Bridgeman Family from 1871-1891

The 1871 census listed Thomas Bridgeman as a young family man, aged 25 with his 22 year old wife Elizabeth and two children Ada, aged 2 years, and Thomas, aged 3 months. Thomas, Sr.'s birthplace is listed as Upwell, Cambridge and as an interesting note, his occupation is listed as the now archaic term "Cordwainer."

\Cord"wain*er\ (-?r), n. [OE. cordwaner, cordiner, fr. OF. cordoanier, cordouanier, F. cordonnier.] A worker in cordwain, or cordovan leather; a shoemaker. [Archaic.]

1881

Master Shoemaker

By 1881, the occupation of 35-year old Thomas Bridgeman was listed as Master Shoemaker with twelve year old Ada , ten year old Thomas, eight year old Elizabeth, and five year old Hannah each listed as "Scholar." Their home was recorded as "1 Eastbourne St."

The Bridgeman Family in 1891

"432 Boot Shop" and eleven children

Another ten years and the address of the Bridgeman family is now listed as "432 Boot shop," with #434 listed as the "Lock up shop." The address of the Bridgeman's shop was actually 432 Hessle Road in Hull.

Thomas BRIDGEMAN & Elizabeth Epworth

If a photograph of Thomas Bridgeman exists, I don't know of it, but his memory lives on, even for those who have never met him. Indeed, wasn't it Thomas who started a new life in Yorkshire, setting up a shop in the rapidly expanding business district of Hessle Road. In An Alphabetical Directory of Trades and Professions for Hull, from Bulmer's Gazetteer (1892), a look down the list of 1890s Hull businesses finds Thomas Bridgeman's shop about three-quarters of the way down the page - and these are just the businesses starting with the letter "B"!!

Sandwiched on Hessle Road between a provision merchant and George Lee's furniture shop, Thomas Bridgeman sold his shoes to seamen and the general public. Already a busy business district, one could find whatever s/he needed on the same block as the Bridgeman's shop, from the grocers, butchers and dairy to tobacco, beer and fried fish. In a letter from 1983, Cousin Dick described the atmosphere of the shop itself:

Ships would come into the docks at all hours according to the tides, and Captains, mates, crewmen, would go to "Bridgeman's' and buy wives and sweethearts, slippers, shoes, children's' wear, to take home as presents; and they would order "sea-boots;" thick, black leather, thigh-high, strong, to keep out the seas, and they would be made to measure. Tom junior and his 5 or 6 men made them, and Tom did as much, or more, than the men, and "urged them on" too! I've heard him!! Thomas Senior chose his site on a busy, long road that led to the docks - "I want the seamen's trade," he told his family, "cash, when they get their pay; and I will take small profits and quick returns." And he did just that! His customers came from all walks of life, and the stock became enormous - they had boots and shoes and slippers everywhere. The shop (a fairly large one on a corner) two sets of large windows and door in-between, was crammed to the ceiling with shelves of footwear. Spare stock filled one bedroom to the ceiling, stock was stacked on the stairs, to the very top, on each side of you, as you walked up. Then the passage that ran to the bedrooms and bathroom, it had boxes stacked all the way along it. Whole hides were rolled and stacked in the yard, and those about to be used were "softening" in huge wooden barrels of water. What a marvelous leathery smell there was! and I loved it. I remember this from about the age of 3½ or 4 years. Possibly nearer 3 years, because by the time I was 4, we had got our own house and moved from "Bridgeman's Boot Shop" where I was born.

This brings us to 1917, although unfortunately I could not find any Yorkshire listings in Ancestry.com's 1901 census for England. More info will be added when I learn more...