Furriers and Tailors Manchester

[daisynook]

My great-grandfather John Edward McMullen had a string of Ladies & Gents Tailors and Hosiery shops in the 1920s and 30s in and around Conran Street, Harpurhey and Rochdale Road, Manchester  He was born 1868 in Manchester and died 1948.  His sons were employed in the business in the 20s, 30s and 40s but I am trying to find out how and where he trained as a tailor.  His wife Jemima(nee Phillips) was a furrier in the business.  I know that they lived around Back Irk Street which is where they must have met and married in 1887 at St Catherine's Prestwich but I suspect that Jemima came from a Jewish family and that one of her brothers also worked in the tayloring business.  I'm interested in how they came to be who they were in later life.

Any help appreciated

[mshrmh]

Daisynook -

all I can suggest is to track him on the census. As he was born in 1868 he may well have been an apprentice in 1881. It could be that he was lodging with the family that he was apprenticed to, though that seems less common than either staying with parents (I'm assuming you already know what his father did & that it wasn't tailoring) or lodging elsewhere. If he married in 1887 he'd only be 18 or 19 so may still have been an apprentice or journeyman - the occupation or even witnesses may just hold a clue.

Have you found any mentions of him in the newspapers, they may state background, or even have adverts - the British Newspaper Archive site (free to search, pay to view)has the
Manchester Evening News 1870 -1903
Manchester Times 1828-1900
Manchester Courier 1825-1903
http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/

If you can find any report relating to his death that could mention background, but those seem a rarity - the Manchester City Library has several newspapers including the MEN & much more local ones on film, if you're able to visit.

The London Gazette (free to search & view) may have his name in official notices - including things like changes in a business partnership:
http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/

Trades directories may have him listed which would allow you to track addresses, possibly both home & business - the Historical Directories site tends to tail off around WW1, but does have some for Manchester & Salford:
http://www.historicaldirectories.org/hd/

Any mentions in Google Books or at Internet Archive - both sometimes have old trade magazines, etc

Clutching at straws really - perhaps others will have ideas?


Further - I see there have already been directory entries posted on an earlier thread (to save people repeating those):
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,339589.50.html

[daisynook]

Thanks very much for your suggestions mshrmh, there are some to follow up there.  Yes, I already know from trade directories about his businesses and addresses once we get into 1900s onwards and I know Jemima was a Fruit Hawker on 1881 census and  John Edward was Warehouseman on their marriage certificate so they weren't apprenticed then.  I know his father was William McMullen shown as tailor (trouser maker)  on 1861 census (name wrongly spelled McMulbian in some places) so could have worked for his father later. 

[mshrmh]

Further thought - was he actually a tailor (in the sense of making the garments) or was he a retailer (either of ready made garments or employing other to make to measure)? Given what you've said that he was a warehouseman at marriage it seems perhaps more likely he was a retailer. Did he father have a business or was he an employee? (The census normally states whether worker/employer/own account). If he had a business it could be that the son inherited & built up from there.

[chubbd]

was there a Elizabeth McMullen in the family? born about 1900?

[daisynook]

Afraid not.  There was an Eliza McMullen but she was born in 1844, she would have been a cousin to my William McMullen.