The surnames are first
Some
of the trades we find in the Directory are familiar to us today. Others
seem strange and unusual. Here we can see the bakers
of Brecon in 1835. At this time many working families would have baked
their own bread as it was cheaper. Those who could afford it could buy
from the specialist bakers like those above. There were no supermarkets
so those were the only choices.
In
this entry we can see the blacksmiths
of the town. They were very important throughout the Victorian period
as they made and repaired tools for the home, workshop and farm. Many
of them were farriers too. These were
the craftsmen who made and fitted horseshoes on the thousands of horses
at work in Victorian Britain.
(Notice that one of the blacksmiths is a woman. This was unusual in Victorian
times)
Boots and shoes were made locally
in Victorian times whereas now a great many of our shoes are made in another
country and imported. Most working men and women wore hobnailed boots
which could be repaired by the local shoe maker or cobbler.
Pictures by
Rob Davies
