Tuesday 1 April 2014

Temperance Medal puzzle

My next post is a Temperance Medal which appears to have been given to my father in the early 1930s.

In 1932 he would have been 24 years old, he had left home by then (his father told him to leave and find a job and somewhere to live on his 13th birthday!)
That gives an idea as to why I have no photos of my grandfather!

I know my dad was into boxing; this was one of the reasons that he ended up at The Colony (see November posting), as he was having blackouts which it was believed were a result of his boxing career. Was he a member of the society because they offered a boxing club?

In the past I have tried contacting the Temperance Society, but was told that they don't keep records, which I find hard to believe!
I think I need to contact them again.

Any other suggestions? Does anyone know anything about the Sons of Temperance? Did they have sporting clubs to take the young men away from the pubs? Does anyone know if there are any records of members?


                                                  

Front;                                                          
Top triangle; Love / Purity / Fidelity
Red & white ribbon
Bottom shield inscription reads;
The Order of the Sons of Temperance

Rear;
Back of Shield reads;
Southwark Division  
No. 173
Presented to
Bro. H. Zant
W.P.
Oct.1932 to Mar. ‘33

Monday 27 January 2014

My father's work

My father was known as Harry Zant, even though he was christened Harry Van Der Zant, which causes some problems in researching as I have to look at various possible names under either Z or V. Take into account also that this is a Dutch surname and is pronounced as "Von Der Zont" by the Dutch, with both of his parents being Dutch nationals who lived in England, one can see even more research possibilities.

At some point in his life he was apprenticed as a shoe repairer, and in 1949 started his own shoe repair business at Hayes End, Middlesex, England.

 I can remember as a child, he spent long, long hours preparing shoes for competitions and so this time I have got the certificates he won in those competitions. Some of the competitions appear to be run by certain magazines; 'The Shoe and Leather Record' and the 'Leather Quarterly'. Do these journals still exist? If not, have any of their journals been archived? If so, where?





 


I also have membership to the 'St. Crispins Boot Trades Association Ltd' dated 8th January 1964. Why 1964? He was in business from 1949 and worked for other shoe repairers before that date. Were there other organisations that he joined?


So get your thinking caps on. What do you know about researching the Shoe Repairing Trade? How can I find out more information about my dad's apprenticeship and life as a Master Shoe Repairer?