Potter: Price 10 Bristol.
Family & Commercial Stationers, Newsagents, Booksellers, Librarians, Silversmiths, Fancy Goods, Toilet Requisites, Toys & Games, Agents for Goss Heraldic China, Cash Discount Checks Given.
Old Family Wine & Spirit Merchants, Bottled & Cask Ales, Cider & Perry, Tobacco & Cigars. (1911)
The Flooks family were originally from Tinhead, which was the eastern half of the village now known as Edington, near Westbury, Wilts.
George Flooks was innkeeper at the Kings Arms Inn & Posting House, Market Place in Pigot's 1830 directory, but he was pronounced insolvent in the London Gazette - Friday 15th November 1833. He had been landlord there since at least 1828. George then became the Registrar of Births and Deaths on 7th June 1837, at the introduction of registration, and he was the relieving officer for Melksham at "Cannon Hold". The 1841 census records him at "Shurnold" with wife Mary and children: John, Martha, Sarah, Joseph, Jane, William, Richard, Henry, and infant Fanny. George's windows at Shurnold Cottage were maliciously broken several years running, likely as a consequence of his new job. His eldest daughter Mary Matilda married John White of Edington on 21st Jan 1841. George died on 25th Sept. 1850 aged 54.
There were two sons not in Melksham in 1841; Thomas House Flooks, born in Tinhead and baptised in Edington, Wilts. on 12th Jul. 1823. He returned to Melksham and had a Chemist, Druggist & Stationer's shop in the Market Place next to Pace House by 1851, where his brother William was apprentice. By 1837 Thomas had moved his business to Sherborne (late Hill, chemist, Cheap St.) and was seeking a new apprentice.
The other son, of particular interest here, is Edward Gane Flooks, baptised in Tinhead on 25th Mar. 1820, he married Mary Ann Hayward on 15th July 1856, in Corsham, Wilts. Mary Ann was the daughter of Reuben Hayward and Mary Wiltshire (d. Thurs. 2nd Oct. 1834 at Wraxhall). Reuben had been a Grocer, Draper and Wine & Spirit Merchant in the High Street, Melksham but had died on 18th May 1856 at Ridgeside, Corsham, aged 59. It was his business that had been established in 1824 or thereabouts. After his death, Edward Gane Flooks entered as a partner in the business, which traded as Hayward and Flooks until around 1863, until Edward took sole control of the business.
Edward Gane Flooks retired to Bank Street around 1890, he died on 2nd May 1906 aged 85.
Mary Flooks, born to Edward Gane Flooks and Mary Hayward in January 1861 and baptised in Melksham on 24th Feb. 1861, married Arthur Herbert Manning, in Melksham, on 23rd Sept. 1887. Arthur, although born in Malmesbury in 1863 to parents and farmer Henry John Manning and his wife Emily Hitchcock, had lived, since a young lad, in Woodrow, Melksham Forest. By 1881 he was living with his 82 year old grandparents, Robert & Jane at Shurnold, Melksham.
By the 1891 census Arthur and Mary were running the business in the High Street, trading as Flooks & Manning. The business branched out into even more commodities including undertakers, furniture warehouse and travelling library, eventually separating by 1907 in to Flooks & Manning, the Wine & Spirit Merchants and Tobacconists in the High Street, and Arthur Manning & Co. dealing in all the other stuff, at Lowbourne. They had filed a building application in Lowbourne in 1898.
A good image of the business may be found at the Wiltshire OPC website, unfortunately you now have to register so I can no longer link to it.
By 1939 A. E. Bridgeman was proprietor of A. Manning & Co., House Furnishers, at Lowbourne, but the Wine & Spirit business was still going in the High Street.
Arthur Herbert Manning, and his wife Mary Flooks lived at the Little House, Shaw in their final years. Arthur died in Shaw, Melksham on 29th Feb. 1952. Mary had died previously, in Shaw, on the 16th Dec. 1947.
| 1 Gallon Stone Jar | |
| Printed:
FLOOKS & MANNING / WINE MERCHANTS / MELKSHAM . Potter: Price 10 Bristol. |
| Hip Flask |  |
| Paper Label: FINE OLD /
BRANDY / FRENCH / FLOOKS & MANNING / MELKSHAM . Clear Glass. 5.5" high. |
| Hip Flask |  |
| Paper Label: FLOOKS &
MANNING / WINE AND / SPIRIT MERCHANTS / JAMAICA RUM / HIGH STREET /
MELKSHAM . Makers K. B. Ld. C. 6433. 6.5" high. (Kilner Brothers, Conisbrough). |
| Stone Ginger Beer Bottle |  |
| Printed: FLOOKS &
MANNING / WINE MERCHANTS / MELKSHAM . Potter: Price 16 Bristol . |
| 1 Pint Beer Bottle. |  |
 |
| Embossed: FLOOKS
& MANNING / WINE MERCHANTS / MELKSHAM. P. & R. B. on base. (Powell & Ricketts, Bristol glassworks) Dark teal glass. |
| 2 Pint Beer Bottle. |  |
| Embossed: FLOOKS
& MANNING / WINE MERCHANTS / MELKSHAM. P. & R. B. on base. (Powell & Ricketts, Bristol glassworks) Dark teal glass. Image courtesy Tony Hughes. |