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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Gloucestershire => England => Gloucestershire Lookup Requests => Topic started by: baytree1970 on Thursday 18 January 24 17:45 GMT (UK)
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I'm looking for entries in trade directories for the years 1806-1814 for Thomas Wright, cabinet maker, who was apparently listed in Milk St in 1806-1809, then in Bath Street in 1813 and 1814.
I believe Mathew's Bristol Directory ran annually from 1805, so maybe that's where it's from?
If anyone can help I'd be grateful. Thanks.
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Saturday 12 August 1815: Bristol Mirror
TO BE SOLD BY AUCTION
At the Cabinet Warehouse of Mr. T. WRIGHT, No. 19, Milk-Street, Bristol, on Wednesday, the 23rd of August, 1815, (unless in the mean time disposed of by private contract, of which due notice will be given,)
Lot 1 – A piece of GARDEN GROUND containing in breadth about 35 feet, and in depth 220 feet.
Lot 2. – Another Piece of GARDEN GROUND, containing about the same breadth and depth.
The Premises are freehold, and very eligible for building on, being pleasantly situated at Rennison's Bath, near the Magdalen, in the out-parish of St. Paul, in the county of Gloucester; are free from ground rent, and the land-tax hath been redeemed. – There is a large quantity of stones, and a well of spring water on lot 2.
Lot 3. – A LEASE of Workshops, several Rooms, and a Yard, No. 102, Temple-Street, Bristol.
These Premises are held for the remainder of a Term of 6 years certain, and afterwards for a Term of 30 years determinable on the deaths of two lives.
Also, to be Sold on the same Day, and at the same Place,
Part of the CABINET STOCK in TRADE of the said THOMAS WRIGHT, consisting of mahogany tables, drawers, brass-nailed chairs, bedsteads 1000 feet of prime Honduras and Spanish veneers, quantities of plank and board, dry seasoned beech, rose wood, &c. &c.
N. B. The Sale of the Stock will begin at 11 o'clock in the forenoon, and of the Ground and Lease at 2 o'clock in the alternoon.
>>For a view of the Premises, apply to Mr. WRIGHT; and to treat by private contract fur the Ground and Lease, apply either to him, or Mr. HENRY DAVIS, Solicitor, Bristol.
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Thanks Alan. Just need the lookups from the Trade Directories now to cross reference with this advert.
:)
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I can only find Matthews's New History of Bristol or Complete Guide and Bristol Directory for the Year 1793-4, which is obviously a little early, but it does list these, perhaps relatives?:
William Wright, cabinet-maker, Glocester-lane
Henry Wright, cabinet-maker, 10, Bath Street
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University of Leicester, Special Collections is the usual "Go to" place for historical directories.
https://specialcollections.le.ac.uk/digital/collection/p16445coll4
However, for Gloucestershire, the earliest directory is 1840s
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The size of the Garden Grounds is interesting. The width looks like 2 poles or perches, nominally
16 1/2 feet, but with wide regional variations. The length is 1/3 of a furlong, part of a nominal open field strip.
Many places were previously believed to be "planned" towns or villages, but recent thinking is they were laid out on existing strips in different ownerships. Therefore they were accidentally planned by the strips originally laid out in late Anglo-Saxon times.
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For context:
https://bifmo.furniturehistorysociety.org/entry/wright-thomas-1806-17
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For context:
https://bifmo.furniturehistorysociety.org/entry/wright-thomas-1806-17
That's a useful resource!
Based on the information there, it seems that Thomas Wright is known to have been at 18 Milk Street 1806-1809, then took over from Henry Wright at 10 Bath Street, then returned to 19 Milk Street around 1816.
I'm ot sure where the selling up by T Wright at 19 Milk Street in 1815 fits in with that chronology.
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I'm ot sure where the selling up by T Wright at 19 Milk Street in 1815 fits in with that chronology.
There was always a bit of a time lag in published directories. The information may have been gathered a year or more earlier.
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Some evidence consistent with Thomas Wright being the son of Henry Wright:
A baptism on January 8th 1775 at St Philip and St Jacob, Bristol:
Thomas (4 mth. old) of Henry & Alice Wright (Cabinet Maker), Mere Fields?
Baptism of Elizabeth 19th May 1771 same parents, same church, has address Mersefields? Court
A Henry Wright m Alice Jones, Bristol, Christ Church, July 8th 1765
he signed, she made a mark
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Thanks for all the responses. Since we're into the detail of this, let me explain what I know so far.
Thomas Wright was probably the son of Henry Wright. Thomas apprenticed in 1788 to James Grigg in Bristol, and his father was listed as Henry Wright. A baptism for Thomas to Henry and Alice Wright in 1775 seems a good match, and in the baptism register it confirms Henry's profession was cabinet maker.
Henry took on three apprentices in 1793, 1798 and 1802. He is listed in "The New Bristol Directory" in 1792 at Thomas St, then at Bath St. in 1793 when duty was paid on his first apprentice, then in "Mathew's Bristol Directory" at 10 Bath Street in 1793/4-1799. There is a burial for a Henry Wright in 1814 in St Paul's Parish which may or may not be the same man.
Thomas Wright became a Burgess of Bristol in 1807, qualifying as an apprentice, then appears in 1812 in the Poll Book as a cabinet maker at Bath St. So maybe he had been working with, or taking over from, his father Henry.
Thomas had three sons who were all cabinet makers: Thomas, Henry and Edwin. Thomas snr and Thomas jnr may have been in business together. There is no apprentice record for Thomas jnr but Thomas Wright, chair maker, was admitted as a Burgess in 1830, thanks to his father Thomas being a Burgess, so maybe Thos jnr apprenticed informally with his father. Then in the Poll books of 1830 and 1835 they are listed at the same address, first Ellbroad St, then at the Dings. Thomas's two other sons, Henry and Edwin, were both convicted of crimes and transported, and each is recorded as a cabinet/chair maker from Bristol, and in each case their father Thomas Wright wrote to appeal for clemency. When Thomas wrote on Henry's behalf in 1825, he was at 22 Westgate Street, Bath. Then when Edwin was convicted in 1840, Thomas was at Anchor St in Bethnal Green in London, aged 65.
I saw the BIFMO Dictionary and have been in touch with the editor who kindly sent me images of the original index cards submitted by the volunteer transcribers for Thomas Wright, but unfortunately the transcriber hasn't added details of where the obtained their info, except to say it was from directories. The transcriber seems to have found Thomas at 18 Milk Street from 1806-1809, then absent in 1810 and 1812, then at 10 Bath Street in 1813 and 1814. Finally, Thomas was at 19 Milk Street in 1816 and 1817.
The jump from Milk St, to Bath St, then back to Milk St seems odd and I wonder if it's the same Thomas listed in the directories. More specifically, I'm wondering if the Thomas described above has been confused with another Thomas Wright who was in Bristol at this time, but who ran a significant timber merchant business. That Thomas was originally from Kidderminster and based at Catherine Place, Stoke's Croft. He also had premises at Sea Banks. In his will of 1834 he left a lot of money and the suggestion his he had various estates also - Catherine Place is mentioned and also a workshop / rooms / yard. Since 1815 auction at 19 Milk St seems a substantial sale, including land and also premises, and since the switch from Milk St to Bath St to Milk St seems odd, maybe the Milk St listings and 1815 auction are Thomas Wright, timber merchant, not Thomas Wright cabinet maker?
This is why I'm trying to locate the directories apparently consulted by the BIFMO volunteer, to see if there's any detail that might help clarify which Thomas it was at Milk St.
I believe that the Mathew's Bristol Directory was published annually after 1805, so suspect that may be the directory in question, but I cannot find the editions for the years in question, and even Bristol Archives don't seem to have these editions in their collection of diretories.
As a coda, I have the BAFHS transcriptions of the Burgess Books and Apprentice lists and cannot find any other Henry or Thomas Wright, cabinet makers, in Bristol during this period. Only Thomas Wright timber merchant.