Looking for engine tentor?

Hi y 3x great grandfather Charles Veneer lived at Brightside he was listed as an engine tentor? Just wanted to see if any trade directories would show anything ore about where he worked?

Hi carcof - welcome to the Forum! .An engine tenter was someone in charge of a stationary engine, usually a steam engine. Needless to say, Sheffield had lots of these in the various steel/tool/cutlery works etc.

Edited September 12, 2014 by hillsbro

Hi hillsbro yes he worked at a cutlery place rumour had it that the family worked making penny farthing bikes at one tie not sure how true that was? Thanks

Charles Veneer was evidently in the bicycle trade; at least he repaired them, perhaps part-time. A quick look at the "Sheffield Daily Telegraph" revealed a Chesterfield Police Court report of a bicycle theft in the issue of 26 February 1894: "Louisa M. Veneer said the defendant Darlow called at her father's house on the 3rd inst. and left a bicycle.- Charles Veneer, engine tenter, said he did some repairs to the bicycle, and subsequently handed it over to the police...". Here is a scan of the article - the relevant text is at the lower left.

 

The issue of 7 August 1897 records donations to the Sheffield Royal Infirmary, 10s 6d being donated by "Charles Veneer, Messrs. A. Beckett & Sons" - here is a scan. So it would seem from this that Charles worked for Alfred Beckett & Sons Ltd., manufacturers of steel files, saws, machine knives etc. They were at Brooklyn Works on Green Lane.

Edited September 13, 2014 by hillsbro

Hi Hilsbro that's briilaint! Thanks cant wait to show y dad he loves history we been looking for a while and located anything! so thankyou

What a nice thread. If only the whole forum was like this.

Hi Hilsbro that's briilaint! Thanks cant wait to show y dad he loves history we been looking for a while and located anything! so thankyou

Glad to be able to help. I only wish that my own ancestors did interesting things - they mostly had very mundane jobs and didn't find immortality in the pages of newpapers! In fact in 1863 my great-great-grandfather Mumby Betts (1849-1937) served two weeks' hard labour in Louth prison for "stealing gooseberries from Mr Lacey's garden" but that, as they say, is another story!.

I happen to think no ancestors are boring, they all have a story to tell. If only because there were so many fascinatingly named jobs in times past. Just finding out what they did can lead to all sorts of other information.

 

I bet carcof will be doing a lot more research now he has started. Good luck!

Edited September 13, 2014 by Minimo

Thanks for the link to Sheffield newspaper archives I managed to also locate something on my mums side so very pleased! Thanks