Chapter 7 - Master Dyer



Chapter 7 – Master Dyer

 JAMES WASTELL was born on 15 Mar 1805 in New Inn Yard, Spitalfields  and baptised  8th Apr 1805 in St Leonards, Shoreditch.


He married Elizabeth Dodge, daughter  of Benjamin Dodge (A Cordwainer/Shoemaker in Holywell Lane.) 


 They married 3rd Jul 1826 in St George the Martyr Southwark,

 It is intriguing to know why they were married in Southwark, when they were in fact both from Spitalfields. The Marriage certificate was signed by Elizabeth’s aunt, Lydia Willman, Neé Bellott. 


Figure 1 St George The Martyr. Southwark
                                    
By 17th August 1830 James & Elizabeth were living in Cumberland Street, south of Holywell Lane.

 On 9th September 1838 (John Samuel’s Baptism) their address is given as Chapel Street. But by 1841 they were living in Cross Street, Finsbury Square. (Now the site of M&S)

By 1851 they had moved from Cross Street to 57 Buxton Street (aka Spicer Street) 


NB Wastell & Wright Silk Dyers were located at 43 Spicer Street (aka Buxton Street); 



Booths Poverty Map

James’ occupation at the birth of his children is given as that of a Dyer. Specifically on the 1851 census, a Silk Dyer, Master. “Master” meant that he trained apprentices. The silk yarn had to be dyed before it could be woven. James’ son, James, Jnr was a silk Journeyman. “Journeyman” is derived from the French method of payment by the day or ‘journee’ in French. Effectively, he was on a “zero hour’s contract”. When there was no work, there was no money. Daughter, Elizabeth, was employed as a silk warper, which meant she took the dyed silk strands and put them onto bobbins. Mother-in-law Elizabeth Dodge was a retired, “winder”. James’ sister-in-law, Martha, was also a winder, responsible for taking the silk strands off the bobbins and onto metal cylinders or cones ready for the weavers. 



James Wastell and Elizabeth Dodge had the following children:

  1. JAMES  b 23 Dec 1827.
  2. ELIZABETH  b 1828 in Shoreditch.
  3. JAMES  b.1830. He died in 1830.
  4. JAMES WILLIAM  b 17 Nov 1831
  5. ELIZA  b.1836 in Shoreditch.
  6. JOHN  b.9 Sep 1838. He died in 1839.
  7. EDWARD b 1841.
  8. EMILY  b. 24 Oct 1842 in Shoreditch. She married DANBY. He  b. in 1842.
  9. FREDERICK  b 27 Sep 1844 in Shoreditch. She died in 1877.
  10. HENRY  b 11 Mar 1847 in Shoreditch.
Mistress Dyer

James died in 1852. On his death his wife, Elizabeth, took over the running of the business.  The census of 1861 shows her the head of the household and Silk Dyer. None of her children are engaged in the silk industry, although daughter, Emma, is an upholstery trimmings maker.  Elizabeth continued to trade from 37 Buxton Road until about 1871.  Throughout this periods she appears in the Post Office Trade Directory. It is worth noting that her nephew, George Noquet, was also trading as a Silk Dyer in Buxton Street. 



By 1871 Elizabeth had moved to 15 Globe Road. A “Rough Area” 




Although now living in Globe Road, Elizabeth continued to run her silk dying business. Specifically on the 1871 Census she is described as a garment dyer. Daughter, Elizabeth, worked with her mother in the silk dying trade. 



It seems that whilst Elizabeth lived at 15 Globe Road, she ran her business from 26 Globe Road. Elizabeth continued running her silk dying business and appeared in the Post Office Trade Directory until her death, in 1888. She had some interesting neighbours: Ticket Writer, cow keeper.




On the 1881 Census, Elizabeth is still running her garment dying business.


Her death is 1888 marked the end of the Wastel connection with the silk industry.





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