Butchers in the Parish
by SLHS on
Thursday 14 July 2016
Not so long ago, a butcher was a person who not only dressed and sold meat, but also slaughtered the animal. In modern times, we think of the abattoir worker and the butcher as two distinct trades, but even today there is often a strong link between the two, as, for example, in the case of Owen Taylor’s of Leabrooks, a family business of long standing in the parish.
Many years ago, livestock farmers often also traded as butchers, preparing not only their own animals for sale, but sometimes those of neighbouring farms. This is true of some of the farmers in Somercotes who also performed the task of butcher.
Modern supermarkets and the ability to freeze produce have considerably reduced the numbers of independent butchers throughout the country, and this has also been reflected in the parish of Somercotes. As of 2016, the only surviving independent butcher in the area is Owen Taylor’s, although at one time butchers shops were common and a necessary part of everyday life.
| BUTCHERS LISTED IN 1828: | |
| STORLAND, John | Somercotes |
| BUTCHERS IN LISTED 1849: | |
| CARTLIDGE, William | Somercotes with Birchwood |
| LEE, Joseph | Somercotes (Joseph is also listed as a shopkeeper) |
| BUTCHERS LISTED IN 1857: | |
| CLARK, Samuel | Somercotes |
| LEE, Joseph | Somercotes |
| STERLAND, Samuel | Somercotes |
| STEVENS, John | Somercotes |
| BUTCHERS LISTED IN 1876: | |
| BEECROFT, Henry | Greenhill Lane |
| CLARK, Samuel | Somercotes |
| COOK, George | Somercotes |
| GILL, Edwin | Greenhill Lane |
| LOVATT, Jesse | Somercotes |
| MANSFIELD, Frederick | Somercotes |
| NIX, Adam | Somercotes |
| PURDY, George | Somercotes (George is listed as a Pork Butcher at the Market Place) |
| WATERALL, James | Somercotes |
| BUTCHERS LISTED IN 1895: | |
| BARKER, Thurston & Trevor | Somercotes (Thurston and Trevor are listed as Pork Butchers) |
| FLETCHER, James | Somercotes (James was also listed as a joiner. The butcher's shop was situated on High Street). |
| HUNT, Robert John | Somercotes (Robert had premises in the Market Place) |
| KNOWLES, James | Somercotes (The butcher's shop was located on the High Street. James was listed as a Pork Butcher)) |
| MANSFIELD, Frederick | Somercotes (Frederick's premises was located on the High Street) |
| MUSGROVE, Thomas Henry | Somercotes (Thomas was listed as a Pork Butcher) |
| PURDY, Edwin | Somercotes (Edwin was listed as a Beef & Pork Butcher) |
| STOPPARD, Henry | Somercotes (Henry was listed as a Beef & Pork Butcher) |
| TAYLOR, John | Somercotes (John had a butcher's shop on Quarry Road) |
| WATERALL, James | Somercotes (James had premises on the High Street) |
| WILBRAHAM, Charles | Birchwood Lane |
PHOTO: Owen Taylor's shop, Leabrooks (photograph from company website, c.2015).
| BUTCHERS LISTED IN 1908: | |
| BARKER, Edward | Birchwood Lane |
| BARKER, John & George | Leabrooks |
| BRADBURY, George Curzon | Somercotes |
| EASTMAN's Ltd | Somercotes |
| KNOWLES, James | Somercotes (James was listed as a Pork Butcher. The shop was located on Leabrooks Road) |
| LYCITT, Frederick | Somercotes Hill (Frederick was listed as a Pork Butcher.The shop was next to the Old English Gentleman Inn) |
| MANSFIELD, Frederick | Somercotes (Frederick's premises was located on the High Street) |
| MANSFIELD, George | Somercotes (George was listed as a Pork Butcher) |
| MYCROFT, Thomas | Somercotes |
| NELSON, John | Somercotes |
| PURDY, Edwin | Somercotes |
| TAGG, Herbert | Somercotes |
| TAYLOR, John | Somercotes (John had a butcher's shop on Quarry Road) |
| WATERALL, James (Mrs) | Somercotes (Mrs Waterall had a butcher's shop on the High Street) |
| WALTERS, Henry | Pye Bridge |
| BUTCHERS LISTED IN 1916: | |
| BLATHERWICK, Frederick | Somercotes (Frederick was listed as a Pork Butcher and had a shop on Leabrooks Road) |
| COSWORTH, Percy | Somercotes (Percy had a butcher's shop on Nottingham Road) |
| EASTMAN's Ltd | Somercotes |
| HAYCOCK, John Willie | Somercotes (See Nelson & Haycock below) |
| HOOL, Bertram | Somercotes |
| KNOWLES, Ernest | Leabrooks |
| KNOWLES, James | Somercotes (James was listed as a Pork Butcher. The shop was located on Leabrooks Road) |
| LYCITT, Frederick | Somercotes Hill (Frederick was listed as a Pork Butcher.The shop was next to the Old English Gentleman Inn) |
| MANSFIELD, Frederick | Somercotes (Frederick's premises was located on the High Street) |
| MYCROFT, Thomas | Somercotes |
| NELSON & HAYCOCK | Somercotes |
| TAGG, Herbert | Somercotes |
| TAYLOR, John | Somercotes (John had a butcher's shop on Quarry Road) |
| BUTCHERS LISTED IN 1925: | |
| COOKE, John James | Somercotes (John's shop was located on Nottingham Road) |
| EASTMAN's Ltd | Somercotes |
| HOOL, Bertram | Somercotes |
| KNOWLES, Ernest | Somercotes (Ernest was listed as a Pork Butcher. The shop was located on Leabrooks Road) |
| LYCITT, Frederick | Somercotes Hill (Frederick was listed as a Pork Butcher.The shop was next to the Old English Gentleman Inn) |
| MANSFIELD, Frederick | Sleetmoor Lane (The address is a change to the one previous listed) |
| MANSFIELD, George | Somercotes Hill (George is listed as a Pork Butcher) |
| MYCROFT, Thomas | Lower Somercotes |
| TAGG, Herbert | Somercotes |
| TAYLOR, Owen & Sons Ltd | Leabrooks (Owen Taylor, Butchers was established in 1922) |
| BUTCHERS LISTED IN 1941: | |
| COOPER, George | Somercotes (the address is listed as 51, Nottingham Road) |
| HAYCOCK & NELSON | Somercotes (the address is listed as 90, Nottingham Road) |
| JAQUES, Daniel McLennon | Somercotes (the address is listed as 53, Nottingham Road) |
| LYCITT, Frederick | Somercotes Hill (the address is listed as 51, Somercotes Hill) |
| MYCROFT, Thomas | Lower Somercotes |
| STEVENS, Robert | Somercotes Hill (the address is listed as 106, Somercotes Hill) |
| TAYLOR, Owen & Sons Ltd | Leabrooks |
| TODKILL, E. H. & Son | Somercotes (the address is listed as Nottingham Road) |