My great, great grandfather!

[ALW]

Hello all.

I have received my great, great grandfather and mother's marriage certificate
with a view to delving deeper into the past, and his father is shown as George Hemmings
Watson, occupation Hairdresser.

I'm trying to track down a hairdressing salon in the area where he may have worked.

Hemmings is an unusual middle name?

His daughter-in-law, Alice Jane Watson, nee Towner is the daughter of Frederick Edward Towner of the family run funeral directors in the area.

Any information gratefully received, thank you.

Alan

[cbe]

George H Watson 51 hairdresser born Rye lived at 6 East Beach St
with his wife Susannah and children, George H., Charles, Arthur,
Lizzie and Kate. Charles was a barber's assistant

[ALW]

That's great!
Charles is mentioned on the birth certificate as a witness.

Thank you for the quick response. Do you know the family?

Regards

Alan

[cbe]

No and it would have helped if I had told you that this was on the 1891 census. This does not give any indication as to whether this address was also his place of work. Maybe a local can help with that - which after all was your original question.

[ALW]

Thank you.

It answered a lot of questions anyway-really helpful.

Alan

[cbe]

One more thing Alan - I have a book by Irene Rhoden about George Woods,
a photographer based in Hastings in times of yore.
In this book is a photograph of a man stood at the door of a shop holding a
telescope and scanning the horizon. The shop sign says W.Dines
The caption says in East Beach Street was the establishment - W.Dines
Easy Shave and Hairdressing Saloon, established in 1824. Apparently the
chap watched for visiting ships - he would row out and do the necessary
for them.

But 'hairdressers' and 'East Beach Street' - perhaps your ancestor eventually
had these premises ?

[ALW]

Thats amazing!

Thank you, much appreciated

Regards.

Alan

[Gerry Glyde]

The use of an unusual second forename such as Hemmings is often a maiden name of the mother, although it may have been handed down through the generations. I have seen records of families who gave the same unusual second forename to siblings that may have caused confusion if more than one decided to use their second names!

[ALW]

Hello Gerry

That's interesting. I will have a look and see if that was his mothers maiden name.

Thanks for the information

Alan

[Gerry Glyde]

Thought you might like to see this