J.D.Robinson & Co, Bottesford

The Rutland Pork Pie and Sausage Manufacturer

By Sue and David Middleton

J.D Robinson and Family, Market Street
Details of J.D.Robinson's shop sign
Details of J.D.Robinson's 'trade mark'
Details of J.D.Robinson's shop sign - 'Patronized by His Grace, The Duke of Rutland, K.G. The Ex-Sheriff J.P. of London, The Clergy, Gentlemen of the Medical Profession And Nobility of the District. Our celebrated Pies have been supplied to the Duke of Rutland at Belvoir Castle for Luncheons etc. and His Grace writes with Respect to their Most Excellent Flavour and Quality.

J.D. Robinson (far left in the photograph – b.1864, d.1947) moved his butchery and pork pie business from Queen Street to Market Street in 1899 although the 1899 Wright’s Directory, presumably compiled in 1898, still lists him in Queen Street.

The 1901 Census shows J.D. Robinson as working as a butcher at 15 Market Street and Joseph Martin as a baker and confectioner at 13 Market Street.

We can also identify the children in the photograph from the 1901 census information. From left to right – the children are: James, W. (b.1893, d.1934); Annie (b.1891); Victoria, M (b.1897) – on the knee of Mrs Caroline Robinson (b. 1856, d.); George (b.1889, d.1941) – holding the donkey; Richard (b. 1895, d.1918 ‘in the Great War’) – sitting on the donkey.

By 1908 Kelly’s Directory gives G.H. Goodson as a butcher on Market Street. The 1928 Kelly’s Directory then lists Harry Bugg a butcher at these premises.

After WW2 Mr Frank and Mrs Maisie Goodson ran their butcher and pork pie business from these premises. Their son Andrew Goodson converted it to a restaurant in the early 1990’s.

It is now Paul’s Restaurant. The former slaughter house is now the ‘Wine Lounge’.

Further details can be found in the anonymously authored “A Little History of Bottesford” (please click to see). This records  that “J. D. Robinson took over his shop and house, pulled down the middle part which was thatched, had it brick built, had a slaughter house built, also a bake house.”   

This page was added on 23/04/2008.

Comments about this page

  • Thank you for providing this information and the photos. I am the great great grand daughter of John’s older brother James, who migrated to Australia in 1884 and was one of the pioneers of the GOld Coast in Lane, Queensland. He was a builder. His wife was Kezia and and they married just before migrating. I am one of many descendants living in Australia.

    By Sharon Burke (12/03/2012)
  • Thank you for your interest in the site and the Robinson family. It would be most interesting to learn more of James’s migration and settlement in Australia should you have time to add it to the Bottesford website. There are photographs of Robinson grave stones on Guy Etchell’s website. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~framland/bb/bb8.htm#MR1875. John Robinson’s burial is also marked with a legible gravestone in the the church yard. We will aim to photograph it and add to the web page.

    By David Middleton (12/03/2012)
  • Thanks David. I am compiling some information and will forward it when complete. Still trying to piece it all together. James Robinson’s wife was Kezia Lane, daughter of Marshall Lane and Sarah (Billings) and twin of Emily Lane. The Lanes had 11 children including 4 sets of girl twins and three boys, spanning a few decades. Marshall Lane was a baker and I discovered from your site that one of his sons, William Billings Lane was the baker at Chapel St – opposite John Robinson(his brother-in-law)’s butchery…and he later rented his front rooms to John for his business.

    By Sharon Burke (01/04/2012)
  • I am just wanting to correct the information I provided back in 2012, based on family information at the time. The Lanes had 11 children, 8 girls and 3 boys, but none of them were twins.

    By Sharon Burke (14/11/2018)

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