Sunday, August 16, 2009

M M Martin Shell Necklace Enterprise Hobart Tasmania

CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO ENLARGEThis house was The Midwoods with the Midwoods Distillery of 1822 to the lower right. Later it became the Dynnyrne Distillery owner by Robert Lathrop Murray. In the 1840s the complex was rented to the government and it became the Female Factory Nursery. In 1876 the property came into the possession of the Martins. The factory chimney to the rear is that of the Hobart Town Woollen Mill c. 1874. The house and most of the distillery were demolished in 1968. The Woollen Mills having been for many years "Flock" Mills were destroyed in the Hobart bushfires of February 1967 .

INFORMATION SOURCE:
Tony Rayner, Historian Hobart - August 2009

CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Images courtesy of David Martin, Mary Martin's great grandson

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1 comment:

The Curator said...

"It appears that Mrs Mary Maria Martin had the business at 75 Collins Street from about 1906 until 1908. The Post Office Directories for 1906 and 1907 each have an advertisement for M M Martin Wholesale Shell Necklace Manufacturer, established in 1875. They had a factory at Cascade Road, Hobart, and a branch factory in Honolulu, Hawaii, which appears to have been run by a son, Frederick Charles Martin (born 1877). Thomas and M M Martin were previously listed as fruit growers at Cascade Road (1904-1906).

From 1909 to 1914 the business was located at 83 Collins Street. J J Martin was a jeweller at the same address. This was Joseph John Martin. In the 1903 Electoral Roll he was a jeweller and was living at Cascade Road with many other Martin family members. In 1915 George Sly had a boot shop there.

I suspect that the shell business either slowed down or closed during the First World War, as there are no more entries in the Post Office Directories until 1921 to 1923. During that time the business of shell ornament manufacturers was located at 67 Cascade Road, also the private residence of the Martin family. Mary’s husband Thomas Daniel Martin died aged 80 on 6 January 1923. The property at Cascade Road appears to have been sold, and Mary and her daughters, Mary May (born 1881) and Ellen Ida Martin (born 1886), moved to 25 Weld Street, Hobart.

Mary Maria Martin (nee Alexander) died aged 79 on 9 July 1924. By 1927 her two daughters, Mary May and Ellen, had moved to 12 View Street, Sandy Bay, where the business was carried on under the name of M M Martin & Co, shell manufacturers. Mary May Martin died on 13 November 1933, aged 51. Ellen Martin continued with the business until at least 1948, when the last Post Office Directory was published. Frederick Charles Martin died at 12 View Street in September 1948. Ellen is not listed in the 1950s phone books. Ellen Ida Martin died in August 1969; she had been living with her nephew Mr J Martin at Blackman’s Bay."

Launceston Library
Civic Square
LAUNCESTON TAS 7250
3 August 2009 3:44:17 PM