Furrier

[MarksWife]

Young Betsy aged 17 in 1911 is a furrier in audenshaw, lancs. 

I see that a furrier is someone who works in animal fur.  I know there were hat works near where she lived, so would she have been working at the hat factory perhaps? Any ideas gratefully received!

THanks
 

[Rena]

There's a history of audenshaw on the web which includes this:

<Robert Thornley who built a small factory on the side for furriers and skin dressers>

... here's the link:

http://www.tameside.gov.uk/audenshaw/history

[MarksWife]

Rena, thank you so much.

[Rena]

You're welcome.  It's another dying trade but it was quite common to see ordinary women wearing fur.  In fact, I remember most housewives in our street back in the 1940s, whilst not being rich enough to wear fur coats or the fox stole, wore rabbit fur gloves.

If you're interested, here's a link to show what furriers did:

   http://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-a-furrier-do.htm

[MarksWife]

Thanks Rena, that was interesting to read about furriers. 

[BumbleB]

Not going back as far as the 1940's - we all wore fur coats in the early 60's - usually rabbit.  I remember making a fur hat out of a 1940's silver fox fur stole my mother had (complete with head and legs - before I disposed of them  , and having a full fur coat made into a jacket.  It was only later that fur became unfashionable.