Today I had the privilege of sharing my research with the Cannington Shaw Preservation Trust in St Helens, held at the World of Glass. I have carried out extensive research into the heritage of the families who made Cannington Shaw the important glass bottle works that it became. Through their ancestry and lives, I was able to discover that John and Edwin Cannington and John Shaw made the perfect partnership when they joined together to form the company back in 1866. All that remains of Cannington Shaw Bottle Works now is the No. 7 Bottle Shop, which housed a pioneering Siemens Regenerative Tank Furnace. It's now a race against time to save this historic listed building before it succumbs to the ravages of time. Cannington Shaw Preservation Trust are endeavouring to secure funding to save the building for future generations. My research continues into these, now mainly forgotten, important figures within the glass industry. So.....watch this space.
In this 21st Century world, we are starting to get used to the rapid advance of technology and its impact in almost every corner of our daily lives. The cosy world of genealogy is no exception and recently much has been written about the pros and cons of taking a DNA test to discover ancestors. Hype surrounds it, its geographic mapping enabling claims that it can prove whether your ancestors were Romans or Vikings. However, what is acknowledged by academics is that it can be very useful in matching you with (up to) second cousins.
In today’s environment of “where there’s a blame there’s a claim”, it was refreshing to find a newspaper article showing how disputes were resolved in Victorian times: in a “gentlemanly manner”. I am currently mapping the ancestry of the founders of the Cannington Shaw & Co, Glass Bottle Manufacturers of St Helens, Lancashire.
Read more: Reputations and dispute resolution (a lesson for today)
Isn't it lovely when someone lets you know that they appreciate the work you've done for them. Here's an email I received this week from a recent client.
Thank you so much for doing all the work for my Mum’s birthday family tree… she was absolutely delighted! It means a lot to her, and I was surprised to find that it means a lot to me too! You brought the history of our family to life, and opened up the past with your lovely narrative and explanations. Lots to talk about, and information that will be passed to generations to come.