The MULLINS COLLECTION

D63/53-60, D67/22-23

1865-1916

Miss Emily E. Mullins (1906–1967) was a basketmaker in Reading. Her family were basketmakers for at least five generations. Her father, William Mullins, had no sons and Emily chose to become a basketmaker and carry on the tradition. She ran a basketmaking business in Bath circa 1926–1939, and moved to London in 1940 where she made baskets for the war effort. Later, she moved to Reading where she took over her father’s job on his death at Cook’s Dairy and Farm Equipment Ltd., a basketmaking firm founded in 1760 by John Cook. Cook’s had premises at Market Place, Reading, and the workshop was at Silver Street, Reading. The Museum has an extensive collection of baskets and basketmaking tools (approximately 200) given to the Museum by Emily Mullins. No correspondence between the Museum and Emily Mullins was found in July 2012, and it is assumed from scraps of information (e.g. a note on the Adlib record for 63/61 which said that the 63/ baskets were made by Emily Mullins for the Museum and were therefore never used, and a note on the Adlib record for 64/147 which said that Emily Mullins made numerous baskets for the Museum in 1964) that the baskets were made by Emily Mullins at Cook’s Silver Street workshop and the tools were used by Emily Mullins at the same workshop.

Lists of sizes and prices of basket makersConsists of volume entitled list of sizes and prices of basketware for Leeds 1873; volume entitled basket makers' list of sizes and prices of work for London and environs 1865; volume entitled list of sizes and prices of skips and hampers for Lancashire and Cheshire 1874; volume entitled London Union of Journeymen Basket makers' list of size and prices of work for London and environs 1877; volume entitled list of sizes and prices of baskets, hampers, chairs, perambulators and carriage body work for Birmingham and district 1899; volume entitled list of sizes and prices Square Work Shop Fitched 1897; volume entitled British Amalgamated Union of Journeymen Basket, Cane and Wicker Furniture Makers list of prices, sizes and particulars of hampers, baskets, railway, market gardening, laundry carriage and general household for all areas 1916; volume entitled The London Union of Journeymen Basket Makers lists of sizes and prices of work for London District 1916

8 vols

type: ARC

English

fonds

Basket makers, unions & friendly societies, Lancashire, Cheshire, Leeds, Greater London [region], Birmingham, Archives

Available

D69/99/1-2