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Author Topic: Lath cleaner, Leath Merchant, American Merchant  (Read 2100 times)

Offline Rian

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Lath cleaner, Leath Merchant, American Merchant
« on: Wednesday 23 March 05 21:37 GMT (UK) »
I have a certificate (1869) which states my gggfather was a "Leath Merchant"— the writing is very clear and I wondered if it was short for "Leather Merchant", but there would just have been enough room to write "leather" and there are no other abbreviations in the certificate. I also found an unrelated census entry for a "Lath Cleaner". (But the most mind-boggling is a census entry for 1851 for an "American Merchant"! Did he sell Amercans? Whatever it was he died extremely rich!)
Anyone got any ideas?
Rian
Information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Researching:
Anderson, Atton, Bagley, Banks, Barlow, Bartin, Braid, Carveth, Cleary, Cooper, Fennessy, Frank, Frisby, Garner, Hathaway, Hollis, Hopkins, Irvine, Jones, Karrasch, Kennett, Kirkpatrick, Kirkness, Kopittke, Leslie, Logie, McGinty, Marriott, Meredith, Minshull, Munro, Nind, Pearce, Pulley, Reid, Rendall, Scollay, Shearer, Shorter, Spence, Stephenson, Tate, Warren.
UK, Orkney, Ireland, Prussia and Australia.

Offline jacdee

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Re: Lath cleaner, Leath Merchant, American Merchant
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 24 March 05 11:34 GMT (UK) »
Its just a guess, but a Lath Renderer was the person who applied the first coat of plaster onto walls and ceilings - a plasters assistant, so maybe a Lath Cleaner was the person who prepared the walls before they were plastered?
Have a look at this website http://rmhh.co.uk/occup/index.html  Its got loads of occupations and there meanings on it, and also links to other occupation sites.
Crowther, Mccloud/mcleod, Harrison, Hawthorn, Hicks, Pattison, Shrimpton
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Offline suttontrust

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Re: Lath cleaner, Leath Merchant, American Merchant
« Reply #2 on: Thursday 24 March 05 15:50 GMT (UK) »
An "American Merchant" probably just meant that he was a merchant whose trade was with America.  Boring, really.
Godden in East Sussex, mainly Hastings area.
Richards in Lea, Gloucestershire, then London.
Williamson in Leith, Vickers in Nottingham.
Webb in Bildeston and Colchester.
Wesbroom in Kirby le Soken.
Ellington in Harwich.
Park, Palmer, Segar and Peartree in Kersey.

Offline Rian

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Re: Lath cleaner, Leath Merchant, American Merchant
« Reply #3 on: Thursday 24 March 05 21:55 GMT (UK) »
Yes, I reckoned that too, but it sounds good doesn't it?!!! It paid well — he left £120,000 when he died in 1870. I'm not sure what the equivalent sum would be today, but "lots" is a safe bet. Unfortunately not a penny of it trickled down to me!
Rian.
Information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Researching:
Anderson, Atton, Bagley, Banks, Barlow, Bartin, Braid, Carveth, Cleary, Cooper, Fennessy, Frank, Frisby, Garner, Hathaway, Hollis, Hopkins, Irvine, Jones, Karrasch, Kennett, Kirkpatrick, Kirkness, Kopittke, Leslie, Logie, McGinty, Marriott, Meredith, Minshull, Munro, Nind, Pearce, Pulley, Reid, Rendall, Scollay, Shearer, Shorter, Spence, Stephenson, Tate, Warren.
UK, Orkney, Ireland, Prussia and Australia.

Offline Rian

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Re: Lath cleaner, Leath Merchant, American Merchant
« Reply #4 on: Thursday 24 March 05 22:01 GMT (UK) »
jacdee, thanks for the site link — I'll check it out now.
Had a quick look— very interesting! I'll pass this on to a few people I know will find it useful. Many thanks. Isn't Rootschat a great site!!!
Rian.
Information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Researching:
Anderson, Atton, Bagley, Banks, Barlow, Bartin, Braid, Carveth, Cleary, Cooper, Fennessy, Frank, Frisby, Garner, Hathaway, Hollis, Hopkins, Irvine, Jones, Karrasch, Kennett, Kirkpatrick, Kirkness, Kopittke, Leslie, Logie, McGinty, Marriott, Meredith, Minshull, Munro, Nind, Pearce, Pulley, Reid, Rendall, Scollay, Shearer, Shorter, Spence, Stephenson, Tate, Warren.
UK, Orkney, Ireland, Prussia and Australia.

Offline sillgen

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Re: Lath cleaner, Leath Merchant, American Merchant
« Reply #5 on: Friday 25 March 05 09:42 GMT (UK) »
I think a lath cleaner could well have been stripping and cleaning the wood to make laths.    I think - though this is very much dredged from the back of my mind- that an american merchant was something to do with a type of cotton or material.  May be completely wrong though!
Andrea

Offline Rian

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Re: Lath cleaner, Leath Merchant, American Merchant
« Reply #6 on: Friday 25 March 05 23:40 GMT (UK) »
Sillgen
In Australia today "Manchester" means sheets, towels etc, so this could be a similar thing. I do know the person involved came from a family of drapers. Thanks for your suggestion.
Rian.
Information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Researching:
Anderson, Atton, Bagley, Banks, Barlow, Bartin, Braid, Carveth, Cleary, Cooper, Fennessy, Frank, Frisby, Garner, Hathaway, Hollis, Hopkins, Irvine, Jones, Karrasch, Kennett, Kirkpatrick, Kirkness, Kopittke, Leslie, Logie, McGinty, Marriott, Meredith, Minshull, Munro, Nind, Pearce, Pulley, Reid, Rendall, Scollay, Shearer, Shorter, Spence, Stephenson, Tate, Warren.
UK, Orkney, Ireland, Prussia and Australia.
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