May of you will know that we have nothing more than two names that were recorded by Gertude Whiting as being maker of Honiton lace bobbins. They are Mr Miller and Mr Goode. They appear both to be Beer residents, though it is possible that Mr Millers mother married again (??) I am guessing the Gertrude Whiting visited in the 1920s.
I am pretty hopeless at this sort of thing, I have looked at on line censuses and found not such occupation as Bobbin maker/ lace bobbin maker/ bobbin decorator. That is one thing. We have always known that for Honiton/Downton bobbins there was a possibility of other people decorating the bobbins, maybe the lace dealers outsourced this job? So I have looked for evidence of this too. No luck. I would like your expertise on definitions I found in census data. Lacemaker OK I have a handle on that But what is a Lace worker? and what is a Lace sewer? or perhaps a sewer? Lace dealer is OK with me. Does census data call them anything else? In the Devon census could a lace worker possibly be a bobbin decorator (Yes, I am clutching at straws!! Sorry) smile I have read most of the books about Devon lace/ families etc, but not a mention of bobbin decorators. Am I fated to never know who made them and who decorated them? (leave aside seamen, perhaps shepherds or possibly children (Naïve bobbins) If any of you happen on anything that might be a clue about makers /decorators.in your reading about lace etc in Devon/ Downton areas, think of me please? Bobbin making and or decorating could well have been a second job or that of a carpenter/ undertaker who had wood skills/ wood lathe? I think this is a puzzle that I am going have to live with, but you guys know so much more about this industry and history than I do. OH yes. Of course I am ok with East Midland bobbins. It is Honiton, Branscombe and Downton that is my current project. Thanks, the project is progressing in a positive manner but its slow!!... Always will be! Brian _____ I am using the Free version of SPAMfighter <http://www.spamfighter.com/len> . SPAMfighter has removed 77 of my spam emails to date. Do you have a slow PC? <http://www.spamfighter.com/SLOW-PCfighter?cid=sigen> Try a free scan! - To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to [email protected]. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
