SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: The Minster archives are not just about the rich and famous, with documents relating to one family managing to describe life and business in Croydon 150 years ago, as DAVID MORGAN explains
Cobblers: 150 years ago, Croydon’s High Street was thriving with shops and trades of many descriptions, including Tanner’s bootmakers
The archives of Croydon Minster contain the names of many well-known people. But the majority of the entries are of “ordinary” folk who lived and worked in the town, helping to oil the wheels of commerce and business.
One such was Francis James Tanner.
He appeared in the registers in 1870 having two of his children. He was a boot and shoemaker who had a shop in the High Street and was one of those many shopkeepers and craftsmen who brought a vibrancy to the town in the hustle and bustle of the Victorian era.
The 1861 Directory of Croydon paints a fascinating picture of the town. Tanner’s premises and home were at 132-133 High Street, to the south of where the Croydon Flyover is today, close to the corner with Laud Street. Tanner’s shop is long gone; there’s a vacant concrete office building close to the site today.
Tanner’s was one of nearly 100 bootmakers listed in 1860s Croydon, at a time when what was then a Surrey market town was rapidly expanding. Between 1861 and 1871, Croydon’s population almost doubled, rising from 33,000 to 60,000 – and they all needed footwear.
Tanner’s was included as one of the larger premises, described as boot and shoe warehouses. Tanner’s entry also stated that he was a general outfitter, too.
Records: How the Tanners appeared in the 1881 census. Herbert and Maud, christened at Croydon Parish Church just 11 years earlier, are missing from the family group
There was one woman bootmaker listed, Mary Shepherd, in Surrey Street. There were two bootmakers in Church Street, John Randall and John Pritchard. There were another two in the High Street as well as Tanner’s. Francis Bowring was at No42, and William Bullock at No32.
Tanner’s shop was sandwiched between Francis Warren, a music and book seller, stationer and printer, and Jayne and James’ American Store which contained a beer shop and a china warehouse.
In just a small section of the High Street near to Tanners’ there could be found a baker, an oil and colourman, a linen draper, a chemist and a confectioner, as well as a corn, coal and flour merchants.
Living in a modern era of click-and-collect or home delivery with a minimum of human interaction, just imagine the conversations and chatter that Tanner and his shop workers would have with their customers.
Branching out: how Francis Tanner’s daughter set up in business on the High Street
With such competition between all the boot and shoemakers in the town, it was important that Tanner established a position in the market so that customers could rely on him. His business traded successfully for more than 20 years.
The Tanner entry in the church baptism registers was dated March 13 1870. In a service conducted by one of the curates, Rev William Stobart, two Tanner children were baptised. One was Herbert Alfred, whose birth date was given as August 1869, and the other, Maud, whose birth date was in June 1867.
The entry in the register was initially recorded wrongly by Stobart. He wrote down the surname as Pringle, which was Tanner’s wife’s middle name. This had to be crossed through and corrected. An additional sentence was added by Rev Stobart to Maud’s record which stated that she was received into church but had been privately baptised two years before. Little Maud may have been very unwell as a young baby. It was not uncommon for a priest to go to the home and baptise an infant in case it died.
Eleven years later, in the 1881 census, neither Maud nor Herbert were listed.
The Tanner family on that census day consisted of Francis, aged 53, his wife Jane, a year older, Elizabeth, a daughter aged 26, John, their elder son, aged 22, and Henry, the younger son, aged 18. A 10-year-old niece, Eizabeth Purvis, was living with them at the time.
Corrected details: the baptismal records at Croydon Minster from 1870 show how the vicar at the time had to amend the entries for Herbert and Maud
None of the Francis family on the 1881 census were born in Croydon. Father was born in Essex and mother in Stepney. The family moved around London quite a bit. The elder son was born in Bethnal Green with the other being born in Chelsea.
John followed in his father’s footsteps and his trade was listed as a bootmaker. Henry was working as a pawnbroker’s assistant.
Elizabeth was brought up in the family business. In the census she was described as an assistant. In an advert from 1869, she was the proprietor of a confectioner’s shop at 132A High Street. The other part of that same advert was for her father’s business, saying that he had “children’s boots and shoes in great variety”.
Advertisements were an important part of business life. Tanner often paid to have his name in the local paper. One advert printed in 1863 informed the readers that his was the best and cheapest shop in Croydon for homemade boots and shoes. If his potential customers were in any doubt as the where his shop was situated in the High Street, he added that it was opposite Mr Page, the fishmonger.
A newspaper column in 1863 contained an extended advert for Tanner’s business. Today it seems a cringe-worthy attempt which leaves you wondering what the reaction was back then.
Free trade is now a motto, that is everywhere relied on
Richly its displayed, in every part of Croydon.
And at Tanner’s more especially, where excellent boots and shoes
Now may be had to suit all Trades, at any price you choose.
Cashmere boots for ladies, as low as two and six.
In children’s too-such a variety at any price you fit.
Style and durability is warranted to all.Then haste away, do not delay, give Tanner’s shop a call.
And for Bluchers, Balmorals or Wellingtons, his stock is fit for all.
None come that are not suited at wondrously low prices
Now just step in and have a look and see what my advice is
Every article he has in stock may safely be relied on
Remember to copy this address 132 High Street Croydon.
It’s not every day that an acrostic poem is used to advertise a business.
Whatever the readers thought about it, Tanner’s business never suffered. There was, however, a dreadful incident in August 1881 which was reported in the paper.
High Street blaze: how the press of the time covered the fire next to Tanner’s
In the early hours of the morning of Friday August 12, those living in the High Street or close by were awoken by a fire that broke out in the premises of Messrs Remsberry at 133 High Street. The newspaper’s reporter described the business as a fancy warehouse. The alarm was raised by the town nightwatchman at 2.15am. Two manual engines, pulled by hand, and a fire escape belonging to the Local Board were quickly on the scene.
They were under the charge of Supt Aitchison, whilst the Volunteer Brigade under Supt Blogg arrived close behind. Between the crews the fire was soon brought under control but not before significant damage had been done. The upper storey was badly damaged by the flames while the shop and basement were damaged by water as well as the fire.
Tanner’s shoe and bootmaker business in the adjoining premises were badly damaged, too, as the wooden partition between the two was burned through. As news reports from that era tended to do, they listed the insurance companies involved. Tanner’s stock was insured through the Alliance and his building with the County.
Back in business: the Tanners ad after the fire
Tanner recovered to eventually reopen the business at 133 High Street. This was just five doors north of the Town Hall. A sale of damaged and soiled stock was advertised at rock bottom prices. Tanner informed his customers that he was reopening with a large and almost entirely new stock of boots and shoes.
Quite when Tanner eventually hung up his boot tools isn’t known. He was mentioned in the 1911 census living or staying in a boarding house in Warwick Road, Margate. By then he was an 84-year-old widower.
Francis Tanner died on October 20, 1914, in Beadon Road Hammersmith, with a reference that he was living in Northcote Road, Croydon. He left his estate of almost £600 (worth more than £42,000 in today’s money) to his son John, who was described as a retired bootmaker.
To call Tanner a humble bootmaker doesn’t really do him justice.
He and his family must have served hundreds of local customers over many years. People were happy with what he sold or else he would never have kept the business going for so long. In an age of High Street hustle and bustle, the Tanner brand was very prominent.
David Morgan, pictured right, is a former Croydon headteacher, now the volunteer education officer at Croydon Minster, who offers tours or illustrated talks on the history around the Minster for local community groups
If you would like a group tour of Croydon Minster or want to book a school visit, then ring the Minster Office on 020 688 8104 or go to the website on www.croydonminster.org and use the contact page
Some previous articles by David Morgan:
- How Croydon alderman saved ‘Golden Book’ from the Vikings
- From a GP’s on the High Street to hosting dinner for the King
- Norwood to Hollywood: Oscar-winner who dressed the stars
- The church fire that consumed a thousand years of history
- If you have a news story about life in or around Croydon, or want to publicise your residents’ association or business, or if you have a local event to promote, please email us with full details at inside.croydon@btinternet.com
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Great, great stuff. Local newspaper journalists all known about acrostics – it can get you the sack if you spell out something witty. It’s sad to read of Croydon’s newspaper heritage – there’s nothing in, print nowadays. We just have the modern version – right here.