Many of the female descendants of Francis Gant of Weeting, Norfolk worked as furriers in Brandon, probably not the most pleasant of occupations as the job involved skinning the local rabbits!
Lingwood’s Hat and Fur Factory in Brandon
Extract From White’s 1844 Suffolk Directory
BRANDON, a well-built market town, noted for gun-flints, whiting, rabbit-skins, and fur, is pleasantly situated on the south bank of Little Ouse river, which is navigable for barges, and is crossed by a good bridge, at the junction of roads from Lynn and Swaffham, 6 miles W.N.W of Thetford, 9 miles N.N.E. of Mildenhall, 16 miles N. by W. of Bury St. Edmunds, and 78 miles N.N.E. of London. Its parish increased its population from 1148 souls in 1801, to 2002 in 1841, and comprises 6760 acres of land, extending six miles westward, along the south side of the vale, to the fens, and including about 4500 acres of light sandy land, which was inclosed under an Act passed in 1807, previous to which it was in open sheep-walks, and a large rabbit warren. Though now enclosed, there are still many rabbits to be seen in the parish; and on its broders are the extensive warrens of Lakenheath, Santon Downham and Elveden, which supply the Brandon furriers with immense quantities of skins, the dressing of which gives employment to about 200 females. During the late war, and before the invention of percussion caps, great numbers of the inhabitants were employed in preparing gun-flints from the prolific beds of that mineral, which lie at various depths below the chalk stratum; but the trade had become nearly obsolete in 1838, when a company was formed in 138 £25 shares, for its revival. The flint found here in large masses is said to be the best in the world for the use of fire-arms; and Brandon is now the only place in England where gun-flints are made to any considerable extent. Here are three whiting-mills, and a large brewery; and several barges ply hence to and from Lynn with corn, coal, &c.
Linda
I have posted some data on another genealogy regarding the marriage of Caroline Gant aka Grant to ‘John Smith’ both convicts in Tasmania. ‘John Smith’ real name was Samuel Crawcour son of Isaac Crawcour and Simha Cohen De Lara. The Tasmanian Convict Records record his transportation in 1840 as well as the name of his mother and siblings. The Crawcour family are Anglo Jews and Isaac Crawcour 1777-1837 was a surgeon dentist in London. He was the son of Samuel Crawcour 1748-1816 an apothecary/surgeon dentist from Kracow Poland hence the derivation of the Crawcour surname. I hold together with one of my Australian distant cousins significant data on the Crawcour lines world wide. I am also aware of the descendants of Caroline and John Smith in Australia and am in contact with one of the line.
Phillip
My Father, George Albert Garrod, of Ipswich, Suffolk was sent as a was orphan to Australia when he was a teenager. He returned to Ipswich in the 1930s to marry and received a great deal of support from a Miss Gant. Do you know who she was and have you any details of her life. Dad died in his seventies but he never forgot the kindness he received and spoke of his benefactor with great affection.
Miss Gant sounds like a lovely lady! Unfortunately without a first name it would be impossible for me to identify her as there were several Gant families in Ipswich in the 1930s. Sorry!