52 ancestors Week 24 (June 10th -16th ): Handed Down
From Amy Johnson Crow - Do you have a story that's been handed down in your family? Did it turn out to be true (or maybe have just a kernel of truth to it)? Maybe you have something tangible that's been handed down. For this weeks theme of “ handed down ” I have decided to go with the Lackey males profession of Boot & Shoe-making. I have 4 generations that were Boot & Shoemakers and therefore they “ handed down ” the knowledge and profession to the next generation. There maybe others in the family who were also in the trade, but at the moment I have no information on them. Before I start on my ancestors story, I thought I would share a few lines on Boot & Shoe-making. Shoe-making was one of the lowliest occupations — little better than labouring, and it was the usual employment for cripples or the infirm. Although it was highly skilled and labour-intensive, it was not very profitable. Many village cobblers’ shops competed with the local pub as a meeting place for i...