane White in September 1806 in Barnard Castle. Michael worked in Barnard Castle as a Cabinet Maker for some years.  All their children were born in Barnard Castle before they moved to the Leeds area in the 1830s. As adults, their children were all involved in cabinet making, upholstery or tailoring. It seems that the family stayed close, even though they had separate businesses, since many of them are at the same address or close to each other in the census data or appear as witnesses or informants for their siblings.

Barnard Castle

Thomas Wouldhave (TH101)1809-1880

Thomas was born in about 1809 and married Mary Wild in 1838 in Leeds. Soon after they married Thomas was accused of an assault on his son, Thomas (TH103).  This is the account given in the Northern Star 8th June 1839
Leeds and West Riding – Charge of Assault
On Wednesday a man named Thomas Wouldhave, a cabinet maker residing in Pottery Field, was charged before the sitting magistrates at the Court House, with an atrocious assault on his own infant, about two years old, the head of the child exhibited serious marks of violence, but there only being the evidence of his wife against him, and he contending that he was striking at her when the child fell on the floor, he was ordered to find sureties to keep the peace for twelve months, himself £20, and two bondsmen £10 each.
In the 1841 census Thomas and Mary appear to be living at separate addresses in Mill Street, Hunslett and their son Thomas is living with his grandmother, Ann Wild, in Park Street, Hunslet.  (This may well have been for economic reasons rather than being related to the assault referred to above.) The family are together in the 1851 census, living at Myrtle Place, Hunslet. In 1861 the family lived in Cankerwell Lane, Leeds and in 1871 in Batchelor Gardens, Bilton, near Harrogate. Thomas’s death was registered in Leeds in 1880 aged 70 years. In the 1881 census Mary (MA108) is living with her sister, Martha, and her brother in law, William Bentley, in Stockton. Thomas and Mary had three children:
  • Thomas (TH103) (about 1838-1911) (we have not yet found his birth record, but he may have been recorded as William Wouldhave in 1837), survived the assault as given above.  He married Louisa Blair in Gateshead in 1869 and they lived in South Shields.  Thomas’s sons, Frederick and George, both served in the First World War. (See previous blogs for their stories)
  • Jane Ann (b1849). In the 1881 census Jane Ann is living with her brother Samuel and her occupation is Music Teacher. She married Alfred Holmes in 1897 in South Shields.
  • Samuel (SA102) (1852-1910) married Caroline Pattison in 1887 in Leeds.  He was in a partnership with Matthew Patterson manufacturing leather ankle straps in 1894.

Michael Wouldhave (MI102) (1812-1870)

Michael was born in 1812 and married Mary Allen in 1857. He was also a cabinet maker and in the 1861 census he is living in Castle St, Leeds. He died in Leeds aged 58 years in 1870.

George Wouldhave (GE101)(1814-1858)

George was born in 1814.  In the 1851 census he is living with his parents and his occupation is Tailor. He was in a Leeds directory list of Tailors in 1842 at 56 Coburg Street, in 1847 at 74 West Street and in Whites directory of 1853 at 5 Great George Street.  He was in business with Alfred Thomas Sanden as tailors and drapers.  They dissolved their partnership by mutual consent on 20th April 1845. He died in 1858 aged 43 years. The cause of death was a visceral malignancy and Michael Wouldhave, his brother, of Castle Street was the informant.

Hannah Wouldhave (HA109) (1817-after 1881)

Hannah was born in 1817 and married Robert Wright in 1842 in Leeds. In the 1851 census she is widowed and living with her brother John Henry in Ripon with her three children, Fanny, Henry and Sarah Jane. In the 1861 census she is living in St James Street, Leeds with her three children and her widowed father.  Her occupation is upholsterer in the 1866 Directory of Leeds.  In 1881 her brother Robert is staying with the family in Preston Street, Leeds. Sarah Jane Wright married Arthur Stead in 1882.  Her son, Willie Wouldhave Stead, a journalist,  died in the First World War in France (see earlier blog).

William Crampton Wouldhave (WI104) 1819 - 1899

William was born in 1819 and married Sarah Thomas in Leeds. In the 1851 census William is living with his family in Farrar Street, Leeds and his occupation is Tailor. In 1861 they are living in Darley Street, Leeds.  By 1881 he has moved to London and was living in Woodstock Street, Westminster; his daughter Sarah is a tailoress, and his son George is a plumber. Woodstock Street is near to the junction between Oxford Street and New Bond Street.  In 1894 he is on the electors list at the Tailors’ Benevolent Institution at Queens Crescent in Kentish Town.  Queen’s Crescent has one of the oldest street markets in London.  The Tailors’ Benevolent Institution was formed in 1837 to provide aid and grants to anyone who had worked in tailoring for a minimum of ten years.  We’re not sure if William was a beneficiary or working for the institution. William died in 1899 aged 80 years.

Robert Wouldhave (RO101)(1812-1883)

Robert was born in 1821 and married Rosetta Churchill, a widow, in 1867 in Harrogate. In the 1871 census he is living in Thomas Yard, Leeds and he is listed in 1872 Whites Directory of Leeds as a tailor at Thomas’s Yard, St James Street. Robert died in 1883 and was buried in Beckett Street cemetery, Leeds. We have not been able to find any reference to Rosetta other than her marriage.

John Henry Wouldhave (JO111)(1824-1874)

John Henry Wouldhave was born in 1824 and married Jane Dunnington (JA105) in 1857.  In 1857 John Henry was living in Commercial Court. In the 1860s’ electoral registers for Leeds he is living in Park Row, Leeds, where he had a half share of the freehold of houses and workshops in Bentick Street. He was in partnership in the company Roberts and Wouldhave.  In the 1861 census, John Henry is described as a master employing 15 men, 5 boys and 7 women.  He seems to have been an enlightened employer as shown in the following newspaper extract from the Leeds Intelligencer 19th May 1866
The strike of Leeds cabinetmakers
This strike still continues, but yesterday (Friday) Messrs Roberts and Wouldhave of Park Row intimated to the men’s committee that they had considered the terms asked – an advance of 2s per week upon the present rate of wages, and a reduction in the hours of labour from 59 to 56 1/2 .  At this establishment, therefore, the men will at once resume work.
In 1868 the partnership was dissolved.  In the Yorkshire Post of 24th Dec 1868 the following article appeared
Roberts and Wouldhave of 14 Park Row, Leeds
The above firm, having dissolved their partnership, the whole of their extensive stock of upholstery and cabinet furniture will be disposed of, and to facilitate a speedy winding up of their affairs, the whole will be sold at a considerable reduction from the ordinary prices for cash only.  Parties about furnishing will find this a rare opportunity of obtaining first class goods at a low price. The extensive showrooms, upholstery work premises and dwelling-house in Park Row to be let and remains of unexpired lease to be disposed of.  The cabinet works with four dwelling houses adjoining, situate in Bentick St, Sunny Bank with all the working plant and material also to be disposed of.
For particulars as to property apply as above or to Messrs Cariss and Tempest Solicitors Leeds. Nov 10th 1868
The family moved to Harrogate in 1871. In the 1871 census they are living at Upper Parliament House on Parliament Street (now part of the commercial area in Harrogate) with one servant.  However it would appear that things were not well financially and in 1873 a notice in the Yorkshire Post indicated that John Henry was liquidating his assets for declaring bankruptcy.  John Henry and Jane moved to London near his brother William Crampton and family.  Sadly they both died in January 1874 within five days of each other.  John Henry’s will was proved by John Lancaster of Hathersage, Derby (a Hotel keeper and a retired Draper).  His effects were less than £200.

His son William (WI110)(1858-1906) became an upholsterer and was living in Hull in the 1901 census. His son Edward (ED102)(1865-1943) also moved to the East Riding; in the 1901 census he is living in York and his occupation is stationer.  He later moved to Hull where he was a manager in a stationery business.
Edward Wouldhave (centre) receiving a retirement gift in 1936