Chimers and silk weavers – the Tolliday family of Sudbury

Felix Parsonson Tolliday, (1838 – 1917), known as ‘John’, was the son of a well-known Sudbury bell-ringer and hand loom-silk weaver, Stephen Tolliday. The Tollidays were very proud of their craft and what they considered to be the superior finish of the hand-loom work.
Felix and his brother Arthur were the first members of the family to abandon weaving at home and work in a silk factory.

Admissions to the Freedom of the Borough of Sudbury in the early 19th century

The Thorn family

Thorn, Oliver Pettitt, of Marylebone, apprentice to Oliver Gooch, then Henry French, harness maker, admitted June 17th, 1818, borough only, by servitude

The Tolladay fmily

Tolladay, Arthur, of Gooseberry Row, Sudbury, labourer, son of John, silkweaver, of Gooseberry Row, Sudbury, admitted May 5th, 1871

Tolladay, George, weaver, son of John, silkweaver, admitted May 16th, 1848

Tolladay, John, sayscourer, admitted July 11th, 1778, borough only, by birth

Tolladay, John, a Private in the West Suffolk Militia, admitted October 28th, 1806, borough only, by birth

Tolladay, John, weaver, son of John, soldier, admitted June 12th, 1826, borough only, by birth

Tolladay, Joseph, sayscourer, admitted March 31st, 1784, borough only, by birth

Tolladay, Stephen Henry, of 18 Church Street, labourer, son of George Tolladay, weaver, dec’d, admitted May 2nd, 1879

Tolladay, William, senior, sayscourer, admitted July 9th, 1778, borough only, by birth

Tolladay, William, junior, sayscourer, son of William, senior, admitted May 4th, 1780, borough only, by birth

Tolladay, William, yeoman, son of Joseph, admitted June 17th, 1818, borough and commons, by birth

Tolladay, William, labourer, son of William, sayscourer, admitted June 18th, 1818, borough only, by birth

The Tolliday family

Tolliday, Arthur Woodlow, silkweaver, silkweaver, son of Stephen, silkweaver, admitted August 7th, 1857

Tolliday, Cornelius Mudle, silkweaver, son of Stephen, silkweaver, admitted August 7th, 1857

Tolliday, Felix, of Gregory Street, silkweaver, son of Stephen, silkweaver, admitted August 5th, 1859

Tolliday, Henry, of Gooseberry Row, Sudbury, weaver, son of John, of Gooseberry Row, Sudbury, silkweaver, admitted May 3rd, 1872

Tolliday, Stephen, silkweaver, son of John, late Private in the West Suffolk Militia, admitted July 28th, 1830, borough only, by birth

Tolliday, Stephen, cordwainer, son of William senior, Church Clerk, admitted July 28th, 1830, borough only, by birth

Tolliday, William, of (Sudbury) and of Ballingdon, labourer, son of William, sayscourer, admitted July 28th, 1830, borough only, by birth

The Tozer family

Tozer, Abraham, of Bury St Edmunds, draper, son of William, admitted October 3rd, 1812, borough and commons, by birth

The Turner family

Turner, John, victualler, admitted May 28th, 1813, borough and commons, by purchase, 15 guineas

The Tweedale family

Tweedale, John, of Bulmer, Essex, M.D., apprentice to Robert Anderson, surgeon and apothecary, admitted June 17th, 1818, borough only, by servitude