|
|
Some Grocers' Invoices from
Hemel
Hempstead
|
|
Life is full of ephemera - everyday things we take for granted and throw away when we have finished with them. As such they rarely survive but if they do they can fill in details of your ancestors everyday life.
Everyday receipts, such as this one, rarely survive. When they do they can can provide information on the everyday life of your ancestor.
This one identifies a grocer's shop owned by Walter J Cartwright, and managed by Frank Foster. The shop supplied goods on tic to Benjamin Briggs and identify both what the shop sold and what Mr Briggs and his family consumed.
This is one of a number of receipts, for goods purchased by Mr Briggs from several different suppliers in Hemel Hempstead, which appeared for sale on Ebay early in 2012.
Nearly all had headings advertising different products with the name of a local trader added. Some traders appeared with several advertisements.
Walter James Cartwright
Thornville, Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead (1901 census)
|
CARTWRIGHT, Walter J |
Head |
Married |
M |
46 |
Grocer |
Biggleswade, Bedfordshire |
|
CARTWRIGHT, Clara E |
Wife |
Married |
F |
47 |
Hemel Hempsted |
|
|
CARTWRIGHT, Alice B |
Daughter |
Single |
F |
17 |
Fulham |
|
|
CARTWRIGHT, Constance D |
Daughter |
Single |
F |
16 |
Fulham |
|
|
CARTWRIGHT, James B |
Son |
Single |
M |
15 |
Fulham |
|
|
CARTWRIGHT, Arthur C |
Son |
Single |
M |
13 |
Brighton |
|
|
CARTWRIGHT, Grace E |
Daughter |
Single |
F |
8 |
Cricklewood |
|
|
HILL, Selina |
Servant |
Single |
F |
20 |
Domestic |
Hemel Hempsted |
His Shop was in the High Street, Hemel Hempstead
Benjamin Briggs
16, Horsecroft Road, Hemel Hempstead (1901 census)
|
BRIGGS, Benjamin |
Head |
Married |
M |
51 |
Secretary Lim Coy Mat Factory |
Burgh, Lincolnshire |
|
BRIGGS, Gertrude M |
Wife |
Married |
F |
53 |
Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire |
|
|
BRIGGS, Helen B |
Daughter |
|
F |
19 |
Governess (Private) |
Louth, Lincolnshire |
|
BRIGGS, Harry |
Son |
|
M |
18 |
Civil Service Clerk |
Louth, Lincolnshire |
Frank A Foster
12 & 14, High Street, Hemel Hempstead (1901 census)
| FOSTER, Frank A | Head | Married | M | 28 | Grocers Manager | Hemel Hempstead |
| FOSTER, Clifton E | Wife | Married | F | 30 | Wateringbury, Kent | |
| FOSTER, Constance A | Daughter | Single | F | 2 | Hemel Hempstead | |
| USHER, Alfred E | Boarder | Single | M | 23 | Town Clerks Assistant | South Stockton, Yorkshire |
Alfred Edward Usher later became Town Clerk of Hemel Hempstead. The High Street address would have been conveniently close to the Town Hall.
Brown & Poulson
This company was established in Paisley in the 1860s and later became part of the Unilever Group.
Cocoatina
[1904 Advert from the Illustrated London News]
|
In July 2012 a further batch of receipted invoices for good purchased by Benjamin Briggs appeared on ebay and this one is for groceries supplied by A. J. Chennells. I am sure the original collection would have provided a most interesting story about the life style of a middle class family living in Hemel Hempstead at the end of the 19th century, but unfortunately the collection has now been dispersed. Hudson's Soap was a widely advertised product at the time and many metal advertising signs survice.
|
 |
