Topic: Tradesman.

My 2xG Grandfather Charles Johnston (1797-1848) was a boot and shoe maker in Glasgow. Pigot’s 1837 Directory shows him listed at 267 George Street, which is now a prestigious address in the heart of the Glasgow Business district.

George died in 1848. He did not leave a will, but on 24 July 1850 his son Charles (1817-abt.1856) made a solemn declaration to the effect that he and his brother (which one was not stipulated) and their mother “entered upon the management of the deceased’s personal estate”. The value of the deceased‘s Stock in Trade and household furniture was 39 Pounds, 13 shillings and one pence; and there were a large number of book debts to the value of 100 pounds, 13 shillings and threepence. There was a further list of 21 people headed “Book debts due but bad (underlined) and on which no value can be put” to the value of twenty six pounds and eight shillings.

The younger Charles took over the business. The 1851 Scottish Census shows him living at the same address, 267 George Street, a shoemaker employing six men. So the business must have survived and flourished.

Scottish records are wonderful! Here is the first page of the declaration:

The elder Charles was buried on 24 December 1848 in Glasgow’s Southern Necropolis. Either he or his son the younger Charles was the registered owner of the lair, the address of the owner being 267 George St., Glasgow. It is a most imposing lair and as was common in those times, various other bodies were also interred there. Records enabled me to identify them and to greatly expand the family tree. Charles was obviously a very prosperous tradesman.