It's pick your brains time!!!!

[Benfleet A1]

My sister has been tracing the family tree and has got back to 1841 so far which is pretty good. She has discovered that one of our lot was a Master Rod Maker and his wife was a basket maker employing quite a large number of staff and having a servant. But what the hell is a Rod Maker? I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with fishing rods but haven't a clue as to where to go forward with this one. Wikipedia drew a blank which just about puts me up the creek without a paddle.

So where to turn in such times of need? Where else, Shrimperzone!! If I'm going to get anywhere with this then it will be here where some rather clever bright sparks loiter.

Serious green for those that can help.

I thank you.

 

[Hotman]

My sister has been tracing the family tree and has got back to 1841 so far which is pretty good. She has discovered that one of our lot was a Master Rod Maker and his wife was a basket maker employing quite a large number of staff and having a servant. But what the hell is a Rod Maker? I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with fishing rods but haven't a clue as to where to go forward with this one. Wikipedia drew a blank which just about puts me up the creek without a paddle.

So where to turn in such times of need? Where else, Shrimperzone!! If I'm going to get anywhere with this then it will be here where some rather clever bright sparks loiter.

Serious green for those that can help.

I thank you.

I think that they originate from France? :)

 

[MK Shrimper]

My sister has been tracing the family tree and has got back to 1841 so far which is pretty good. She has discovered that one of our lot was a Master Rod Maker and his wife was a basket maker employing quite a large number of staff and having a servant. But what the hell is a Rod Maker? I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with fishing rods but haven't a clue as to where to go forward with this one. Wikipedia drew a blank which just about puts me up the creek without a paddle.

So where to turn in such times of need? Where else, Shrimperzone!! If I'm going to get anywhere with this then it will be here where some rather clever bright sparks loiter.

Serious green for those that can help.

I thank you.

Are you sure it's nothing to do with fishing rods Al?

 

[Crabby Shrimper]

Had a look, but the best I can find is fishing rods, including "Master Rod Maker Ted Simroe". The only other type of Rod I can think of is an imperial unit of measure, so doubt it's that.

 

[MK Shrimper]

Dictionary.com definitions of rod. Few possibilities in there perhaps?

1. a stick, wand, staff, or the like, of wood, metal, or other material.
2. a straight, slender shoot or stem of any woody plant, whether still growing or cut from the plant.
3. fishing rod.
4. (in plastering or mortaring) a straightedge moved along screeds to even the plaster between them.
5. a stick used for measuring.
6. a unit of linear measure, 51/2 yards or 161/2 feet (5.029 m); linear perch or pole.
7. a unit of square measure, 301/4 square yards (25.29 sq. m); square perch or pole.
8. a stick, or a bundle of sticks or switches bound together, used as an instrument of punishment.
9. punishment or discipline: Not one to spare the rod, I sent him to bed without dinner.
10. a wand, staff, or scepter carried as a symbol of office, authority, power, etc.
11. authority, sway, or rule, esp. when tyrannical.
12. lightning rod.
13. a slender bar or tube for draping towels over, suspending a shower curtain, etc.
14. Bible. a branch of a family; tribe.
15. a pattern, drawn on wood in full size, of one section of a piece of furniture.
16. Slang.
a. a pistol or revolver.
b. Vulgar. the penis.
17. Anatomy. one of the rodlike cells in the retina of the eye, sensitive to low intensities of light. Compare cone (def. 5).
18. Bacteriology. a rod-shaped microorganism.
19. Also called leveling rod, stadia rod. Surveying. a light pole, conspicuously marked with graduations, held upright and read through a surveying instrument in leveling or stadia surveying.
20. Metallurgy. round metal stock for drawing and cutting into slender bars.
–verb (used with object)
21. to furnish or equip with a rod or rods, esp. lightning rods.
22. to even (plaster or mortar) with a rod.
23. Metallurgy. to reinforce (the core of a mold) with metal rods.

 

[Benfleet A1]

Looks like you could be right. Thanks for the help Paul, promised green on it's way once I have spread a bit about.

 

[Bluesmanager]

1841, could be the corporeal punishment-type rod.

 

[OldBlueLady]

GHG - All I could turn up seemed to point to a definite link to fishing rods, fly fishing rods. See attached as an example, right era too

http://fishinghistory.blogspot.com/2008/01/thaddeus-norris-profile-of-rodmaker.html

 

[Napster]

Definitely fishing rods. Probably fly cane rods, if after 1874, if not ash or lancewood.

 

[Benfleet A1]

Thank you one and all for the help.

 

[osymandus]

Actually i thought of walking canes and gentleman sticks , but im not sure their were refered to as Rod's back then ??

 

[canveyshrimper]

Actually i thought of walking canes and gentleman sticks , but im not sure their were refered to as Rod's back then ??

Actually that isn't a bad call, bearing in mind Black Rod in Parliament.

 

[Mr Gilbo]

I would have thought that a rod maker was someone would made those metal rods that used to be used on the stairs to hold in the carpet.