Text Box: Text Box: Text Box: JRK’s grand father Philip was a ‘white cooper’ a trade he passed on to William, JRK’s father who had added brushes rope and twine to his trade. JRK describes himself as a ‘cooper’ then ‘master cooper’ in census returns . Text Box: John Richard Kaighin’s Story. Text Box: Journeyman cooper: This is an experienced cooper. He could operate his own business and be able to train young apprentices. He was not allowed to make a barrel until he had worked six years as an apprentice. I asked what he did for all those years; he explained that there were a lot of tools to take care of like long knives, as he pointed to several hanging above his workbench. Just look at all these tools! There are hammers and hand adzes and axes. They all need to be kept sharp. Apprenticeship: In order to acquire a trade a young man went to work for a master craftsman. This usually took seven years. The men were given many rules to follow regarding religion, behaviour after work, or who their friends should be. White coopers Formed buckets, pails, churns, tubs and other household goods from the more easily worked cedar and pine. White cooper - one who makes barrels from tin or other light metals, is a more modern definition . Text Box: Text Box: 143 Chester Street JRK 26 Philip 21 Richard 19 William 17 Margaret Corkhill (Gran) 89 Eleanor + Thomas Ann Hall Servant Text Box: 157 Chester Street William +Margaret Louisa JRK 16 James 13 Philip 11 Richard 9 William 7 Text Box: 1851 Text Box: 1871 Text Box: 1881 Text Box: 1841 Text Box: Christian Thomas and Eleanor 41 Grange Lane B’head Birkenhead Text Box: William and Margaret Louisa, JRK 6, James 3 Text Box: William and Margaret Louisa 2 Frank Street court 3. Liverpool Text Box: Philip and Christian Thomas Eleanor Margaret Douglas IOM Text Box: 1851 Text Box: Philip and Christian Margaret, Thomas and Eleanor 79 Park Road Toxteth Liverpool Text Box: 1861 Text Box: Eleanor +Thomas Market ; h 99 Exmouth Street Text Box: 1874 Text Box: 1901 Text Box: 101 Borough Road JRK 36 and Emily M Smith Emily, Florence Katie Ethel Louisa Sykes Text Box: 1891 Text Box: Cooperage at 38 Bridge Street. Text Box: 1874 Text Box: 1894 Text Box: Kelly's Directory of Chester 1894 Cooper at 125 Church Street B’head. Text Box: 1896 Text Box: Kelly's Directory of Chester 1896 Brush dealer at Princes Street B’head. Text Box: 1896 Text Box: Kelly's Directory of Chester 1896 Brush dealer at Sussex Street B’head Text Box: 1896 Text Box: Kelly's Directory of Chester 1896 Cooper at 125 Pilgrim Street B’head Text Box: 1900 Text Box: Gore Directory of L’pool +B’head Cooper at 21 Hinderton Road Tranmere Text Box: 1902 Text Box: Kelly's Directory of Chester 1902 Cooper at Ivy Street Text Box: 1902 Text Box: Kelly's Directory of Chester 1902 Cooper at 138 Market place Text Box: 1914 Text Box: Kelly’s Directory of Chester 1914 Cooper at 68 Alma St B’head Text Box: P.6 Olives book Corner of Henry Street, Overlooking Hay Market. Text Box: He started writing after being widowed, publishing in 1918 and 1925. Reading the first book aloud you can almost hear him preaching. He quotes the dying Sir Walter Scott as saying ‘there is but one book~ …. the Bible’. Kaighin’s book even ends with a hymn. JRK died on the 26th August 1931 age 76 and is buried at Flaybrick with his wife and four daughters. (see gravestone photo). Text Box: We do not know if he made buckets or barrels, but he does run a brushes dealership in two premises in 1896. He continued to move premises regularly.

Cooper using a

barrel stay

Could  William, Thomas, James, JRK and Philip and Christian have looked like this?

At  the age of 19, Emily Margaret married 28 year old John Richard Kaighin (JRK) who was  third generation cooper. The family had been recorded in the coopering trade since 1841. JRK’s  family had moved about  the Isle of Man before arriving in Birkenhead via Liverpool but separately . They  moved at least once every 10 years.