Pocklington History - Leather and shoe making

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Leather and Shoe Making

"The Pocklington Shoe" was made famous when David Garrick (the eighteenth century theatre actor, playwright & theatre manager 1717-1779), wrote in a letter to Lady Burlington, the phrase "Not worth half so much as a Pocklington Shoe". Pocklington was the centre of a leather industry with a large tannery and smaller tan pits to be found all over the town. Because Pocklington was a market town where beasts were brought for slaughter to market, and because of the many leather fairs held in the town, a leather industry developed, and the fairs and markets were full of traders selling shoes and boots. For a video on Beverley Tannery which gives an indication of the process visit this link.

A poster of sale of the Pocklington Tannery

From Owens book of fairs 1758

Ben Jarvis was one of Pocklington's last leather boot maker and repairers.
Clipping from the Pocklington Post of May 10th 1990

"Ben Jarvis, a local boot repairer and maker said there is still nothing like hand sewn work. Ben's view was that good workmanship means everything. His grouse is that the leather is not like it used to be" - A newspaper clipping from c1950.

Ken Durkin knew Ben Jarvis said "Ben Jarvis was the last cobbler in Pock to make boots and shoes we used to go on cold nights and sit and listen to him. What a story teller! He also played the violin to us and he was a good artist. He once he went into mushroom growing in the cellars under what is now Cooplands I could go on and on about him".

1823 Baines Directory entries for leather/animal product related occupations

Boot and Shoe Makers.
Ponn Robert, Smithy hill
Easton John, (and inspector of raw hides) Market place
Lund Wm. May, Swine market
Marshall Thos. (cfe tea dlr.) Union st.
Pexton Geo. Market place
Richardson Wm. Market place
Richardson Robert, Smithy hill
Rispin William, Market place
Todd Robert, Chapmangate
Wright William, (and patten maker) Chapmangate

Butchers.
Brown Henry, Marketplace
Catton Thomas, New pavement
Cook Thomas, West green
Harlund Thomas, Chapmangate
Silborn James, Swine market
Staveley Thomas, George street
Terry Thomas, Market place
Thomas John, Market place
Todd John, Hungate
Wilson James, Chapmangate

Currier and Leather Seller
Rispin George, Union street
Kirtland Wm. whip maker, Union st.

Fellmongers.
Blanchard John, Chapmangate
Blanchard George, Union street

Glovers
Blanchard John, Chapmangate
Blanchard George, Union street
Hall William, Market place
Hall John, Marketplace

Saddlers.
Gilbertson Thomas, Market place
Linwood John, Market place

Tallow Chandlers.
Jackson Matthew, New pavement
Jackson John, Hungate

Tanner.
Wilson Thos. Knowlson, Union st.

Presentation by the Leather Curriers to John Hudson at Mr Dennison's Tannery in Pocklington (The Northern Star and Leeds General Advertiser
Aug 17 1839)

Yorkshire Evening Post - Friday 25 March 1927
Image © Johnston Press plc.
Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.
Image reproduced with kind permission of http://www.thebritishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/