There has been a lot of interest in my discovery of my 6X Great Grandfather, David Wait (c.1738-1793), a carpenter from Shoreditch. Documents exist that show from 1780 until David’s death, he was renting property in New Inn Street, south of St. Leonard's Church.
One of the many resources I use for my clients are old maps. They can give us a fascinating insight into the places our ancestors lived and the world they knew. I have shown Horwood’s map of 1792, which details how New Inn Street (bottom left), in Shoreditch, would have looked during David Wait’s lifetime.
I have also shown an insurance map (pink/red) from the 1880’s which reveils the growth in premises dedicated to carpentry and the furniture trade, just in the vicinity of New Inn Street. Right on what would have been David Wait’s doorstep was a saw-mill, cabinet factory, stacks of wood, french polisher, timber store, furniture warehouse and various wood workers.
I was also lucky, on this occasion, to find an old photograph of New Inn Street from 1907. Although this is much later than David Wait’s lifetime, it shows the old buildings occupied by cabinet makers. A french polisher peers from the doorway and on the pavement you can see some furniture in various states of construction.
Living here, David Wait witnessed how London would become the principle centre of the English furniture trade.
