The Boot and Shoe Trades in London and Paris in the Long Eighteenth Century

Not all shops were like Pattison's. John Mayers Clarke who had a shop in
Lambeth in the 1 820s was providing a very traditional and basic setting, as can
be seen from his inventory:
• The Glazed Case to enclose the Windows with Divisions of Shelves
• A Range of shoe shelves on right hand side of the window
• A Range of shoes shelves at back of shop, with glazed front
• The Painted rail for shoes above mahogany top counter with drawers in
front; back rail & in ramps
• A small cutting board
• Writing desk with drawers
• The Gass apparatus for 1 night
• The two Mansard Buney for Gass in Window.58
Mayers Clarke's shop, as the one in illustration 18, was more modest than
Pattison. However even shops that were not central and fashionable had plenty
of shelves for displaying goods, shop windows that were illuminated at night, as
well as back show cases, probably for the high quality products. In the 1820s it
was still true that the cost of setting up a shop was very limited. The circulating
capital was disproportionate compared to modern standards. James Williams, the
owners of four shoe shops in London in 1829 had a very limited investment in
the premises themselves (table 4.4). Only 12 per cent of the amount of cash
spent in the year since the setting up of the shops was in furniture. More than
sixty per cent was given for the circulating capital of the stock.
Table 4.4 - Value of James Williams' shoe shops in 1829 (in £)
Yearly Other
Shops Stock Furniture Employees
Rent Expenses
Holbom 2,032 213 241
Fleet Street 1,021 43 276
Cheapside 952 127 180
Skinner Street 394 480* 200
Total 4,409 863 897
In % 61.0 12.0 12.5
* This included expenses for "resetting and expanding shops".
156 160
249 65
224 50
104 -
733 275
10.5 4.0
Source: PRO, B 3/5325: 'Bankruptcy of James Williams, Holbom, Fleet Street, Cheapside,
Skinner Street, Snow Hill, 9th July 1829'.
58 PRO, B 3/1059: 'Bankruptcy of John Mayers Clarke, cit.
189