HISTORY OF THE TIRRELL FAMILY OF WEYMOUTH, MASS.
WITH THE RELATION TO THE MANUFACTURE OF MEN’S
BOOTS AND SHOES.
The Tirrell family of Weymouth is one
of the oldest families in Massachusetts or New England. The first known Tirrell
of this branch of the family to arrive in this country was John Tirrell of
Instow Parish, Devon, England; a mariner who settled in Boston. John Tirrell
had a son Samuel who lived and died in Instow Parish, Devon, England. John and
William, sons of Samuel came to America with their grandfather, John, and
settled in Boston, It is known that John Tirrell, the grandfather had property
on Cross Street in Boston.
William Tirrell, son of Samuel, married Rebecca Simpkins
in Boston on Jan. 29, 1654. She was the daughter of Capt. Nicholas Simpkins,
the first commander of Castle Island Fort in 1634. He moved from Boston to
Weymouth in 1672 and took the oath of allegiance there in 1678-9. William
Tirrell had four children; Rebecca b. Dec. 16,1656, William b. Mar. 16, 1659,
Mary b. April 6, 1661 and Gideon b. July 16, 1664.
William, son of William, married Abigail Pratt, daughter
of Thomas Pratt of Weymouth. He moved from Weymouth to Abington in 1705 and
died there.
Gedion, the youngest son of William and Rebecca, and
brother of above William, moved to Weymouth when about twenty years old and
lived with his brother. He married Hannah--- Shaw? or Kingman? Chamberlain in
his History of Weymouth calls her Hannah Kingman, and later under the name of
Saw states that Hannah Shaw married Gideon Tirrell, which coincides with family
tradition that Gideon Tirrell married Hannah S----. Gideon Tirrell was a
carpenter.
Until recent years it was believed that the first
settlement of the Tirrell’s in Massachusetts was made at Weymouth by Gideon
Tirrell, but recent researches have shown that the earliest settlement was made
in Boston as stated above.
Gideon Tirrell settled in the south parish of Weymouth,
now know as South Weymouth, not far from Nash’s Corner on Front Street, on the
old rod to Weymouth Landing, near the junction of Mill Street. As mill power
was available in this location, this became one of the earliest settlements in
South Weymouth. There were four mill privileges at this point; Bartlett Loud
Mill, Sherman Mill, Reed Mill and a small privilege where Amos Merritt and Sons
made needles.
The original homestead of Gideon Tirrell stood near the
spot of the Kingman Tirrell house at 693 Front Street, which was recently owned
by Austin Tirrell. The old Tirrell Cemetery is in the near vicinity. The
original house was burned and the Kingman Tirrell house built near the original
site. The land of the homestead lot was purchased from Matthew Pratt (son of
Matthew) on Sept. 28,1686, and deed was signed by Peregrine White as witness
for the King.
It was from this home of Gideon Tirrell that practically
all of the Tirrell’s of Weymouth originated and scattered to different parts of
the town. The town records show that Gideon Tirrell was an extensive land
owner, his holdings consisting of 150 acres, more or less, running from the
lower end of Great Pond to the Braintree Line.
The descendants of Gideon Tirrell from 1850 to 1875
constituted—with two names excepted—the largest number of voters in the town
and two thirds of whom, probably, contributed for town expenses as large an
amount as the whole of those of any one name in Weymouth.
The history of the descendants of Gideon Tirrell from
here to 1851 is quite clear as recorded in the “Genealogy of the Tirrell
Family” written by Benjamin Tirrell and published in 1851.
The manufacture of shoes began to be one of the leading
industries of Weymouth about 1800 and the Tirrell family began to be associated
with this business in a large way at this time.
James Tirrell 5 (Ebenezer 4, Gideon 3, Gideon 2, William 1)
born March 1, 1768, married Hannah Kingman on Dec. 8, 1793. She was the
daughter of Zachariah Kingman and Elizabeth Tirrell. They had eight children;
Kingman b. mar. 30, 1795, James b. May 8, 1797, Betsey b. June 28, 1799, Minot
b. July 24, 1801, Minot b. Oct. 28 1805, Wilson b. Feb. 15, 1808, Mary b. Apr.
25, 1810 and Albert b. June 10, 1813. James Tirrell Sr. died on May 27, 1815 at
the age of 47 leaving his family of five sons and two daughters, the oldest
eighteen and the youngest 2 years of age. His widow married Cornet Ezra Reed in
1823 as his second wife. Ezra Reed by his first wife had a large family, the
following being his sons; Ezra, Harvey, Quincy, John and Alvin. These children
and the children of James Tirrell were all brought up together in one family.
The Reed boys; Quincy, Harvey, John and Alvin, are identified with the shoe
industry of South Weymouth, as they did a large business in manufacturing in
South Weymouth and jobbing in Boston, New Orleans and the West Indies during
the years 1809-1833.
James Tirrell Sr. built the shoe shop about 1808 which stood
on Front Street on land which was part of the original Gideon Tirrell
Homestead, about 300 feet from his house. This shop was a small building about
twenty-five feet by thirty-five feet and two stories high. About the only work
done in this building was the cutting, treeing and dressing. The rest of the
work was done outside in homes and small ten foot by ten-foot shops. Full
description of this will be given later.
The footwear made at this time were mostly men’s brogans
and a few long-legged boots and slippers, cut from heavy kip skins, with the
finer ones cut from calf skin. The
balmoral shoe of the present day was not known at this time.
James Tirrell’s five sons Kingman, James, Minot, Wilson
and Albert were all manufacturers of shoes and large leather dealers.
Kingman Tirrell, the oldest son went to New Orleans about
1815-1818 soon after Louisiana was ceded to the United States from France. He
took a partner in New Orleans and established a wholesale jobbing house to sell
shoes to the planters. These shoes were to be made in South Weymouth. He came
home to South Weymouth and married Charlotte Richards on Mar. 2, 1820 and on
returning to New Orleans found that his partner had decamped with everything
leaving him penniless. He therefore returned to South Weymouth and later
manufactured shoes here. Kingman Tirrell had several sons; Kingman Jr. who went
to New Orleans and died there of Yellow Fever, Albert and Austin who
manufactured shoes from 1860 to l870, and several others who were not identified
with the shoe industry.
James Tirrell Jr. made shoes for a time in the same shop
that his father built on the homestead lot. The business was later moved to the
center of South Weymouth. He with his brothers Minot, Wilson and Albert
benefiting by the experience and knowledge of the business gained by Kingman
followed up the New Orleans trade at a later date. In 1831 the firm of James
Tirrell & Co. consisting of the three brothers James, Minot and Albert was
established for carrying on the shoe business. Minot went early to New Orleans
and was followed by Albert, who established a successful jobbing business
selling to the planters. They manufactured in the center of South Weymouth at
Independence Square (Dyer’s Corner) where the Odd Fellows hall now stands.
Their shop was a two and a half story building about one hundred feet long by
thirty feet wide. The building has since been moved away and converted into
tenements. In one end of this building was a grocery store, as was the custom
of the day and workmen were paid partly in cash and party in groceries.
Later the Tirrell brothers established a sole leather
business in Boston under the name of J & A Tirrell where they did an
extensive business, owning several tanneries in New York State and selling their
product throughout the states. This concern made some of the finest hemlock
tanned leather shipped into Boston.
After
the death of James Tirrell, the business was continued by his sons, James and
Alfred until the early 80’s. Previous to this Alfred Tirrell had been in the
shoe business under the name of Tirrell and Bates. (On side margin: Melvin,
Geo., and Breezy Bates ??)
Minot and Albert were also interested in real estate,
Minot owning much property in Boston and Lynn, and Albert owning much property
in Boston. Minot was the President of Weymouth National Bank from 1857 to 1876
and previously connected with Boston Banking interests.
From 1833 to 1860 Wilson, the other younger brother also
manufactured shoes in the same little shop on the homestead lot. Here he made
Brogans, Balmorals and long-legged boots. About this time an addition of about
thirty-five feet was built onto the shop making it about seventy-five feet
long. Wilson also manufactured for the New Orleans trade, as did his brothers,
and established a jobbing house there in charge of his brother-in-law, Winslow
Blanchard. He sold out this business about 1861-2 to Winslow and Christopher
Blanchard, both of South Weymouth.
The footwear manufactured were high-grade boots and shoes
in pegged nailed and hand sewed. The uppers were cut in the upper part of the
shop and some of the fitting was done there. The lower floor was used for sole
leather, treeing, and packing, and one end was used for a grocery store. A part
of the fitting and all of he making was done outside in practically the same
manner as was done in earlier days, no great improvements having been made in
shoemaking up to 1837-1850. The uppers were sent to the neighbors and more
distant homes and seams were sewed by hand with linen Thread with hog bristle
ends, through holes that were punched with an awl. The work was held in a clamp
to keep it in place for sewing. The tops were bound on with galloon leather
binding which was stitched to the top and lining by hand. The counter was quite
often stitched to the upper by hand with a waxed linen thread. When done, as
formerly, these were returned to the shop and again sent out with the sole
leather, innersoles, heels etc. to the shoemakers who worked in the small ten
by ten foot shops. Here one, two or more worked together making the whole
bottom of the shoe. The soles, innersoles and heels were roughly cut in
squares. Sometimes the whole side was given to the shoemaker. An average side
of leather would make the soles, innersoles and heels for twelve pair of shoes.
At this time the sole leather stock was put up so roughly that there was a
chance for an economical shoemaker to save, by pounding out the leather on a
lapstone and stretching with pliers, form one to two pair of soles from the
leather given for twelve pairs. These soles saved were put into their closet
where they kept their cabbage stock. They appropriated these soles to
themselves and sold them to traders for a good price, and sometimes the
original owner even bought them back. It was considered all right for a man to
keep any stock he could save from the stock given to him. These shoemakers
worked on low down individual three or three and a half foot shoemakers benches
with a seat, and a place for their tools and a drawer beneath the seat to hold
their stock. Their tools consisted of a lapstone to pound out, stretch and
harden the leather, an awl, a hammer, a hand knife to trim the edges and heels
and to skiv off the flesh side of the leather, a leather strap and stirrup to hold
the shoes on their knees while pegging, nailing, hand sewing and edgemaking. Up
to 1815 quite a number of the peggs were made by hand and some of the thread
was ever made from home raised and homespun hemp.
The sewed shoes were all hand sewed and hand stitched and
a pair of pincers was used to pull the uppers onto the lasts. The shoes were
lasted with pegs instead of tacks. The innersole was tacked on with pegs and
were trimmed with a hand knife. After the soles were hand pegged or hand sewed
and hand stitched in place, the edges were trimmed by hand with a knife and
scoured smooth with a sandstone, or in later years, with sandpaper. The edge
was then finished by applying paste or gum and black ball and rubbed with a
hard wood edge rub stick.
From 1800 to 1837 most of the lasts were made by hand
from pine wood blocks, the shoemaker often making his own lasts. Only one last
of a size was used and this last served for both the right and left foot. There
were no right and left shoes, the shoes were interchangeable. There were no
detachable blocks on these lasts for ease in removing the last from the shoe.
The same last was used for all widths, the change in width being made by adding
one or more thicknesses of leather to the top of the last. Rubber cement did
not exist at this time. Flour paste or glue was the only thing available to
stick parts together at this time.
After the shoemaker finished his work, the shoes were
returned to the shop to be inspected by the manufacturer before paying for the
work. Sometimes in case of poor work the shoemaker was fined. In the shop the
shoes were then treed, by treating the leather with gum tragacanth and rubbing
with a rub stick to a polish, then dressing with a coat of shellac ammonia
dressing. They were then packed and were ready to be shipped to the customer.
In 1808 all shoes were shipped into Boston in saddlebags
on horseback. When sent to New Orleans they were repacked in Boston in casks
and hogsheads, which could be easily handled on sailing vessels. These hogsheads
and casks were used later to ship molasses back to Boston. Wooden cases did not
come into use for packing shoes until 1837-50 and cartons were not used until
about 1850.
The shoe manufacturers of 1837-60 went to Boston once or twice
a week. The all owned good horses and went over the road stopping at Neponset
Half Way House to rest and lunch and then proceeded to Boston. The writer has
often heard his grandfather, Wilson Tirrell Sr. tell of the other manufacturers
of South Weymouth driving down and meeting in front of his factory. When all
had arrived they would start for Boston together. They all had fast horses and
the game was to see who could win the race to Neponset. Often one of another
would pick up during the week a sorry looking animal that had been a fast
trotter and he would clean out all of them winning the race without any effort.
During this period (1800-1850) shoemakers would not work
steadily. They would leave their work for necessary farming and on other
occasions when the spirit moved them to go fishing and gunning.
Wilson Tirrell Sr. at this time (1833-60) had a grocery
and general store at one end of the shop, as did his brothers and the other
manufacturers of that day. Here they kept a good supply of groceries, tools,
kit and other family necessities. Little money changed hands these days and
most of the labor for the making of the shoes was paid for with the goods from
the store. The shoe manufacturer bought his groceries and other goods at
wholesale on credit and retailed it out his workmen at a good profit. The
workmen had small account books and their work was credited to them and their
groceries and other supplies were charged up to them. Sometimes the workmen
took an order for goods on another store. There was no regular payday but the
workmen took cash or goods as the required them.
During the years from 1845 to 1873 there was a great
change in the system of manufacturing shoes. Machinery began to be developed.
Previous to this date the method of making shoes had remained stationary, the
same methods and hand tools being used as had been used for hundreds of years
before. Some of the first machines to be developed were; hand powered rolling
machine, foot power pegging machine, wax thread post machines for stitching
uppers and counters, sewing machines for stitching uppers of finer grades
shoes. The fair stitch machine for stitching the edge of soles to imitate a
hand stitch, hand skiving machines for upper and sole leather, hand edge planes
and irons for making edges and last turning machines. In 1664-68 the McKay
sewing machine came to be used for sole sewing with a royalty of one to five
cents a pair, men’s shoes being five cents a pair. The nailing machine began to
be used at this time as were also the eyelet and treeing machines. These
machines were run by either foot or hand power.
From 1870 to 1875 work commenced to be concentrated under
one roof in order to have more uniformity of style and finish.
The writer found in the attic of his grandfather, William
Tirrell, after his death, old bills for brogans, which he bought from Henry
Wilson of Natick who later was Vice President of the United States of America.
These brogans were sold to the New Orleans trade. The price for which Henry
Wilson sold these shoes at this time was seventy-five to eighty-five cents per
pair.
After Wilson Tirrell Sr. retired from the shoe business,
selling to Winslow and Christopher Blanchard of South Weymouth because of
unsettled times in New Orleans previous to the Civil War, Wilson Tirrell Jr,
born Sept. 18, 1832, began the manufacture of men’s boots and shoes for the New
Orleans trade. About 1856 he established a jobbing house in New Orleans and
manufactured in the same old shop on the homestead lot in South Weymouth, as
did his father, grandfather and uncles before him.
At this time he made a high grade pegged, nailed and hand
sewed, calf boot and balmoral and congress shoe. He commenced to adopt the new
hand and foot power machines, which were coming into use. When the fair stitch
machine came into use to put a yellow stitch on the edge of the sole to imitate
the yellow hand stitch used at the time he thought he had a good thing as he
channel nailed some of the boots and shoes and then used this stitch on the
edge making them look like a hand stitched shoe.
Wilson Tirrell Jr. continued in business until about
1867. He was the last Tirrell to manufacture shoes in the old Front Street
shop. The shop was then used for various purposes until it was destroyed by
fire about 1920.
The writer remembers his father and mother telling about
going to New Orleans in 1857 and seeing men and women slaves sold on the block
in the slave market as one would sell cattle. On account of the fear of yellow
fever, northerners stayed in New Orleans only during the colder or winter
months.
The William Tirrell Jr. Homestead is at 991 Front Street
in South Weymouth.
Wilson Tirrell Jr. had a large family consisting of three
sons and four daughters. The eldest sons, Wilson, the writer, and Warren, twins
born July 20, 1858, followed in the shoe industry. The younger son, Hamilton is
an attorney at law in Boston and South Weymouth.
Wilson and Warren received their early training in the
shoe industry in J.S. Fogg & Co., and other shops in the Weymouth district.
In 1880 Wilson and Warren established a shoe business under the name of W &
W Tirrell making men’s fine boots and shoes for the New England, Southern,
Western and California trade. They also had a large New York and Philadelphia trade.
The type of boot and shoe made was the McKay pegged, screw nailed and hand
sewed boot and shoe. They also did a good business in the California trade in
long boots in screw nailed and copper nailed with a half sole and outside tap
sole. W. &W. Tirrell operated the first steam factory in South Weymouth
that is, the first factory where all the work was done in the same building and
the machinery run by steam power, making about twenty-five dozen pair of shoes
a day. This factory was also the first factory in South Weymouth to use the
Bussell edge trimmer and edge setter.
They continued in business until 1889 when Warren Tirrell
went with C & P. H. Tirrell, his wife’s father being Prince H. Tirrell, who
had been doing a large manufacturing business in South Weymouth, and also
owning a large jobbing house in San Francisco. This business was established in
1850, Mr. P.H. Tirrell being one of the forty-niners who went to California
during the gold fever, who saw in California a good shoe market. C. &P.H. Tirrell
made one of the finest grades of shoes made in New England. Nothing but the
best stock and labor was used, and their goods demanded the highest prices.
Warren Tirrell continued with this concern until the death of one of the
partners in 1890. He then entered the employ of Bouve Crawford of Brockton in
their Warren Ave. factory as foreman of their bottoming dept. and continued
there for about two years when he left them for a better position with Howard
and Foster of Brockton, as Superintendent and buyer of their bottoming
department. He was with this concern for twenty-eight years continuing in this
position until the death of Mr. Howard, when he retired from active business in
1920. Howard and Foster was one of the largest factories in Brockton, making 2400
pairs of shoes per day in 1914-15.
Wilson Tirrell, the writer, the other member of the firm
of W. & W. Tirrell entered the employ of J.S. Fogg & Co. in 1889 as
Superintendent of their South Weymouth factory, where fine grade of men’s
Goodyear welt, hand sewed, and nailed boot and shoe was made. He continued in
this position until the death of John S. Fogg in 1892. He then entered the
employ of Bouve Crawford of Brockton, in their Harvard Street factory as
foreman of the bottoming department. They made a hand sewed and Goodyear welt
shoe for the retail trade. This concern later moved all departments to their
new Montello factory. Wilson Tirrell continued with this concern for about six
years, leaving to enter the employ of W. L. Douglas Co. in charge of their
bottoming department and making 3600 pair of shoes per day. He remained with
this concern for about a year. In 1899 he entered the employ of Lewis A.
Crossett Inc. of North Abington, in charge of their bottoming department. In
1903 he was made superintendent of all the North Abington factory and later
general superintendent of all the North Abington and Augusta, Maine factories.
He continued with this concern until the death of Mr. Crossett in 1926 when he
retired from active shoe business. While he was with the Crossett Company he
saw the business grow from a factory two hundred and fifty feet long, four
stories high making thirty-five to sixty-five dozen pairs of shoes a day to a
factory one thousand feet long and four stories high making in 1914-15, three
hundred and fifty to four hundred dozen pairs per day. He had charge of three
factories with two assistant superintendents and sixteen foremen of departments
under his supervision. Mr. Alvin T. Reed, a descendent of Cornet Ezra Reed,
previously referred to, was one of the assistant superintendents.
With the retirement of Wilson and Warren Tirrell, sons of
Wilson Tirrell Jr., in 1920 and 1920 respectively, the Tirrell family of South Weymouth,
as descended through James Tirrell Sr. as a factor in the shoe industry has
ended. Wilson Tirrell has a son, Robert Wilson, who is a mechanical engineer,
and Warren Tirrell has a son, Warren Cedric, who is engaged in the mercantile
business, both in Boston.
The writer wishes to impress the fact that during all of
this period from 1808 to 1890 and even to the present day, Weymouth has always
made the finest grade, best quality, and highest priced men’s shoes in
Massachusetts. Their workmen were of he highest grade and when manufacturers of
the surrounding towns wanted to improve their work they sought their
superintendents, foremen and workmen in Weymouth.
Other shoe concerns in Weymouth in which the Tirrell’s
were active were:
Tirrell Church & Co. who did quite an extensive shoe
and manufacturing business in 18780-75 at Lovell’s Corner. They also did a
jobbing business in Boston.
Henry Austin Tirrell of East Weymouth did a shoe business
in the square at East Weymouth during the years 1875-80.
Torrey, Curtis & Tirrell did a large business in
North Weymouth between the years of ? & 1900. Arthur Tirrell was the
Tirrell partner in this concern.
Signed:
Wilson
Tirrell
270
Spring Street
Brockton,
Mass.
There was very little steam power used in Southern
Massachusetts until 1868-75. From 1875 –1890, it became generally used.
In 1837 there was a serious panic and many failures in
the shoe business.
In 1845 prices for labor were as follows:
Cutting $1.00 to 1.35 per day
Treeing $7.00 per week
Bottoming and Finishing per 12 pairs pegged
$5.00 & $6.00
Hand sewed $9.00
Fitting Brogans 3 ½ to 4 cents per pair
Bottoming cheap brogans 14 to 17 cents per
pair
Cost of last were 20 cents per pair
Tariff in 1790 $.50 per pair
1818 $1.50 per pair
1845 $1.25 per pair