ACQUIRING WEALTH
MERCHANT
ENTREPRENEURS
Since 1781 (and perhaps before) Thomas Pickering plied his trade as a Flour Dealer in Liverpool and it is likely that the mills that provided the flour could be found under the ownership of other Pickering family members in Frodsham and Sutton Mill only 30 miles away by barge on the River Weaver to the River Mersey. They owned warehouses and offices along bustling Duke Street in Liverpool where they distributed milled grains to the rest of the world.
Peter Pickering [1785-1794], born in the warehouse at Sutton Mill, Frodsham wrote in his journal
Peter Pickering, son of mill-owner, John Pickering.
“I must here however return with my narrative to the year 1799 as at that time my two oldest Brothers Thomas and Samuel Pickering, having resolved to make very considerable purchases of Wheat in Danzig, they sent my Brother William, out to Danzig to make said purchases, on their account and at the request of my Brother William and with the consent of my Parents, I, a boy of 14 years old accompanied my Brother, first to learn the Germain Language, and then to be placed in some Merchants Counting House to learn Mercantile routine.
“In consiquence of my Brother having to make such very considerable purchases of Wheat in Danzig, we were immediately invited and introduced into all the first and most respectable Familys in Danzig …
Abt. 1817 (age 32) “A few weeks after this had taken place, my Brother returned from Danzig to Liverpool …”
Peter and his brother William eventually married two Steffens daughters of the wealthy grain merchant Carl Steffens. William came back to England to become Council of Mecklenburgh, while Peter stayed in Danzig to develop his business there. READ PETER’S COMPLETE JOURNAL
LIVERPOOL 1781 – 1843
1781
Thomas Pickering
– Flourdealer, 9 Bridge St.
Henry Pickering, Esq.
– Attorney, 5 Hunter St.
1790
Edward Pickering
– Merchant, St. John’s Lane
Mrs. Elizabeth Pickering
– St. John’s Lane, Haymarket
Henry Pickering
– Gentleman, 13 Hunter St.
John Pickering
– Victualler, 12 Ansdell St.
1796
Edward Pickering
– Merchant, 1 Campbell St., Duke St.
Mrs. Elizabeth Pickering
– 1 Campbell St., Duke St.
Capt. Henry Pickering
– 1 Rose Hill St., Richmond
Thomas Pickering
– Gentleman, 1 Campbell St., 21 Duke St.
Thomas Pickering
– Corn Merchant, 23 Duke St.
– & Flour Warehouseman, 23 Duke St.
1800
Pickering & Affleck
– Corn Merchants office, Duke’s Pl., Wapping
Edward Pickering
– Merchant, 1 Lower Newington, Renshaw St.
John Pickering
– Flour Warehouseman, 97 Tythebarn St.
Thomas Pickering
– Corn Merchant, Low Hill
Edward & Robert Pickering
– Merchants, Bold St., Hanover St.
[NOTE: Peter Pickering apprenticed here – cousins?]
1803
Pickering & Affleck
– Corn Merchants office, 19 Wapping
Edward Pickering
– Merchant, 1 Lower Newington, Bold St.
Edward & Robert Pickering
– Corn Merchants, Upper Suffold St., Duke St.
John Pickering
– Flour Warehouseman, 97 Tythebarn St.
Robert Pickering
– Merchant, Lower Newington, Bold St.
Thomas Pickering
– Corn Merchant, Low Hill
Henry Pickering
– Gentleman, St. Anne St.”
John Pickering
– Merchant, 3 Oldham St., Renshaw St.
1804
Pickering & Affleck
– Corn Merchants office, 19 Wapping
Edward Pickering
– Merchant, 1 Newington, Bold St.
Henry Pickering
– Gentleman, 21 St. Anne st., Richmond
John Pickering
– Flour Dealer, 29 Tythebarn St.
Robert Pickering
– Merchant, 10 Springfield, Soho
Robert Pickering
– Merchant, 1 Newington, Bold St.
William Pickering
– Merchant, 32 Union St., Oldhall St.
1805
Pickering & Affleck … Corn Merchants Counting House, 9 Wapping
Edward & Robert Pickering … Corn Merchants Counting House, 16 Slater St.
Henry Pickering … Merchant, 11 Rose Pl.
John Pickering … Corn Merchant, 1 Pleasant St.
John Pickering … Broker, 3 Sandys Lane, Rodney St.
Thomas Pickering …Corn Merchant, Low Hill
1807
Edward & Robert Pickering … Corn Merchants Counting House, 13 Slater St.
Henry Pickering … Merchant, 12 Rose Pl.
Capt. John Pickering … 57 Brownlow Hill
John Pickering
… Flour Dealer, 16 St. Andrew St.
… Warehouse, 17 Castle Ditch
John Pickering … Broker, Jamison St., Rodney St.
Robert Pickering … Corn Merchant, 1 Newington
Thomas Pickering …Corn Merchant, Renshaw St.
1810
John Pickering … Broker, Pilgrim St, Rodney St.
John Pickering … Flour Dealer, 16 St. Andrew St.
Robert Pickering … Corn Merchant, 1 Newington
Thomas Pickering
…Corn Merchant, Renshaw St.
… Warehouse, 17 Castle Ditch
Robert Pickering
… Wine & Porter Merchant, 105 Duke St.
… Wine, Porter & Ale Vaults, 10 Argyle St
Thomas Pickering … Corn Merchant, 45 Renshaw St.
Thomas & Samuel Pickering … Corn Merchants, Nova Scotia
1811
John Pickering … Mariner, 5 Blake St.
John Pickering
… Flour Dealer, 18 St. Andrew St.
… Warehouse, 15 Castle Ditch
John Pickering … Broker, Pilgrim St., Rodney St.
Thomas Pickering …Corn Merchant, 45 Renshaw St.
Robert Pickering
… Wine & Porter Merchant, 105 Duke St.
… Wine, Porter & Ale Vaults, 17 Argyle St
Thomas Pickering … Corn Merchant, 45 Renshaw St.
1814
Pickering Brothers … Merchants Counting House, Temple Ct.
Francis Pickering … Shipwright, 10 Ansdell St.
John Pickering … Broker, 7 Bold St.
John Pickering … Mariner, 16 Blake St.
John Pickering
… Corn & Flour Dealer, 20 St. Andrew St.
… Warehouse, 18 Castle Ditch
Robert Pickering … Gentleman, 7 Blake St.
William Pickering [married Steffans 1812] … Merchant, 118 Duke St.
William Pickering … Merchant, 15 Duke St.
William Pickering … Shipwright, 4 Gibraltar St.
William Pickering … Flour Warehouse, 2 Temple Ct.
1816
William Pickering … Merchant, 21 Soho St.
1818
William Pickering … Merchant, 108 Duke St.
1821
WILLIAM PICKERING … Merchant & Mecklenberg Consul, 116 Duke St.
… Counting House, 10 Henry St.
Thomas Pickering … Shipwright, 6 Shaws Alley
1823, 1825 & 1827
WILLIAM PICKERING
… Merchant & Mecklenberg Consul,
….Walton Breck & Breck La., Everton, 11 Henry St.
1824 – Baines Directory for Liverpool
Alice Pickering, boarding house, 11, Ward st.
Ann Pickering, boarding house, 34, Upper Pitt st.
Pickering Brothers, merchants, 14, Henry st.
John Pickering, coal dealer, 63, Copperas hill
John Pickering, corn & flour dealer, 6, Dansie st.; h. 21, St. Andrew st.
John Pickering, shopkeeper, 48, Adlington st.
Sarah Pickering, gentwn. 12, Clayton street
William Pickering. merchant, and Mecklenburg consul, 14, Henry st. ; Is. Derby breck
1825 – Gore’s Liverpool Directory
Pickering Wm. merchant, and Mecklenburg consul, 10 Henry St., Everton Brk
Ann Pickering, boarding house, 34 Upper Pitt St.
Pickering Brothers Merchants, 10 Henry St. John
Pickering, corn and flour dealer, 6 Dansie St., Shop: 21 St. Andrew St.
John Pickering, miller, grocer and flour dealer, 48 Adlington St.
Robert Pickering, Dock Treasurer
1827 – Gore’s Liverpool Directory
1828-29 – Pigot & Co’s Directory of Cheshire
Frodsham – Agriculture is the prevailing occupation of the inhabitants
Pickerings Mess. Frodsham Bridge, Corn Millers
Ellen Farrall, Post Mistress, Frodsham
William Hayes, Esq. Gentry & Clergy
Liverpool
Pickering Brothers, Merchants, 10 Henry St.
John Pickering, Flour Dealer, col 44
John Pickering, shopkeeper, col 82
Peter Pickering, butcher, 42 Marybone
William Pickering, Consul, Mecklenburgh
William Pickering, Merchant, Everton Breck
John Minshull, Butcher, 11 Preeson’s row
Rigby & Baldwin, 56 Old Hall st, Coal Merchants
John Harrison, Virginia St, Cotton Dealer
1829
William Pickering … Shipwright, 6 Gibraltar St.
WILLIAM PICKERING … Merchant & Mecklenberg Consul, Walton Breck
1832 Pigot’s Commercial Directory – Liverpool
Charles Pickering, Ostler, Devon St,
John Pickering, Flour Dealer, St. Andrew St.
Peter Pickering, Shipwright, Shaw’s Alley, Liverpool
William Pickering, Merchant, Breck Lane, Everton
1834 Pigot’s Commercial Directory
William Pickering and Son had the principal trade in salt
William Hazlehurst and William Pickering were corn dealers
William Hayes and Co were shipbuilders
Hayes and Pickering were slate and timber merchants and Thomas Hazlehurst provided occasional conveyance by water to and from Liverpool.
1832 through 1843
WILLIAM PICKERING [died 1855]
(Pickering Brothers) Merchant, Breck Lane, Everton
Pickering Brothers Merchants Office, 8 Drury Lane
… Corn & Commission Merchants, 15 Drury Lane (1841 & 1843)
SUTTON MILL 1794 – 1876
19 May 1787 receipt from Sir Peter Warburton, Bart to John Pickering [1744-1814] Lessee of new mill in Sutton. Two accounts for building work on the new mill. John would have been about 43 years old when he purchased the mill. Source: Arley Hall Archives 1750-90, ArleyHallArchives.co.uk.
SUTTON MILL
John Pickering [1744-1814] age 70 – Purchased 1785 …
….. First son: Thomas Pickering [1765-1814] age 49
………. Grandson: William John Pickering [1797-1829] age 31, Manager of the Mill
…. Second son: Samuel Pickering [1766-1811] age 45
….. Last son: Peter Pickering [1785-1865] age 80, was born here
In 1784 the mill was let to John Pickering for 20 years at a rent of £300p. He also rented a house for a further £40. According to the diary of John’s son, Peter Pickering in 1785, they lived as a family at Sutton Mill
1804 John Pickering, Corn Merchant ( about 1805 sailed to Philadelphia to set up business as General/Corn Merchant)
1834 Pigot’s Commercial Directory, Frodsham
- William Pickering and Son had the principal trade in salt
- William Hazlehurst and William Pickering were corn dealers
- William Hayes and Co were shipbuilders
- Hayes and Pickering were slate and timber merchants and Thomas Hazlehurst provided occasional conveyance by water to and from Liverpool.
1857 Samuel Pickering, Miller, Corn Dealer, Sutton Mills (estate owner with brother Thomas of Runcorn)
1861-1891 William Hayes Pickering (son of William), Coal Lime Merchant
1876 William Pickering, Coal, Lime and Tile Merchant, Railway Station (Worral’s directory of Warrington, Wigan, St Helenes, 1876)