The Oldham Family Business

I knew already from the Census returns that my Nottingham Oldhams were heavily involved in the machine lace making industry, both in Calais, France and at home in Nottingham.

This cutting from the London Gazette shows a partnership between Gervase Oldham (1842-1914) and his nephew John Oldknow Oldham (1858-1913) being dissolved:

Whilst flicking through the card indexes in the Nottingham Archives, I came across Gervase on one of the cards, so ordered up the original document that the card referred to. It was this agreement dated 1882, between Gervase and John's lace company and that of Lambert & Wood.

Gervase and John are agreeing to use their lace machines to fulfill work solely from Lambert & Wood for a minimum of six months.



I was thrilled to see this original document, not least because of the signatures of Gervase, my 3x great-grand uncle, and John, my 2x great-grand uncle.

I have to add though, that behind every find like this are many hours of unrewarded 'digging'!

A Tale from the Nottingham Evening Post...

I wonder if he ever lived this down?!

“A Walking Omelette”
Boy Drenched with Milk and Eggs


A case which came before his Honour Judge Turner at the Mansfield County Court today arose out of a curious accident to a milk-cart.



The cart was apparently standing in Quarry-lane Mansfield at nine o’clock on a February night while the owner was delivering milk, and it was run into by a motor-cycle combination, with the result that the cart turned over and spilt its contents – milk and eggs – all over the 15 year old driver who was left in charge of it. Gallons of milk and dozens of eggs, it was stated, were upset over the boy who was so frightened by the unexpected cascade that he ran away – “ a walking human omelette” as Mr A.M. Lyons described him.



The boy was called as a witness but the Judge declined to hear him – “I don’t want to hear the omelette” he remarked. “Go away omelette!” (Laughter.)



His honour allowed a claim by the owner of the milk-cart, Jack Waterson, of Sunnyside, Sibthorpe-street Mansfield for £14 2s damages against the driver of the motor-cycle combination H.W. Spencer, an electrician of Murray-street, Mansfield.

*from the Nottingham Evening Post Tuesday 21st June 1927 

Back to the Nottingham Oldhams

I still haven't been able to locate either William Henry Oldham or Thomas Oldknow Oldham in the local baptism records, although the Census records suggest they were both born in Nottingham.

The next step will be to find the non-conformist registers and see if they are in there.  I know there are some at the Nottingham Archives, it's a matter of finding the right one!

A couple of years ago I was in touch with Gillian Kelly via her website here.  She has done extensive research on the Nottingham lacemakers who went to Calais and then later emigrated to Australia.  Although my Oldhams weren't in Calais at the time of her research (they were there later) she did manage to find a baptism in her records of a Gervase Oldham on the 25th May 1842 in the Methodist Chapel in Calais.  His parents were William Oldham & Eliza Oldknow.

This does fit in with my Oldhams, and I do have a record of a Gervase born in 1842 to parents of the same name, but according to his birth certificate he was born in Beeston, Nottinghamshire on the 25th August!

Back to the records I think!