[CROISDALE] : Old English 7” Dessert

[Traintime]

Surely a name from the general region of Yorkshire surrounding Leeds, wherein the Croisdale works or stores have been noted on Kirkgate and Briggate from the 1800’s. Could it be James the elder, James the younger, or the Sons of James? Is it a maker’s mark or a retailer’s stamp? And what of the nature of the metals content..notice what appears to be a real drop of some pronounced thickness and length (strap?) rather than an inscribed or faux drop..would this be made in electro plated wares? While some knives and other metal works have been linked to “Croisdale Leeds”, I have not been able to find any flatwares and nothing with this kind of punch mark. Certainly, there were plenty of Watchmakers and Jewelers plying their trades on these streets, and probably carried lines of silver and plated wares among their retailed goods. Oddly enough, these Croisdale et al guys apparently labeled themselves as Silversmiths among other trades such as Ironmongers.But are there any assayed and marked samples to support that claim?

[Traintime]

Some noted background on “Croisdale Leeds” family activities: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/com ... s.1256431/

[Traintime]

There’s no definite link of that punch mark to this firm’s history, but given all Row-eds Lead to Leeds, herein may be Leads.

Transcript of the White’s Directory (Trades & Professions) of 1837: https://www.blunham.com/big/eng/YKS/WRY ... 7aDry.html

Some Leeds Croisdale knowns: A John (c. 1780’s) was the father of a James (1808) who was the father of a John W.. Also, a James (born about 1803) lived some 71 years. [Perhaps there is some confusion of the dates with this being the same James?]

At any rate, in the 1837 listings John & Brothers are Dyers. James is a surgical instrument maker, located on Kirkgate.

We do know that Croisdale & Cox placed their name in the metal on the (brass?) butt cap of a fishing rod set (auction listings) with a reel made by another specialist…so this may be the type of sporting outfitting they engaged in. Interestingly, some brass makers had their addresses on Briggate around where Croisdale would open a shop/storefront (below a hotel?) in later years. Maybe they were equipped to work in brass tooling? Could they then also be able to make brass based flatwares and electro plate them? That might be stretching the definition of “silversmiths” a bit. [Walker & Hall are appearing to have a location on the opposite corner later on. Might this have been what put Croisdale out of their alleged silver business?]

[Traintime]

Sorry, IIRC that John W. was a John M.. (Guess I got turned like a Hanoverian spoon, not that that is happening here.)

[Traintime]

Back to scratch…two records that may or may not overlap due to the name Mary.

Firstly, from Find a grave: James Croisdale/ Trade: Cutler/Abode: Kirkgate/Birth Leeds 1808/Death 52 years (Epilepsy)/Internment 09 August 1860 Leeds General Cemetery Plot #5289/Father John/Mother Mary.

Then another source: James Croisdale/ Birth 09 May 1808/Father John born about 1787 (married 7 June 1807)/Mother Elizabeth (nee Hepburn) born about 1788/Wife Alice (nee Mitchell) married 12 January 1833/Son John M. born 1840 who thence married (1866 in Otley Yorkshire) Mary A. (nee Fairburn). No death date for John M.

Could these be the same? James the cutler can’t just die without offspring if Croisdale & Sons is related to him.

[Traintime]

One more odd part is that John M. has daughters, not sons. Could he have a brother who was the alleged James (the latter) of Croisdale & Sons? Or could there be two parallel family lines given that John the Dyer had brothers? It’s like a bunch of Tony’s and Paulie’s in a mob ring.

[Essexboy Found]

Hello,these are a couple of Croisdale box tops, not from cutlery, but from games.



Note the new address not mentioned in the "Bladesforum" reference and name "Croisdale & Co Ltd" at 7 Bond Street, Leeds. Could this be the "James Croisdale and Frederick William Beer as sole partners" in the period after 1904.
The red box top has the 36 Briggate address with just the "Croisdale" name, and possibly from after 1880 when a "James Croisdale" was possibly working alone.This is an entry from the 1894 White's Directory of Leeds & the Clothing District,

Croisdale James, cutler. & golf &c. warehouse, 36 & 133 Briggate.

Although "cutler" is still involved in the labelling of the concerns, retailing appears important.

Fishless

[Traintime]

Three images (of several) of that 33-35/36(?) corner building not in chronological order:







In the oldest, we can see Boar Lane has not been widened yet and there is a John T. Beer operating at No. 32 on the other corner. (No idea yet if he might be related to the latter Beer.)
Comparing the other two, the building appears a bit larger on the Briggate face in one shot. But in the other, looking just past the tram, a whole section seen to be whitish here looks almost like a separate building or extension an of the original using the same architectural elements. If that was No.36, then perhaps it was self contained permitting a manufactury operation on the upper floors (which would have been the rooms area in the hotel business of the main building)?

The problem with the lone late James is that we only know of a son named John M. for the earlier James (cutler). Looked at the known “Croysdale” Leeds families too but can’t tie them in as contributors to this firm.
If the spoon is from the later years, do they really need a visible drop which is antiquated by then? Does it betray the actual production method or base metal (softer brass versus hardened white metals)? Sure seems tough to have been competing with Walker & Hall and several jewelers on either side of that store…nobody is touting discount pricing here. Maybe guys who felt guilty about spending so much on their fishing gear are purchasing gift silverwares for the wifey?

[Essexboy Found]

Nice images Traintime, the one with the H.Samuel shop and the trolleybus is fairly late though. The Morris Minor car in the picture was first show at the London motor show late 1948, so image possibly circa 1950.



Above are Briggate numbers and names from the 1894 directory I referenced previously. Boar Lane was widened circa 1870, numbers 29, 30 and 31 seem to have disappeared, with maybe some renumbering of 32/33.
The below image is given a date of 1947 so should be just earlier than Traintime's trolleybus image.



The "white section" is not present and what was likely "Croisdales" shop is the "Wallis's" shop.

Traintime may have had insight though, the Frank's Spectacle shop above both 36 & 37 could have been "Croisdales" if they had expanded. The 2 high gabled window ends and the area behind were a refabrication to the top floor, judging from the image below, possibly circa 1890 (tramways fully electrified by 1901).



J.Croisdale, cutler at 36 is named in association with this image. Could that name be on the hoarding above the shop?

Fishless

[Traintime]

You’re darn tootin’ on that sign in the second image…definitely the Croisdale name along the top and actually in the next building away from the corner structure. Right where the peaked roofs had been earlier. Great eyeballin’!

[Traintime]

And you must be right about the dating of the last image. The gables are already there in the first image where horse cars are still operating. We might be seeing the back end of an enclosed horse pulled trolley with no upper levels yet.

[Essexboy Found]

Hello again, to go along with the buildings and the public transport, there were a few more trade directory entries.

1866 Directory of Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield
Croisdale & Cox, cutlers, ironmongers, and truss makers, 53 Kirkgate
Croisdale James, cutler; h Studley ter
Croisdale John, grocer and ironmonger, 31 Towngate, Holbeck

1870 White's Directory of Leeds & the West Riding,
Croisdale & Cox, cutlers, ironmongers and truss manufacturers, 53-54 Kirkgate
Croisdale James (C. & Cox); h Allerton ter. Chapeltown

1881 Kelly's Directory of West Riding of Yorkshire, Part 3 Court & Trade Directories
Cutlery Dealers.
Cox George S. .53 & 54 Kirkgate, Leeds
Croisdale James, 36 Briggate, Leeds

1881 Kelly's Directory of West Riding of Yorkshire, [Part 2 Places L-Y]
Croisdale James (late Croisdale & Cox), cutler, fishing tackle depot,
cricket, football & lawn tennis warehouse & optician, 36 Briggate

1888 Kelly's Directory of Leeds,
Croisdale James, cutler, optician, fishing-tackle maker
& football, cricket & lawn-tennis outfitter, 36 Briggate

The "optician" section of the concern is interesting considering the "Franks Spectacles" business that was shown in the later photos. Additionally the "cutlery dealer" probably underlines why there are a few spoons about with the "Croisdale" mark on.
Some finishing information shows a previous former owner of 36 Briggate who also was also a cutler, a Sl. Stears. Samuel Stears?

1870 White's Directory of Leeds & the West Riding,
.........Briggate numbers and names
27 Southam David, boot & shoe mkr
Boar lane
33 Pullan Chas. shawl & mantle whs
34 Bissington Richard, hatter
35 Hicks L. hosier and glover
36 Stears Sl. umbrella mfr. & cutler
Dickinson's court Barker & Barker, woolstaplers
37 Walker H. W. bksllr. & printer
38 Tennant George, ironmonger

Fishless

Ps.
At 36 Briggate in 1829 (Leeds Directory of Trades and Professions for 1829)
Cutlers, Stears William Morley,
Umbrella Makers, Steals(Stears?) William Motley, (and surgeons' instrument maker)
In 1847 (Briggate Leeds 1847)
Stears Saml Engraver
Stears Saml Umbrella maker (to Her Majesty)

[Traintime]

Before I get lost, I’d recommend the linked site for anyone researching Leeds and close areas while trying to figure out what you’re looking at: https://maggieblanck.com/Land/PhotosEngland.html