Potter: Price Bristol.
William Lamacraft was born in East Budleigh, Devon in 1823, the son of William and Elizabeth and baptised there on 19th Oct 1823. William's Mother was born in Mabe, Cornwall around 1798, in 1861 she was a widow living at 2 Bentley Terrace, Islington St. Mary, London. William's sister Lucinda married a dentist, Frederick William Fielding in Hackney in 1853, and in 1871 they were living at 518 Kingsland Road, Hackney with William and Lucinda's mother Elizabeth. Elizabeth died in 1878 in Hackney.
In 1841 William's mother Elizabeth is at Cliff terrace, Salterton with children Charles, age 15 and a carpenter's apprentice; Lucinda age 12, and Mary age 9. In 1851 she is listed as a Butcher's wife in Queen Street, East Budleigh, Devon, living with her 22 year old daughter Susanna, a Honiton Lace Maker. William's father William likely died in 1838, registered St. Thomas, Exeter.
In 1841 at age 15 William Lamacraft was a druggist's apprentice living in Bridge Street, Wolborough, Newton Abbot, Devon along with an Innkeeper's son called John Pattison who was the same age. They were likely apprenticed to Thomas Pratt, a druggist in the same street who was born in Exeter and who in 1851 had moved to Shaldon St. Nicholas with his then wife Helen. William married Sophia Kelly in the Parish Chapel of St. Pancras, Campden, London on 7th November 1844. His profession was Chemist on his wedding certificate. In the 1851 census he was a Chemist & Druggist living at 7 Bentley Terrace, West Hackney, Middx. Their first son, Perring Lamacraft was born on 22nd Sept. 1846 and was baptised at St. James, Westminster on 21st Oct., a daughter Sophia Lucinda was born 18th Aug. 1848 and baptised at St. Pancras on 7th Sept by died shortly thereafter. Daughter Emily was born in Hackney in 1850, and son William Henry born 1852 in Hackney. A Lucinda Perring Lamacraft was born in 1856 in Kensington, but died in Shoreditch the following year. There was also a daughter Mary Ann, baptised at the Independent City Road Congregational Chapel, Islington on 15th May 1857. The address then being 50 Herbert Street, Hoxton. A son, Charles Arthur Lamacraft was born in Newton Abbot, Devon in 1859.
In 1853-54 William Lamacraft was a Chemist and Druggist in Boutport Street, the Square near the hotels in Barnstaple, Devon By 1858 he had moved to Newton Abbot opposite the Globe Hotel as a chemist, stationers and bookseller where he had a son, born on 11th July 1859. He gave up the business here in October 1861, succeeded by Valentine Hills.
It appears that William became insolvent as
a result of this business and had to make an assignment of his estate to
his brother-in-law, Mr. Fielding, to avoid bankruptcy. From the London
Gazette - 21 April 1863 page 2156: "NOTICE is hereby given, that the
following is a copy of an entry made in the book kept by the Chief
Registrar of the Court of Bankruptcy for the Registration of Trust Deeds
for the benefit of creditors, Composition and Inspectorship Deeds executed
by a debtor, as required by the 'Bankruptcy Act, 1861, sees. 187, 192,
194, 196, and 198.
Number—4140.
Title of Deed, whether Deed of Assignment, Composition,or
Inspectorship—Conveyance.
Date of Deed—13th day of April, 1863.
Date of execution by Debtor—13th day of April, 1863.
Name and description of the Debtor, as in the Deed —William Lamacraft,
Bookseller, Stationer, and Printer, late of Newton Abbot, in the county of
Devon, since then of No. 3, Gray's-buildings, Kingsland-road, No.185,
Queen's-road, Dalston and Hackney, all in Middlesex.
The names and descriptions of the Trustees or other parties to the Deed,
not including the Creditors—Frederick William Fielding, Dentist, No. 3,
Gray's-buildings, Kingsland-road, Middlesex, on behalf and with the assent
of the creditors of the debtor.
A short statement of the nature of the Deed—Conveyance by the said debtor
of all his estate and effects to the said trustee, absolutely, to be
applied and administered for the benefit of the creditors of the said
debtor, as in bankruptcy.
When left for Registration—18th April, 1863, at 1 o'clock, in the
afternoon. RICHARD BETHELL, Registrar."
William Lamacraft was a manufacturing Chemist in Chippenham from around 1864, on 17th September 1864 he was advertising for an intelligent youth to take as an apprentice, he was also likely one of the first Soda Water Manufacturers in Chippenham, if not the whole of Wiltshire. On Saturday, March 18th 1865, this advertisement appeared in the "wanted" section of the Bristol Mercury and Western Counties Advertiser:
TO SODA-WATER BOTTLERS,- Wanted, Assistance
for one day to put up and start a Machine.- Write to Mr.
Lamacraft's, Chemist, Chippenham.
Unfortunately in January 1865 he was involved as a witness in the case of the suicide of a man called Job May, who in a drunken state first shot his horse called Bet, then poisoned himself with oxalic acid, purchased from Lamacraft. This was reported in the Devizes & Wiltshire Gazette on February 2nd.
"William Lamacraft, chemist of Chippenham, deposed to the deceased coming into his shop about 7 o'clock on the previous evening, and asking for six pennyworth of oxalic acid; witness said it was a large quantity, and asked what he was going to do with it? to which he replied, "O, I know all about it - it is for cleaning boot tops." Witness cautioned him, and wrote "Poison" on the packet. He seemed perfectly sober and witness talked with him for several minutes."
It appears William Lamacraft did not stay in one place very long, between 1868 and 1870 it appears he occupied a former grocer's shop in the High Street, Poole, Dorset. This, however, came on the market again on 27th Jan. 1870 and the auction was advertised in Salisbury and Winchester Journal of the 15th of that month.
From around 1877 William's last place of residence was 34 High Street, Putney, Surrey, where he died on 23rd Nov. 1884. He was buried at St. Mary, Putney on 27th Nov. and left his estate to his widow Sophia and his son Charles Arthur Lamacraft who was also a chemist. Sophia died on 1st May 1887 aged 68. She was buried with her husband on 6th May 1887 in St. Mary, Putney.
Charles Arthur Lamacraft carried on the business at 34 High Street in Putney until his death on 22 April 1892. He left his estate to William Henry Lamacraft, also a druggist and likely his brother, who lived at Banbury Villa, Putney Bridge Road, in the later 1890's and 8 Charlwood Terrace in the 1880's.
There was a dispute about the estate, again with Mr. Fielding involved, in the County Court. From the London Gazette - 2 August 1892 page 4398: "COUNTY COURTS' JURISDICTION. PURSUANT to an Order of the County Court of Surrey, holden at Wandsworth, made in the matter of the estate of Charles Arthur Lamacraft, deceased,and in an action Fielding against Lamacraft, U, 2214, the creditors of, or claimants against, the estate of Charles Arthur Lamacraft, late of 34, High street, Putney, in the county of Surrey, Chemist, who died in or about the month of April, 1892, are, on or before the 29th day of August, 1892, to send by post, prepaid, to the Registrar of the County Court of Surrey, holden at Wandsworth, their Christian and surnames, addresses and descriptions, the full particulars of their claims, a statement of their accounts, and the nature of the securities (if any) held by them. In default thereof they may be excluded from any benefit in the estate. Every creditor holding any security is to produce or transmit the same to the Registrar aforesaid, on or before the 5th day of September, 1892, at-eleven o'clock in the forenoon, being the time appointed for adjudicating upon the claims.—Dated this 28th day of July, 1892. W. A. WILLOUGHBY, Registrar."
William Lamacraft, chemist, died at 34 High Street, Putney, Surrey, on 23 November 1884, leaving his estate to widow Sophia and son Charles Arthur Lamacraft.
A William Henry Lamacraft, trading as Lamacraft & Co. Druggists at 80, Derwent Street Blackhill, Co. Durham was dissolved and in receivership on 30th December 1914. Also in March 1899, a W. Lamacraft, Chemist, sold up his possessions in New Road, Laxey, Isle of Man, because he was leaving the island - I do not know if these W. Lamacrafts are connected to our W. Lamacraft, possibly the son.
| Stoneware Annatto Bottle | |
| Impressed: LAMACRAFT`S /
Annatto / CHIPPENHAM . Potter: Price Bristol. |