THEME Business, trade and industry

John Kay Inventor of the Flying Shuttle

John Kay 1704 - 1779
This entry is part 1 of 14 in the series Industrial Revolution

The costs to John Kay inventor of the flying shuttle were significant, as they were to the workers who lost their jobs as a result of mechanisation but his tenacious approach in the face of adversity is part of what made the inventors, visionaries and entrepreneurs of the Industrial Revolution brilliant.

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Those Humble Occupations

So many of our ancestors had seemingly humble occupations that it is easy to overlook the important role they played in the life

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Bringing your history to life

Arthur Banting R.E.M.E 1943 - 1946

Connect with the lives of your family members, capture the reality and essence of the story of their lives, documents,photos and map them with the places where they lived worked and played… here is an example…No why not become your own map maker and family treasure curator…

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Army Cyclist Corps Cap Badge

The Army Cycle Corps Cap Badge illustrates the great versatility of the bicycle in the C19th and C20th. Not only did the bicycle find it’s way onto the battlefields but it had a powerful impact on women’s rights as well. Quite an achievement for the humble bicycle

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Business and Industry – why is it important in family history?

Business and industry, we and our ancestors probably spend more time at work than at home, hence it’s significance to our understanding of and importance to gaining a deeper insight of the lives and times in which our family lived is critical. Take a look at our Business and Industry theme and also our complimentary Organisations and Jobs Occupations and Employment themes…

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1841 British Census and the wider world

Put the 1841 British census in a world wide context, by taking a look at some of the global events that had an impact on the lives of our ancestors, see how your family history connects to the past.

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St Katherine’s Dock

Why would London’s poor fight to earn a pittance of 4d a day in London’s Docklands? Were your relatives building the docks, living in the slums or competing for the work?

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  1. St Katherines Dock key to understanding life in London’s Docklands 19thC Ancestors who were London dock workers would have been familiar with St Katherine’s Dock…
  2. The Difficult passage across the Thames in C18th & C19th The growth of London in terms of population and trade demanded the need for more crossing points of the River Thames….
  3. Salford and the Industrial Revolution Salford, Manchester in the UK, was, at the end of the C19th, a small cotton, calico and silk weaving town with a population of about 7000 people. The Industrial Revolution brought great factories and mills to the town of Salford and not only did it become one of the most important mill towns in the……
  4. Manchester Ship Canal 1894 The Manchester Ship Canal was opened in 1894 and was the largest river navigation canal in the world. It took six years to build and cost £15 million. It was 58km long and started at the Mersey estuary in Liverpool and terminated at the dock in Manchester. It allowed the newly created Port of Manchester……
  5. Richard Trevithick and the Rotherhithe Tunnel 1807 The Cornish mining engineer, Richard Trevithick, was asked to undertake the incredible engineering feat of digging a tunnel under the River Thames from the Parish of St Mary Rotherhithe to the other side. The growth in docks, wharves, ship builders and a multitude of other manufacturers made it imperative to build some means of crossing……
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