Differing Responses to an Industrialising Economy - eTheses ...

Alcester Heath, to that of literate Joseph Chellingworth, who owned an estate in Welford
and whose probate was proved at the PCC. However, for the most part shoemakers
ranked amongst the poorer tradesmen. 147
Specialisation within the trade at different times may be demonstrated by the odd
heel-maker, clog-maker and patten-maker, while in 1680 Clement Swan was described as
a ‘translator’. 148
The role of women in the shoemaking trade remains largely hidden, but
female shoe-binders do appear in nineteenth century censuses.
Although not as numerous as shoemakers, for the two centuries of this study the
(horse-)collarmakers, harnessmakers, saddlers and whittawers seemed to be concentrated
in Alcester rather than the villages around. These four descriptors seem interchangeable,
but it could be that some family members specialised in making one item rather than
another. 149
In status saddlers generally ranked alongside shoemakers and glovers rather
than tanners. Despite their modest status, some served the community in various
capacities, while others had family links with London and Bristol. 150
In the eighteenth century some saddlers doubled as ironmongers and one such was
also involved in the ‘bagging trade’. 151
Other saddlers supplemented their income by
147 WoRO, probate of Richard Harris, Alcester, cordwainer, 1755, £12-13-6 and TNA, PCC probate of
Joseph Chellingworth, Alcester, 1764. Two shoemakers are listed as jurors, (WaRO, QS76/3).
148 WaRO, DR360/86/10, Coughton settlement papers, records the settlement in 1666 of John Bromley, of
Coughton, heelmaker, in Alcester. WoRO, marriage licence of Joseph Wilkes, Alcester, shoe-heelmaker,
June 1742. It is not known whether their shoe heels were made from wood or leather. WaRO, 1841 census
lists Isaac Newton, patten-wood maker, while WaRO, Alcester baptisms 1830s mentions William
Heywood, clog and patten-maker. J. Wright, English Dialect Dictionary, vol. 6, (Oxford, OUP, 1961), p.
222, defines ‘translator’ as cobbler, mender of shoes. Maybe he adapted shoes for a new owner? Johnson,
Warwick County Records, 6, p. 170, (QS Epiphany 1680), mentions Clement Swan, Alcester, translator,
reputed papist.
149 WoRO, probate of Nicholas Bolton, Alcester, saddler, 1684, £49-12-5 and of John Bolton, Alcester,
whittawer, 1673. Other members of the family are described as collarmakers. The term ‘whittawer’ ceases
to be used after 1720.
150 WoRO, probate of Edward Hiorne, Alcester, whittawer, 1717, £93-1-6, and WoRO, probate of John
Cox, Alcester, saddler, 1711, £14.
151 WoRO, probate of John Hanbury, Alcester, saddler, 1732, £350-4-9. The ‘bagging trade’ presumably
means the making of (leather?) bags. His bagging trade stock comprised one fifth of his inventory total.
UBD 1792 lists two collarmakers; one is also described as saddler and ironmonger.
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