Master Basket Maker

[raine]

My GGrandfather was a master Basket Maker in 1871,is there a site that will tell me what this job was all about,Lorraine

[casalguidi]

You'll probably find loads by just typing "basket making" into google or your usual search engine ie.

http://www.britishbaskets.co.uk/history.htm

Casalguidi

[raine]

Casalguidi,thxs a lot for the help,Lorraine

[billy56]

My great great grandfather, born 1832, was blind from birth and worked as a basket maker in West Bromwich and Birmingham. I am intrigued as to how he learned his trade in these years and recieved some brilliant info from the RNIB. They did not have schools etc in those days so could not tell me how he learnt the skill but blind people have always been associated with basket making.

[raine]

hi billy56,that was very interesting to hear,since i last posted a message asking about basket maker,i found that not only was my GGrandfather a basket maker,but his brother,+father was too,and his father again,no mention of anyone being blind,so maybe they were interested in it to make it  a family thing,and also they traveled from cornwall/pembroke,before settleing in wales,doing that job,Lorraine

[billy56]

  when I first started family history I was told most people who did basketmaking or piano tuning were / are  blind and its unusual for sighted people to make baskets in 1800. Since then have found lots of sighted basketmakers and have helped a friend trace her pianotuning family - all sighted too.
Moral of story - bear these theories in mind, but keep an open mind 
happy hunting

[raine]

billy56,Interesting yes I will keep that in mind,Lorraine

[XPhile2868]

My great great great grandfather was a basket maker, James McKenna born Liverpool 1851.

He married an Agnes Banister in 1873 in Leyland, Lancashire. The name Banister/Bannister means "basket-maker".