Comments on: At Frost Brothers Ltd, Rope Makers

By: George Dailey

George Dailey — Sun, 05 Mar 2023 13:21:19 +0000

I do enjoy your work and like you, am no stranger to the Bishopsgate Institute. I am trying to track down Londons most interesting (or quirkiest) individual Artisans. Can you suggest a few names that are still in business? George

By: Carol West

Carol West — Tue, 21 Jul 2020 07:02:23 +0000

Wonderfully evocative piece. Thank you. My 5 x great grandfather was a ropemaker named Thomas Matthews of Eastfield St Limehouse. Born C1792. Can you direct me to where I might find employment records please?
Kind regards

By: Jan Perry

Jan Perry — Fri, 18 May 2018 01:59:12 +0000

brilliant

By: Pimlico Pete

Pimlico Pete — Thu, 17 May 2018 23:41:51 +0000

Oh it’s so good when the top-quality finds of our Gentle Author lead us to follow-up research and a bonus.

It seems that the two aerial drawings are showing a different ropery from the one indicated in the accompanying OS map. Indeed there are three different roperies marked on a full 1896 OS map of the district so any confusion is understandable.

“View of the Factory as it is now in 1905” has Shadwell Station marked on the left, allowing us to locate the “correct” ropery as running parallel to Sutton Street East on the 1896 full map. The station and the overhead railway are still in existence as DLR plus the Fenchurch Street line.

And yes those faces in the group photographs, we can’t help wondering how their lives were lived. The men clutching tankards (of ale?) appear to be contented.

Thank you so much GA.

By: gkbowood

gkbowood — Thu, 17 May 2018 16:58:21 +0000

I loved this piece and was constantly finding safety issues in the photos! I enjoyed the wonderful detail and the quality of the photos- Thanks as ever for posting this gem.
My maternal Great grand father was named Frost but he had a sawmill in Virginia…still you never know, he may have been related to these Frosts…

By: andyinsdca

andyinsdca — Thu, 17 May 2018 14:49:21 +0000

There’s a show called “How It’s Made” that did a segment on “traditional ropes” that was filmed at a ropemaker in in Kent, that uses the same process. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkydUqGOsMs

By: Gordon Heyes

Gordon Heyes — Thu, 17 May 2018 13:38:56 +0000

I worked the area around St Dunstans for 12 years in the 1960/1970, I had no idea that Frost Brothers existed. In the 1960, was no evidence of the railway line that crossed the area, any ideas?
I knew that Cable St was so named for rope manufacturing, but once again, I had no idea that it came from Frost Brothers.
Another gem from Spitalfield Life.

By: Helen Breen

Helen Breen — Thu, 17 May 2018 11:12:24 +0000

Greetings from Boston,

GA, great overview of an important industry in London showing the process of rope making at Frost Brothers, Ltd. Also provides another glimpse into the world of work more than a century ago. The workers seem proud of their trade too …

By: Lynne Perrella

Lynne Perrella — Thu, 17 May 2018 11:08:58 +0000

You’ve done it again. You’ve bundled us up, and taken us back to a lost world. And we’re immersed. Hands calloused, eyes burning with the granular air, backs sore from toil, the momentary relief of a swig from a tankard, maybe a quick joke or story with a colleague to break the monotony, and then…..back to it. Intrepid, diligent workers – wonderfully captured in these amazing, descriptive photos. True grit and more.

More than a blog post — This was a total excavation of a hidden world. Wonderful.

By: John Barrett

John Barrett — Thu, 17 May 2018 07:24:34 +0000

Lets face it – this was a very important industry no sailing ship could sail without rope rigging. I liked the first pic showing a group of rope makers/posers with their pewter mugs. Hemp and tar smell could linger on board ships such as HMS Victory. This is a very good piece today by GA. Poet John the Poetry Soc & Bus pass poets