Work

Chemists, Jewellers & Sewing Machines

48-50 Broad Street
48-50 Broad Street,
Newtown, detail of a
larger photograph
Powysland Museum and
Montgomery Canal Centre

Broad Street's chemist was at number 48. Edward Owen was training an apprentice, Thomas H Francis, who lived at the property as many apprentices did.

1891 Census
48 Broad Street Newtown
Name Position in
household
Marital
status
Age Occupation Place of Birth English/Welsh
speaker
Edward Owen Head M 57 Pharmaceutical Chemist Mont Montgomery English
Sarah Owen Wife M 47   Warwick Farnborough English
Edith S Owen Dau   14 Scholar Mont Newtown English
Edward A J Owen Son   12 Scholar Mont Newtown English
Thomas H Francis Apprentice   19 Chemist (apprentice) Mont Tregynon English
Margaret A Pryce Serv   22 General Serv domestic Mont Montgomery English


Ford,Watchmaker and Jeweller
Ford, Watchmaker & Jeweller
Advert from Sutton's Directory, 1890
Powys County Libraries


Next door but one was a jeweller, Alfred Ford.

In the late nineteenth century, prior to the development of optometry as a separate profession, jewellers also sold spectacles.

50 Broad Street, Newtown
Name Position in
household
Marital
status
Age Occupation Place of Birth English/Welsh
speaker
Alfred Ford Head M 56 Watchmaker Mont Newtown English
Fanny Ford Wife M 37   Mont Newtown English
Frederick G Ford Son   8 Scholar Mont Newtown English
Alfred Ford Son   7 Scholar Mont Newtown English
Frances M Ford Dau   6 Scholar Mont Newtown English
Harry Ford Son   5 Scholar Mont Newtown English
John W Ford Son   1   Mont Newtown English
Matthew S Ford Son   1   Mont Newtown English
Evelyn Ford Dau   3 months   Mont Newtown English

Yet another addition was made to the ever burgeoning Ford family in 1892 when baby Thomas was born.

Family Sewing Machines
Advert for The Singer
Manufacturing Company
Click on the image
to visit the Singer site

The first practical Singer sewing machines had been perfected in 1851, and by 1891 they were being sold through the Company's agent in Newtown. He is listed in Sutton's Directory as Charles Smith. The census gives the agent as Charles Morgan.

36 Broad Street, Newtown
Name Position in
household
Marital
status
Age Occupation Place of Birth English/Welsh
speaker
Charles Morgan Head M 30 Singer Sewing Machines agent Abergavenny Monmouth English
May J Williams Serv   15 General Domestic servant Trefeglwys Mont English