Henry Blanck and his grandfather, Johann Christian Wenzel were shoemakers from Germany. See Henry Blanck

John Sykes and his sons, Benjamin, George, and Joseph, were cordwainers (shoemakers) in England. In 1841, when George Stell Sykes was 15, the town he lived in, Adwalton, had a population of 1028 people. There were 14 shoemakers and 4 shoemakers apprentices. See John Sykes

In November 3013 Peter Dodge, a cordwainer, wrote:

"Usually the "cottage industry" shoe makers of the early 1800's, cut the leather pieces, then sent them out to be hand stitched in small cottages by women workers.

When the uppers were stitched, they then took them back to the Cordwainer's qualified boot and shoe maker, who in turn completed the product using the welted hand sewn process.

The apprentices did the menial work while learning the trade. The major skill being the sewing on the leather outsole to the welt. This being done with waxed thread, "blended" to a long mature pigs bristle, the holes being made in the leather with an awl, that had a sword like edge at the tip, then the pieces were sewn together."

Formier, Outils [Last maker, tools]

A last is a form of the human foot used by shoemakers to shape shoes and boots.

1845 German Print

THE OLD-TIME SHOEMAKER

A HOPELESS CASE

From a painting by Antoine Rotta in the Walter's Collection Baltimore

Freilichtmuseum am Kiekeberg

The Trade Musuem of Suhlendorf

Beim Schuhmacker, Julius Faber 1850

This 1954 ad for Dress Parade boot polish shows that the shoemaker's trade had not changed that much over the years.

The ad makes two interesting points in reference to the old time shoemaker: "Time doesn't mean much to a boot-maker. They'll rub leather for hours and hours to give it that fiery, deep glow." & Dress Parade could give your shoes "that expensive hand-rubbed look".

Leather outsole and mid sole cutting department in C & J Clarks of Street UK, circa 1950.

Maggie