Occupation help

[ceewash]

My G Grandfather was a box maker in the Angel Meadow area of Manchester in 1891 aged 16. Does anyone have information on where he might have worked and what the boxes were, possibly hat boxes? Their address was Church Court, Manchester. Thanks. Please let me know if this is in the wrong place.

[keyboard86]

Hi and welcome to Rootschat, and this is the correct place

So we have your G Grandfather John Burke aged 16 b Widnes both he and his brother William 14 are shown as Box Makers, if you look at the original the occupation has been bracketed C}Wood or so I read, I am sure someone will know what this means, and what the boxes were used for!
Census Ref RG12/3242/96/18
Keyboard86

EDIT I note in 1901 census John Burke 26 occ Box Maker ( Dry soap Works) b Widnes married to an Elizabeth residing at 16, Malpas Street, Dukinfield
Census Ref RG13/3794/43/19

[ceewash]

Yes thank you. This is the right person. Would the Wood/Hood refer to an employer?

[heatherjulie]

Wooden box maker in the Dry Soap factory.

There was the Compo Soap works on Crescent Road Dukinfield.

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/40159/page/2512/data.pdf

[stanmapstone]

if you look at the original the occupation has been bracketed C}Wood or so I read,

The annotation has been added by the census clerk categorising occupations,  meaning they were making wood boxes rather than cardboard boxes etc.

Stan

[heatherjulie]

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.4830473,-2.0903933,3a,90y,322.55h,95.5t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sgei1F_A4-vTsXJAyQdHpWQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

I think that this is where the soap works was in Dukinfield, Albert Works, Crescent Road.

I bought my bathroom suite from here!

Heather

[ceewash]

That's a great help. Any ideas on the business in Manchester of making wooden boxes. I assume they wouldn't travel far to work, maybe Shudehill area? Is it a good job for a 16 yr old? I read that life was quite squalid around that area so a good move to Dukinfield.

[stanmapstone]

The Soap Works are marked on this 1910 map https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/394098/398507/12/101234 Malpas Street is just on the other side of the railway.
You can see Church Court where they were living in 1891 on the map at https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/384448/399114/13/100874 You will have to change the zoom level.
Stan