Booth's Tailors, Bootmakers, and Hatters 1884-1888

[Chris Scott]

Booth's Tailors, Bootmakers, and Hatters 1884-1888

This was an examination of the above trades in the East End, looking both at working conditions in general and individual workshops in particular. As this is a lengthy work I will be posting the transcription in sections. There is a wealth of very detailed information regarding wages and working conditions etc.

Classification by Trade
1 General Tailors
2 Coats
3 Ladies
Jewish employers and work people
4 Vests
5 Juvenile
Mixed Jew and English both Employers and Work people, best shops are Jewish. Very best work domestic.
6 Trousers
English and German Employers and some Jews. Jews work in shops rather than in the homes.

Subdivision according to numbers usually employed.
A Over 25 hands - corresponds to 6 or more machines running
B 10 to 25 - 3 to 6 machines
C Under 10 hands - 1 or 2 machines
D Employing only the family with occasional assistance in busy times - 1 or 2 machines

Subdivision according to Character of Work done 1 - 3
1 Best bespoke - Morning Coats 12/- to 9/- Lounge jackets 9/- to 6/-
2 Bespoke stock - Morning coats 9/- to 4/- Lounge jackets 6/- to 3/-
3 Stock and common - Morning coats 4/- to 1/6 Lounge jackets 3/- to 1/-
4 Very common - Morning coats 1/6 to 1/- or 9d. Lounge jackets 1/- to 6d.

Subdivision according to Character of Work done 4 - 6
1 Order and good stock - over 9/- for vests, 1/- for suits and 1/- for trousers
2 Stop - Under 9/- for vests, 1/- for suits and 1/- for trousers

Types of Tailors' Shops (east End of London)
1 Best bespoke:
1 General tailor - wages 7/- to 8/- for 13/14 hours - 6d to 7.5d per hour
1 Presser - wages 6/6 to 7/6 for 14 hours - 5.5d to 6.5d per hour
1 Machinist - wages 7/- to 10/- for 13 hours - 6.5d to 7.5d per hour
1 Girl (felling and button holes) - wages 3/- to 4/6 for 12 hours - 3d to 4.5d per hour
1 machine
4 hands
Cost of labour per coat - 8/6
The General tailor would probably be the master - the presser would be a general tailor also and fill up his time so the machinist would probably work by the piece - would not work all the time but would make earnings equal to above rate per day. The girl works 10.5 hours - 1.5 hours are deducted from each day's pay. Possibly two of the men may be combined making 3 hands in all for the very best work.
Best bespoke work is usually done in small shops - there may be a few larger shops. Commoner work is usually done in larger shops - it is done at a disadvantage with less than two machines.

2 Bespoke Stock.
1 general tailor - wages 7/6 for 13/14 hours - 6.5d to 7d per hour
1 general tailor - wages 6/- for 13/14 hours - 5.25d to 5.5d per hour
1 machinist - wages 7/- for 13 hours - 6.5d per hour
1 machinist - wages 5/- 13 hours - 4.5d per hour
1 presser - wages 7/6 for 14 hours - 6.5d per hour
1 Feller (girl) - 3/6 for 12 hours - 3.5d per hour
1 Feller (girl) - 2/- for 12 hours - 2d per hour
1 Buttonhole hand - piece .5d to 1d per hole (provides twist) - will probably make 3/6 for 10.5 hours work
2 machines
8 hands
Should run out about 10 coats per day

The master would be a general tailor and probably "fix" the work
With 3 machines there would be another machinist at from 7/- to 5/-, an under presser at about 5/-, one or two more tailors at 7/- to 6/- or another girl to fill and another buttonhole hand = 13 hands in all. And similarly with slight variations for larger shops, running four hands ( or a little over four) for each machine.

3 Stock and Common
1 Machinist (best) - wages 6/- to 11/- for 13/14 hours - 5d to 6.5d per hour
1 Machinist (plain) - wages 3/- to 4/- for 13/14 hours - 2.5d to 3.5d per hour
1 Baster - wages 4/- to 5/6 for 13 hours - 3.75d to 5d per hour
1 Presser - wages 6/- for 14 hours - 5d per hour
1 Feller (girl) - wages 3/6 for 12 hours - 3.5d per hour
1 Feller (girl) - wages 2/6 for 12 hours - 2.5d per hour
1 Feller (girl) 2/- for 12 hours - 2d per hour
1 Buttonhole hand (girl) - piece - 5 holes for 2d (provides twist) - will probably make 3/- for 10.5 hours work
2 machines
8 hands
Should turn out about 14 coats per day. Cost of labour 2/2.5 per coat
The master might be the best machinist or the baster and would generally do the fixing.
With three machines there would be another plain machinist at 3/- to 4/-, an under presser at 3/- to 4/- (or one man might do the whole with sever work.) There might be another baster and there would be one more Feller and one more buttonholer = 12 or 13 hands, and for more machines in proportion, with slight variations - 4 hands or a little over for each machine.

4 Very common
1 Machinist (best) - wages 6/- for 13/14 hours - 4.75d to 5d per hour
1 Machinist (plain) - wages 3/- for 13/14 hours - 2.5d to 2.75d per hour
1 Baster - wages 4/- for 13 hours - 3.75d per hour
1 Presser - wages 5/- for 14 hours - 4.75d per hour
1 Feller (girl) - wages 2/- for 12 hours - 2d per hour
1 Feller (girl) - wages 2/- for 12 hours - 2d per hour
1 Feller (girl) - waged 1/6 for 12 hours - 1.5d per hour
1 Buttonhole hand - piece - 3 holes for 1d (provides cotton) - will probably make 2/- for 10.5 hours
2 machines
8 hands
Should turn out 25 coats per day. Cost of labour 1/- per coat
The master would be the best machinist or baster and would do the fixing.
There might be a presser of 2nd baster and doing felling (in place of one girl) getting nominal wages or one of the girls might be an apprentice.
With 3 machines there would be another plain machinist (probably a learner.) One presser might still be enough with very hard work, or there would be a learner to help. There would be another baster, Feller and buttonhole hand, in all 12 or 13 hands.
With the lowest class of work the numbers of hands do not increase in proportion to the number of machines - more work being done on the machine - the saving being made in fellers and or general hands.

It is not unusual to have a certain understood stint of work which must be got through during the day: this will apply to all the men, not necessarily to the women. Extra hours will be worked till the quantity is finished and for these extra hours over time is not paid. All the hands would not be equally detained. The pressers' hours would be longest. Otherwise overtime is paid but long and short days are married together, for instance extra hours on Thursday night will be set against a short day on Friday. The day is divided into halves and quarters for wages - the time is not taken by the hour - the half or quarter day means so many hours or a stint of so many coats. The day may be cut short (at the quarter or half) as well as lengthened, in the interests of the employer.
The increased number of machines in the common shops may be a source of economy in two ways
1) a larger proportion of work is done on the machine
2) Time is saved by greater subdivision of labour.
And with the greater number of hands more imperfectly skilled labour can be employed, the work being adapted to the capacity of the workers. The result is that the cost of labour per coat is much reduced.

Vests
1 machine - might be one man to machine and press with 4 girls - one a vest maker, the others sewers, turning out about 20 to 25 stop bests per day. 5 hands.
2 machines - would employ two machinists, one of them possibly a woman at 4/6 or 5/-. The master would be machinist or baster. Pressing would most likely be done by a woman. There would then be 8 or 9 girls. One a "fixer" or baster at 4/6 to 5/-, two or three vest makers at 10/- or 12/- per week, the rest sewing girls at from 2/6 upwards (improvers) rising 1/- per week every 3 months, limit 10/- when they may leave to better themselves or make way for new girls. 11 or 12 hands.

3 machines.
Men:
1 Presser - wages 5/- for 13 hours - 5d per hour
1 best machinist - wages 7/6 for 13 hours - 7d per hour
1 2nd machinist - wages 5/- for 13 hours - 5d per hour
1 3rd machinist - wages 3/6 for 13 hours - 3.75d per hour
Girls:
3 buttonhole hands - 0.75d per hole, 16 holes per hour and find thread - 3d to 4d per hour
3 vest makers - 10/- to 12/- per week
6 sewers and improvers - 2/6 to 7.6 per week
16 hands - work and are paid by the day. 8 to 10 with the hour for dinner. Actual time may fall short of 13 hours, depending on pressure of work. Full woman's time 10.5 hours per day or 60 hours for from 0.5d to 2.5d per hour.

The men could over-run the woman and probably do not make full time. The men are allowed to play when necessary.
The output will be 60 or 70 vests a day for about 10d.

The above will be for cheap stop work vests under 1/-, for better there would be more men and fewer girls and a smaller proportion of people to machines.

Trousers:
1 Machine - a woman machinist (the mistress) and 4 or 5 girls, one of whom would go to shop, do their own pressing, are paid either piece work or so much a week, comes to 9/- or 10/- for 9.5 hours, usually begins at 9 and work will 8. Pretty regular work, say 5 to 6 days or 50 to 60 hours at 2d per hour. 6 hands.

2 machines - 2 machinists may be men, more probably women (including the mistress.) There may be a presser and about 10 finishers. The machinists will be paid by the piece earning 5/- for men or 4/- for woman (men cannot be got for the money) working from 9 till 8 or 9 till 7, say 10 hours work per day.
The finishers are usually paid by piece and work in or out, making at most 2d per hour - the indoor hands get the best work. The button holes are usually done by the finisher.

3 machines - more likely to have some men, especially a presser, but otherwise an exaggeration of the above.
There are for stop work. In the better class work there are men machinists and fewer hands per machine.

[Chris Scott]

Without wishing to patronise anyone, a few explanatory notes may be in order;
1) the lower case d represents pence - this 5d means five pence
2) The / symbol was the divider between shillings and pence, this 5/6 means five shillings and sixpence, 2/- means two shilling etc.
3) Piece = piece work, i.e. when a worker is paid by the number of units produced rather than the length of time worked

Chris

[Harry the Hawker]

great info

Thanks for posting this fascinating info, Chris. My great-great grandfather was a 'master tailor' in the East End during this period, so it is of particular interest to me. Cheers!

[Mike Covell]

These are great Chris, your fingers must be a little tired after typing all these up!!

[robhouse]

It seems that many of the east end tailor shops were employed by larger firms in London... ie. that they took orders from wholesale (?) firms. (See attached jpg). This shows examples from the Booth notebook A19, interviews with employers. These people run small shops similar in scale to the one Isaac Abrahams had on Greenfield Street. They speak of "working for" larger firms.

ex. "This man works for Samuel Bros (15 yrs) and for Smith and Macqueen (about 3 yrs)"... "He employed 8 men and 8 girls"... etc

Samuel Brothers still exists and is near St Paul's apparently. (http://www.samuelbrothers.co.uk/)

Rob H

[Chris Scott]

Thanks for the feedback guys!


Section 6
Hatters:
John Caspar 1 Warren Street SE (gone away)
Chiswell Hatteries 10 Chiswell Street SE
Christy Co Ltd 35 Graceshurch Street EC
Cooksey and Co 15 Bennett Street, Stamford Street SE
Cooper Box and Co 69 Aldermanbury EC
Wm Edwards and Co 132 Long Lane Bermondsey
Henry Heath 105-109 Oxford Street W
Robert Heath 24025 St Georges Place W
Hebbert and Co 16 James Street Haymarket
B Herzberg and Co 10-11 Chiswell Street EC
G J James and Co Thurlow Workis, Gambia Street, Blackfriars
Bedrich Krise and co 49 Stamford Street SE
Lincoln Bennett and Co 23-25 Helson Square
Luck and Sons Walbrook EC
Macqueen and Co 8-9 barbican EC
Pritchard and Co 59-60 Stamford Street SE
Richard Thomas Swinscow 64-65 Hatfield Street
Thos Townsend and Co 16-18 Lime Street EC
Tress and Co 5-7 Stamford Street SE
Ellwood and Sons 24 Great Charlotte Street, Blackfriars

Cap makers:
Julius Caron and Co 14 Bury Street St Mary Axe EC
Miss Lilla Chatterton 13 Fore Street Avenue EC
Morris Cohen and Co Tenter Street East E
Jacob Cohen 4 Little Alie Street E
Abraham Friedman 49 Mansell Street E
Moses Goldstein 41 Duke Street Aldgate
Woolf Goodman 28 Hanbury Street E
Mark Gothienier 62 Mansell Street E
Aaron Jacobs and Son 41 Houndsditch E
Julius Lewel 16-18 Old Street E
Mrs Eliza Heill 25 Spital Square E
Sadak Schneider and Son 39-41 Durward Street, Whitechapel Rd
Mrs Amelia Solomon 72 Mansell Street E
Aaron Zeffert 20 Widegate Street, Bishopsgate

List of Hatters Sent Out
Jay Victor and Co 24 Southwark Bridge Road
Fred. John Upton 68 London Road, Southwark
Thos Robert Mordley 159 Blackfriards Road SE
Cartmel and Son 78 Blackfriars Road
Thos Ibbotson 174 Stamford Street SE
Shelton and Arnold 43 Waterloo Road SE
Alf. Henry Roper 14 Canvey Street Southwark
Sigmund Wertherin 55 Castle Street Southwark
Joshua Turner 294 St James Road Bermondsey
George carter 215-217 Old Kent Road SE
Rowley and Brock 8-9 Middle Street Cloth Fair EC
William Croker 64 Bartholomew Street EC
William Bulmer 33 Mape Street Bethnal Green
Ed. and Chas. Matthews 55 Kingsland High Street NE
John Marter 116 East Road City Road N
Cyrille Belhomme 11 Great Newport Street WC
Walter Barnard 97 Jermyn Street SW
Wm Johnson 6 Sandys Row Bishopsgate E
C James, Manager Hope Bros. 122 Southwark Street SE

Straw Hat Warehouses
Wm and Hermann Bicker 28-30 Jewin Crescent EC
Thomas Bigmore 18 Australian Avenue EC (gone away)
E J Bourne and Co 136-137 London Wall EC
Carter and Co Braines Bldgs Beech Street Barbican EC
Hy Wm Davies and Co Cotton Street Australian Avenue EC
Dearbury Bros 33 Jewin Crescent EC
Fielder Houghton Warnock Barbican Crescent EC
Thos E Freeland 105 lancaster Street SE
Gustave Goldschimdt 16 Jewin Crescent EC
Geo Smith Hawindon and Co 46 Barbican EC
M Jacobi 14 Jewin Crescent EC
Kurtz Slubosch and Co 11-12 Australian Avenue Barbican EC
Mrs Amy Eliza Lewis 16 Fann Street Aldersgate Street EC
Chas Nicols 4 Cotton Street Australian Avenue EC
Arthur Rowe and Co 41 Aldersgate Street EC (gone away)
Sparkes 14 New Charles Street City road EC
Bernard Thos Swinstead 23 Well Street Jewin Street EC
Augustus Julius Vieweg 29 Falcon Square EC
Weinberg (Batty) and Co 17 Bermondsey New Road SE
Thos ward 22 Australian Avenue EC
Samuel Weiss and Co 65 Milton Street EC
William and Co 37 Aldersgate Street EC
Woolley sanders and Co 128-129 Wood Street EC
F J Elliott Barbican EC
G Norand 4 Westmoreland Buildings Aldersgate Street
Madame Le Boulanger 1-2 Australian Avenue EC
J Buckingham 10 Jewin Crescent EC
E Vickers 76-78 Golden Lane Barbican EC
Julius Shonbrun and Co Milton Street EC
Woolf and Sons Bridgewater Square Barbican

Cap makers:
Morris Appelbaum 11 Market Street Stepney
Ayres and Smith 48 Brewer Street Golden Square
Barber and Co 13 Royal Exchange EC
William Barham 46 Cherry Garden Street SE
John R Bramwell 15 Stevenson Street SE
Richard Brown and Co 31 Fann Street EC
Cristy and Co 35 Gracechurch Street EC
Cole and Wright 12-14 Beak Street W
Charles Davey 30 King David Lane Shadwell
Albert Edwards and Co 175 Blackfriars Road SE
Philip Epstein and Co 14 White Lion Street E
Joseph Follick 42 Clifton Street Finsbury EC
Thomas Fraser 8 Westmoreland Buildings EC
Abraham Friedman 49 Mansell Street EC
Solomon Frieger 42 Tenter Street SE
Heiman Garmise 20 Houndsditch E
Barnett Goldberg 14 Aldgate Avenue E
Jacob Goldberg 252 Kingsland Road NE
Adolph Gottlib 37 Fournier Street Spitalfields
Mrs Mary Griffiths 43 Huntingdon Street Hoxton
A E Hall and Reeves 1 Coxs Court Littel Britain EC
Hargroves and Co 41 Charterhouse Square EC
Geo Heyman 8 Whitecross Street EC
Mrs Mary Hirsh 87 Hoxton Street N
James Howard 18 Southwark Bridge Road SE
S Isaacs 4 Gravel Lane Houndsditch
Aaron Jacobs and Sons 41 Houndsditch
W and D Jacobs 22 Paper Street EC
Joseph Wolf and Co 27 Bow Lane EC
Hyman Kalmonowitch and Son 2 Fort Street Spitalfields
Aaron Levy and Co 1 Bridgewater Square EC
Lewis and Sutte 125 Houndsditch
Sophia Lewis and Co 1 Banner Street St Lukes EC
Luck and Sons 23-25 Walbrook EC
Simon Pearl 333 City Road EC
John Piggott 117 Cheapside EC
Lewis Sydney Pryor and Co 26 Aldermanbury EC
Jacob Silverman 4 Fournier Street
Mrs Ellen Skinner 48 Whitehorse Lane EC
Smith and Co 9 Aldgate Avenue Aldgate High Street
Mrs Edith Smith 8 Upper John Street Golden Square
Israel Swerdlof 5 Aldgate Avenue E
Westlands Laidlaw 25 Jewin Crescent EC
James White and Co 9-10 Redcross Street EC
S Woolf and Son 17 Bridegwater Square EC
Samuel Wolitzky 24 Newbury Street W
Young, Croxford Simkin and Co 45 Frith Street W

[Chris Scott]

Section 7
Replies to questionnaires or interview:
Trade Unions Section 45 - Hatter and Capmakers

Trade Society:
Journeyman Hatters' Fair Trade Union of Great Britain and Ireland
Objects:
1 - the assistance of members when out of work
2 - in sickness
3 - travelling in search of employment
4 - emergencies
5 - burial of members and their wives
6 - the superannuation of members
7 - promotion of general welfare, trade rights and privileges
8 - regulating the relations between workmen and employers
Year of foundation:
1759
Membership:
Classes of men admitted:
Hatters: e.g. bodmymakers, finishers and shapers
Numbers:
1894 - 1319 of whom 780 in London district
Funds in hand:
1889 - £2469
Amount per member:
37/5
Condition of election:
Most come as apprentices. For others, entrance of 21/-, except those coming as a shop. On rejoining , a man must be approved by the district in which he was when he left
Subscription:
By rate, 1/7 per week, Feb to July, 7d per week August to January.

Benenfits:
Out of work:
10/- per week for 17 weeks in the year. Must work and pay for 26 weeks beofre ebing entitled to a second period of benefit.
Strike:
called "emergency" For "lockout" or "turn our" or "fire" 18/- a week for 26 weeks and then out of work if entitled
Sick:
10/- per week for 17 weeks but cannot draw more than 17 weeks in the year. Out of work and sick combined.
Death:
£5 at death of member or member's wife
Others:
Superannuation:
4/- a week. Must be over 60, have 12 years consecutive membership and be incapable of working at the trade.
Regulations:
Constitution:
Divided into districts. Governed by a Returning District (RD) elected annually. The RD elects a Committee of 7 (EC) 2 of each class and a president. Each man serves 6 months.
Methods of training recognize:
Apprenticeship only for 7 years. Allow one app for 3 men; 2 apps for 10 men and 1 app for each additional 10 men. One employers son allowed as additional app. Sec. has a list of London apprentices.
In case of dispute:
EC may authorise a District to strike if attempts be made to alter price list, increase hours of work, put persons to hatting contrary to rules or refuse to employ or discharge a member becuase of his connection with Society. Employer must be first asked to redress the grievance.
Rate of wages and hours:
Piecework. day work forbidden by rule. 11 hours per day from Jan to June, 9 hours the other 6 months.
Do Union and non Union men work together? - No
Relation with masters:
Fair. Price list is a mutual agreement
Notes:
There are a large number of quaint terms and curious survivals of ancient customs connected with this society

Trade Society:
Amalgamated Society of Jouneyman Felt Hatters
Gen Sec:
Thos Mallalieu, 93 Manchester Road, Denton, Near Manchester
London Branch:
Sec: Thos Brown, 49 Ingrave Street, Battersea
Objects:
To defend and maintain prices. To provide unemployed, victimised, death and sick benefits.
Year of foundation:
1872
Classes of men admitted:
Felt hatters
Numbers:
3119 of whom 1959 under 13 weeks in arrears
London District: 804 of whom 27 under 13 weeks in arrears
Subscription:
10d per week and 2d for sick benefit (optional)
Benefits:
Out of work: 6/- a week for 13 weeks in year. 1/- a week for each child under 13 (This is to be stopped as some men object)
Strike: 12/- a week as long as needed with 1/- extra for each child under 13
Sick: 8/- per week for 13 weeks
Death: Men £6 Women £4
Notes:
Issues a Trade Inion Label to be affixed to all union made hats. 3.5 million have been issued.

Trade Society:
Capmakers' Union
Sec: M Wartenburg, 155 Backchurch Lane. Meets at Duke of Clarence, 71 Commercial Road, E (Saturday 4 to 8)
Numbers:
572 (this number given by a member in conversation unasked)
Condition of election:
Men and women engaged in cap making

Trade Society:
Hatters (Masters) Association
Sec: Mr S Cooksey, Bennett Street
Classes of men admitted:
Silk hatters (employers only)
Numbers:
About 12 firms
Notes:
Some firms hold aloof from trade jealousy; others because they will not pay the subscription. The principal firms are included.