In times past, every village had its own cobbler or shoemaker. In fact, dealing with shoes was a much in demand business to the extent that in 1851, Market Lavington had at least ten men who made their living making and repairing shoes. Some of them, like members of the Maslen family, called themselves cordwainers. Others, more prosaically, were boot and shoe makers. The word cobbler does not seem to have been in use then.
Ken Mundy was the last cobbler and shoe maker to be working in the village. He certainly made shoes into the 1960s and continued to repair into the 1980s when failing health caused retirement from the trade.
At Market Lavington Museum we have a number of artefacts from Ken’s High Street shop. We have already seen, on this blog, his Phillips stick-a-sole man. Today we look at one of many adverts he had.
Some may wonder why this is a St. Crispin Slogan. St Crispin is one of at least eight patron saints of shoemakers and cobblers.
Do visit the museum to discover much more about shoes, shoemaking and the people who worked at these crafts in the Lavington area.
Tags: cobbler, Easterton, Fiddington, Market Lavington, Museum, person, Shoes
June 9, 2011 at 5:37 am |
[…] times past, for most people, a cobbler was an essential person in a village. Both Market Lavington and Easterton had cobblers, boot and […]
May 30, 2015 at 1:25 pm |
Frederick Harris was a cobbler in market lavington around the time of the Second World War ….his wife Ellen Harris I understand used to deliver the mail in those early days , they were both evacuated from London to lavington in the war . Ellen Harris moved to Sydney Australia in the mid 1960 ‘s and died there at the ripe old age of 92 . Her family still live around Australia
May 30, 2015 at 2:13 pm |
I don’t believe we have any record of Frederick or Ellen except that on a 1954 directory (giving head of house only) there are two people called F Harris. One lived at 2 Church Cottages and the other at 45 Lavington Hill.
We’d love to know more. I wonder if you have any photos, Ken, of these people in Lavington days.
Rog
Curator
May 30, 2015 at 10:06 pm
I have an old photograph of him holding me as a baby at 45 lavington hill ……..I am visiting his daughter who is 83 next week (my mother) I will send you much more info and some photos by email……..by the way ,I know he had a shop in the Main Street at the time ………….will get back to you next week ….regards Ken Harris
April 21, 2016 at 10:27 am |
I have traced my family back to Market Lavington where from the 1840s at least until the later part of the century they were Cordwainers. The head of the house was a William Price but he had as many as 11 children the majority of which joined the trade as they matured.
Do you have any information on where they practised their trade or knowledge of them in general?
April 21, 2016 at 11:02 am |
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Rog
Curator