can't read occupation fully

[gazza]

i dont know if anyone knows ,Helen maybe,but there were several "Knackers yards" in London.  Does anyone know which one was nearest Bethnal green?

[hlbradd]

Hi Gazza

Been a while since I had my Ferry file out - but I'm fairly sure I found something regarding knacker's yards.

Will have to dig it out and get back to you on that.

Helen

[gazza]

Thanks Helen. Looking forward to what you find out.
I know there was one Knackers yard next to metropolitan cattle market near Caledonian rd London where my rellies were also connected to.

[Paul E]

It's interesting to search on 'Cat' on the occupation field of the 1881 census on Ancestry...

you'll find someone described as a 'Cat Driver' (although closer inspection of the original reveals this to be a mistranscribed Cab Driver.

But there's also someone described as a 'Horse and Cat Dealer (Dead)' ... with the 'dead' referring to the Horses and Cats, rather than the individual (one presumes!)

 

Paul

[gazza]

Looks like the occupation is still alive and well now, even amongst our very own members
Just seen the post for the RootsCat Meat in Manchester 11th March

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,110988.0.html

[manmack]

is the ref cat meat an abbreviation of cattle meat,the horse and cat dealer probably means horse+cattle dealer,the butcher next door may be a pork butcher,mack

[Romilly]

Hi,

I can remember the Cat's Meat man delivering Fido-meat by horse & cart in S.London in the early 1960's!

(I hate to imagine what sort of meat it was, - but our cat loved it:-)

Romilly.

[gazza]

Does anyone know the precise locations of the Knackers yards in Bermondsey? Cant find much on google

[hlbradd]

Have found the location for the knackers yard my lot used

" He then, with some of his brothers, was a 'butcher', a glorified name for a cat's meat man. The horse meat fed to cats was collected from the knacker's yard in Cheshire Street, Bethnal Green, usually by one of his daughters who carried a wicker basket, daintily covered with a gingham cloth"

Source - email from cousin.

And looking on a map was reasonably close to their address at the time (10-15 minutes walk?)

Helen