Suggestions Welcome

[ele002]

I found a photo, on Manchester Archives, of Needwood St., Collyhurst, late 1890's, where my Gt Grandfather lived at the time. It shows a shop and curious as to where it was on the street, I looked it up.

Historical Directories show the occupier as Alfred Diamond, 'Marine Store Dealer'. What would he be dealing with in the middle of Collyhurst? The nearest stretches of water were Moston Brook and the Irk. Could he have sold sailing gear for a day on Heaton Park Lake? Or is it a fancy name for a fish shop?

Answers on a postcard please.

Eric

[stanmapstone]

A Marine Store Dealer was a licensed broker who bought and sold used cordage, bunting, rags, timber, metal and other general waste materials. He usually sorted the purchased waste by kind, grade etc. He also repaired and mended sacks etc.
Marine Store Dealers were governed by an Act of Parliament 1st. Geo. IV. sec.16 cap.75. Which enacted that every marine-store-dealer shall have his name inserted in legible characters over his shop-door and shall also keep a book in which he shall insert the name and address of any person from whom he shall buy any article.

Apparently Marine Store Dealers were also not allowed to buy full lengths of rope. A search of the "Times" archive brings up many references to them and nearly all were in relation to police courts. In Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" is Joe, a marine store dealer and receiver of stolen goods.

Stan

[ele002]

Thanks for that Stan.

In simple terms he was a Scrap Dealer/Second Hand shop-nothing to do with the sea. Was the Marine bit a historical thing?.

Explains why the 1901 Census shows him as a Licenced Broker.

Eric

[stanmapstone]

Was the Marine bit a historical thing?.
Eric

I think a Marine Store Dealer, was originally the proprietor of a store selling equipment to Mariners, perhaps components of old ships such as sails, cordage, ironwork, which is probably why they were not allowed to buy full lengths of rope which could have been stolen from a ship. In an Act for consolidating and amending the Laws relating to Wreck and Salvage, 1846, there was a penalty on dealers in marine stores for cutting up cables without a permit from a receiver, and purchasing anchors etc. from persons under 14 years of age.
If you search for 'marine store dealer' in occupation in the 1881 census, there are 2,566 listed and they are located all over the country.

Stan

[dsquared]

Hi Eric
Was Alfred Diamond a relative?
Dawn

[ele002]

Hi Dawn.

No, he wasn't.

I had an ancestor who lived in Needwood St. and at other addresses in the area. I was looking for photos of the area and found the one of the shop and I just got curious about the Trade.

Regards, Eric