HUGH CRAWFORD, Belfast, Northern Ireland
My great grandfather.
My middle name, Hugh, is after my great grandfather Hugh Crawford. Similarly my maternal uncle was Hugh Wells. And the name occurs in generations inbetween. But I know very little about him. He died early at the age of 52, but his family struggled on with mixed success. One day I will be able to delve more into his background. More of the relevant dates of marriage to Annie, index.asp?pageid=693970, his family and his death in 1904 are covered under CRAWFORD GENEOLOGY index.asp?pageid=693846. This section endeavours to cover his life.
We know that he had something to do with the textile trade. This appears to have involved flax, but we are not sure. I think he had his own business and this had traded with the large department store, Robinson and Cleaver. In the section on Crawfords and religion we see reference to him as "Mr. Crawford who supplied the drapers shop they owned with knitted goods". This suggests something other than flax and that as a supplier was not directy employed by the drapers shop (possibly Robinson and Cleaver).
His will notes that he was a "linen measurer". Elsewhere he is refered to as a "linen lapper". This equates to a linen finisher, someone who folds and doubles over the cloth for packing and/or printing. It sounds both menial and responsible, but perhaps part of beinga "linen measurer" included being an agent in such materials.. His estate on his death was only £66 11s and 9d, very little. [We pick up on that link to Robinson and Cleaver later with DAISY CRAWFORD index.asp?pageid=693974]. Textile industries had their dangers. While flax based products are known to have benefits if consumed, flax is also known to have caused repiratory problems to those processing it for textiles. As a "linen measurer" he would not have been as exposed to the dangers as intensively. Did he do something else before taking on this role? Is this rather menial role indicative of failing health? Irrespective of whether he was directly involved in its production, it is worth considering the working conditions of the time.
The Victorian London website notes that the preparation of flax with its accompanying wet feet and wet clothes caused bronchitis, pneumonia and severed rheumatism; conditions common in Ireland too.
Wiki tells us : "Flax (Linum usitatissimum), also known as common flax or linseed, is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae. It is a food and fiber crop cultivated in cooler regions of the world. The textiles made from flax are known in the Western countries as linen, and traditionally used for bed sheets, underclothes, and table linen. The oil is known as linseed oil". Flax is the emblem of Northern Ireland and displayed by the Northern Ireland Assembly. It is the textile side that concerns us here.
On a more cheerful note : he was a champion clog dancer.
While we see others of his family sign the Ulster Covenant, his name is not there. He had by this time died.
He died on the 13th October 1904 aged just 52. The cause of Hugh's death is not as expected. The certified cause of death and duration of illness was 'Apoplexy 32 hours Syncope'. This means that he was unconscious for 32 hours after having had a cerebral haemorrhage or stroke. His son, also Hugh, was present. They are both recorded as living at 30 Fitzroy Place, Belfast. Note though that his widow is not recorded! Annie was to outlive him by many many years and is discussed under her own section. index.asp?pageid=693970
This is an extract from the register of deaths for that period.
