Reference
Z1226/1
Title
Glass Plate Negatives by Ebenezer and Henry Chew of Biggleswade
Date free text
1891-1911
Production date
From: 1891 To: 1911
Admin/biog history
The Chew family were grocers in Biggleswade from about 1838, the first Ebenezer having began as a shoemaker in 1830. They had premises on the High Street. By 1901 his son, also Ebenezer, was combining the grocer trade with china dealing. The business was a family concern. In the 1901 census Ebenezer's son Henry is working for his father as a grocer's assistant and his eldest daughter Mary is managing the china shop. By 1911 they had two shops one trading as Chew & Son and the other as H E Chew. Ebenezer retired from business in 1919 and Henry some years before his death in 1946.
Both Ebenezers are reputed to have been photographers but on the 1881 census it is in fact a distant cousin, Minnie Chew, then aged 16 and living in Hitchin, who lists her profession as 'photographer'. In 1884 both Ebenezer Senr and his wife Mary and Ebenezer and his wife, son and eldest daughter sat to another photographer - J Phillips of Shortmead Streeet, Biggleswade (see Z50/142/340-341). The Biggleswade Chew family seem to have been involved with photography from at least the 1890s. Ebenezer junior's son Henry also took photographs. In the early 1900s a number of postcards were published by Chew & Son but it is not clear whether they took the photographs themselves as many cards from the same negatives were also issued by other publishers (see Z1130/30)
For more information about the Chew family go to Z50/142/340 and click on related document (1.5MB)
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Reference
Level of description
sub-fonds