Appeal to help find the ‘real’ Tailor’s descendants

A Gloucester tourist attraction is appealing for help to find the descendants of the real-life figure which inspired the story it is based on.

The House of the Tailor of Gloucester in College Court, near Gloucester Cathedral, is a shop and museum for Beatrix Potter memorabilia and is based in the building the author sketched in her Tailor of Gloucester book, which she described as her ‘favourite story’.

In the book, the Tailor of Gloucester is making a waistcoat for the Mayor of Gloucester to get married in on Christmas Day and it is mysteriously finished by mice.  The story is based on the legend of a real-life Gloucester tailor, John Samuel Prichard, whose assistants secretly finished a garment the tailor was working on overnight.

John Prichard had his tailor’s shop at 45 Westgate Street but Beatrix Potter sketched the building at 9 College Court in her book as she preferred the look of it.  Prichard died in 1934 and is buried in the churchyard of St Mary in Charlton Kings, Cheltenham.  He is believed to have had several children.

October 2023 marks the 120^th anniversary of the first publication of the book by publishers Frederick Warne and volunteers at the attraction are trying to trace descendants of the real tailor to invite them to a special event to mark the milestone.

A special evensong service is planned at Gloucester Cathedral on Wednesday 11^th October at 5.30pm, which is open to all.  It is hoped to track down the tailor’s descendants in time for the event.  Chris Hill, Chairman of the House of the Tailor of Gloucester, said, “It would mean a lot to us if we could locate John Prichard’s descendants and for them to be present when we celebrate the 120^th anniversary.”

Anyone with information which may be of assistance is asked to email info@tailor-of-gloucester.org.uk.

The House of the Tailor of Gloucester was closed by its previous owners in 2005 and a group of local people clubbed together to buy the building in order to keep the attraction for the city.  It reopened in 2007 and is now largely staffed by volunteers.

Gloucester News Centre – http://gloucesternewscentre.co.uk