Derbyshire Photographers Profiles : Charles Tyler
Derbyshire Photographers' Profiles
by Brett Payne, of Tauranga, New Zealand
Charles Tyler (1837-1908)

of Wymeswold, Loughborough, Derby, Swadlincote & Coalville

Charles Tyler and his sons were travelling photographers who worked at fairs in Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Cheshire, Staffordshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire from the late 1860s until at least 1895.


Go straight to Portfolio


Charles Tyler was born in the small village of Wymeswold, Leicestershire in 1837, son of a confectioner and publican John Tyler (1802-1874) and Ann Yeomans (1803-1881).  From at least 1861, it appears that Charles and his father started travelling, selling confectionery at markets and fairs.  In April that year they were in a caravan at Morledge, Derby St Peter, while the rest of the family remained in Wymeswold.  Three years later, Charles married Alice Suett, daughter of a fellow traveller.

Charles Tyler probably left the confectionery trade and set up as a travelling photographer in the late 1860s.  By April 1871, he and Alice and their three sons were living in a caravan, which was then parked in the yard of the Blue Lion in Grantham, Lincolnshire.  Between then and the early 1890s they travelled to many towns and villages in Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Cheshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire and Lincolnshire.  The following is a list of sightings:
1864 - marriage in the Leicester Registration District
1865 - first son Albert Charles born at Wymeswold, Leicestershire
1867 - second son Arthur William born at Wymeswold, Leicestershire
1869 - third son Harry Gladsone born at Long Eaton, Derbyshire
1871 - (April) travelling photographer, in caravan at Blue Lion Yard, Grantham, Lincolnshire
1871 - fourth son Frank born at Hinckley, Leicestershire
1873 - fifth son Edwin born at Bollington, Cheshire
1877 - sixth son Charles born at Burslem, Staffordshire
1879 - seventh son Fred born at Grantham, Lincolnshire
1881 - (April)
photographer, in caravan at Blue Lion Yard, Grantham, Lincolnshire
1881 - first daughter Alice Emily born at Nottingham
1882 - second daughter Florence "Florrie" Minnie born at Wymeswold, Leicestershire
1884 - third daughter Maud born at Wymeswold, Leicestershire
1891 - (April) photographer, in caravan at Morledge, Derby St Peter; son Albert is photographer in caravan at Mantle Lane, Whitwick, Leicestershire
1895 - publican, Engineers' Arms, Belvoir road, Coalville, Leicestershire; son Charles is photographer in High street, Swadlincote, Derbyshire
1899 - publican, Engineers' Arms, Belvoir road, Coalville, Leicestershire
1901 - (April) retired publican, London road, Coalville, Leicestershire
1908 - private resident, Durban house, London road, Coalville, Leicestershire

Charles Tyler died in the Ashby-de-la-Zouch Registration District, probably at Coalville, in 1908.

Portfolio

Looking for any examples


References
Images kindly provided by ***
1841-1901 UK Census - online from Ancestry.com
FreeBMD
International Genealogical Index - online from the LDS church
White, F. & Co. (1857) History, Gazetteer and Directory of the County of Derby. Transcribed by Neil Wilson.
Harrison, Harrod & Co. (1860) Directory and Gazetteer of Derbyshire, London.
Anon (1870) Street, Alphabetical & Trade Directory of Leicester. University of Leicester's Digital Library of Historical Directories
Anon (1870) Harrod & Co.'s Postal & Commercial Directory of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland & Staffordshire. - from University of Leicester - Digital Library of Historical Directories.
Wright C.N. (1874) Directory of South Derbyshire, Third Edition, October 1874, Derby.
Anon (1881) Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire, Kelly & Co., London.
Anon (1887) Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire, Kelly & Co., London.
Anon (1891) Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland & Nottinghamshire, Kelly & Co., London. University of Leicester's Digital Library of Historical Directories
Anon (1895) Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire, Kelly & Co. Limited, London.
Anon (1895) History, Topography, and Directory of Derbyshire, T. Bulmer & Co. - by kind courtesy of Sonia Addis-Smith
Anon (1899) Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland & Nottinghamshire, Kelly & Co., London. University of Leicester's Digital Library of Historical Directories
Anon (1912) Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire 1912, Kelly's Directories Ltd., London.
Adamson, Keith I.P. (1997) Professional Photographers in Derbyshire 1843 - 1914, The PhotoHistorian, No. 118 Supplement, September 1997, ISSN 0957-0209. Courtesy of John Bradley.
Craven, Maxwell (ed.) (1993) Keene's Derby, Breedon Books, Derby, pp. 200-202. - by kind courtesy of Sonia Addis-Smith

Home Page
Index to Photographers
Photographer Profiles
Contribute an Image
South Derbyshire Genealogy

Back to the Top


© 2002-2008 Brett Payne All Rights Reserved