Hairdressers of East London

[RivkahChaya]

Kids, don't take any candy from confectioner Albert Blows.

[Phil H]

In my youth my father knew someone called Joe Blow.

Phil

[Archaic]

I also noticed the entry 'Wagstaff, Mrs. Elizabeth, Hatter'.

'Wagstaff' is a very old Welsh name that is supposed to be the Welsh equivalent of 'Shakespeare'.

I wonder if Shakespeare knew that, and if the famous comic character in in his play 'King Henry IV', the beloved 'Falstaff' (False Staff), was at least in part a play on his own name.

And knowing Shakespeare, it was probably a sexual joke too... the Bard was definitely bawdy!

It's amazing the information one can extract from just a brief snippet of an old census.

Best regards,
Archaic

[RivkahChaya]

I saw an old US high school year book (end-of-term photo album of all the students, teams shots of plays put on science fairs, candid shots of students in halls, at lunch, in case you don't call them that in the UK) with a student named Dick Head. By this, I deduce that this expression entered the vernacular sometime after 1946.

[Roy Corduroy]

Karl Giescke & Son had two shops, one on Cowross Street, Smithfield Market



the other shop at Norton Folgate, just north of Spitalfields. Address the other side of he Middleton Arms public house



He and wife Wilhelmina, from Germany had three children born London, including son Charles 15, hairdresser. Also five more hairdressers and servant Eliza Elerfeld 20, all born Germany.

[Roy Corduroy]

Joseph Cornish, Hairdresser, born Stone House, Devon

[Roy Corduroy]

From Hairdressers in the 1884 and 1888 directories -

[ATTACH]15192[/ATTACH]

Daniel Kosminsky Hairdresser is in the 1881 census at Mile End, he and wife Rosa both age 27, and mother in law Hailer Sorben age 65, all born Poland.

In history, Houndsditch was just outside the wall on London's east side.

[Mr Lucky]

Hi Roy

I was wondering if you happened to know why Perriman was known as the mad barber of Peckham?

At LAMBETH, JOHN BENJAMIN PERRIMAN, 40 hairdresser, living in Pennethorne-road, Peckham, was charged with being drunk and disorderly in Old Kent-road. On Wednesday night detectives Leek and Reed were in the Old Kent-road, and hearing a disturbance, went to the spot. They found the prisoner surrounded by a crowd, and it was feared he would be roughly handled as he had declared himself to be "Jack the Ripper," and had acted in a very violent manner. He flourished his arms about, and exhibited a black leather bag, about which he made some remarks. He caught hold of several women, and caused much alarm. The officers, after much difficulty, got the prisoner to the station, being followed by an excited mob. At the station the bag carried by the prisoner was searched, and in it were found two pairs of scissors, a dagger and sheath, and a life preserver. Mr. Partridge asked whether the prisoner wished to account for carrying these things about, and the prisoner said he was going to have them ground. It was further stated that the prisoner was known as the "Mad barber of Peckham." A sister of the prisoner said he had been intoxicated for a long time. She knew he had a dagger, but for what purpose he kept it she did not know. Mr. Partridge said he should remand the prisoner, and if he was not right in his mind it would, perhaps, be necessary to send him to an asylum. The prisoner, who seemed to treat the matter as a joke, asked to be allowed out on bail, but Mr. Partridge declined to accede to his request. The Times 16 Nov. 1888

[Roy Corduroy]

Thanks for that Mr. Lucky. Do I know why? Well, no, was it because of his over the top behaviour when he got drunk.

... the bag carried by the prisoner was searched, and in it were found two pairs of scissors, a dagger and sheath, and a life preserver.

A life preserver.

Anyhow, thanks again, -- Roy

[Mr Lucky]

Hi Roy

A life preserver.

I'm assuming that it's a small cosh (life preserver:as the alternative is killing) rather than a buoyancy aid, but we can't be sure with the mad barber.

[Errata]

Hi Roy



I'm assuming that it's a small cosh (life preserver:as the alternative is killing) rather than a buoyancy aid, but we can't be sure with the mad barber.

No, I'm betting it was the flotation device. Life is just more interesting that way.

[Roy Corduroy]

The 1888 street directory of Houndsditch. Kosminski's shop was a couple doors from the entrance to Phil's Buildings, seen here



As far as I know, researchers have found no direct link between Daniel Kosminski and Aaron Kosmisnki, ten years his junior.

[miss marple]

I can put a bob's worth in here as I have East London hairdressers among ancestors'
They moved around a lot.Children born East End and Holborn
First Ellis Comer from Poland, hairdresser 1850s Union st Borough,then Camomile St City of London,then Langley place, Commercial Rd. then Holborn then the infamous Holywell St ran a bathhouse. The Elizabethan Holywell st was demolished in 1905 to make way for The Aldwych.
While at Langley Place added photography to the mix In the 1860s new cheap paper photographic process enabled Chemists and hairdressers to set up cheap studios.
Son Soloman, hairdresser 1895 14 Fairclough St, yes that one,[ bit to late for the Stride event] till about 1905.

Miss Marple

[Archaic]

"Life-Preserver"

I'm assuming that it's a small cosh (life preserver:as the alternative is killing) rather than a buoyancy aid, but we can't be sure with the mad barber.

Mr Lucky is correct.

"Life Preserver" was a slang term for a homemade weapon. Some were as simple as a piece of lead tied to a short rope or sewn into a piece of cloth.

Here's a definition from 1874: Cosh, a neddy, a life-preserver; any short, loaded bludgeon.

In the US these were called "blackjacks".

I actually saw a blackjack when I was a child. An elderly lady who lived alone out in the country had it in her drawer for "protection", and she showed it to me because I was always so curious about "the olden days". I remember it was a black handle like a short billy club with a small dark sack attached to it. The sack was full of what felt like very heavy bb's or lead weights. Maybe they were lead shot. I remember it was quite heavy and I was impressed; it seemed fully capable of really clobbering some bad guy.

Now that I think about it, wouldn't be surprised if it was a Victorian Era piece that I saw! The elderly lady was probably a Victorian piece herself.

Best regards,
Archaic

PS: This blog post has a terrific photo of a Victorian "Life-preserver", complete with its original bag. (These weapons were of course concealed.) http://tomstephenson.blogspot.com/20...preserver.html

[Phil Carter]

Hello Roy,

Thanks for the info and the images.

A question..off the top of my head.. wasn't there a policeman in his memoirs who talked of watching a man in his shop (?Aldgate) and following him to other shops?

It is about the only Kosminski connection I can think of, as this suspect was apparently a red hot one. Speculation has been made as to whether Aaron Kosminski was the man the police were referring to, but falls down by the fact that he didn't have a shop?

Thanks again


Phil