Colbeck’s

The Colbeck family traded in Tickhill for almost a century - from the early 1830s until the late1920s - offering a diverse range of goods and services. Most of the family were Tickhill born and bred, however, the first ‘business man’ was Conisbrough born, Samuel Colbeck, who in 1834, is described as a ‘shopkeeper and dealer in groceries and sundries’ on Westgate.  

By the end of the decade, he was joined by his kinsman, George Colbeck, a local Wesleyan preacher, who had started trading as a tailor, nearby on Westgate. In the mid 19th century, ready-to-wear clothing was becoming widely available, and this may have been the reason that George decided to abandon his tailoring business and set up as an ironmonger on Castlegate in the 1860s. Over the next forty years, his sons, George junior and William were both trading on Castlegate as grocer & druggist, and grocer and draper respectively.  

John Colbeck was another a ‘grocer & druggist’ on Castlegate, he started trading in the 1860s; whether his business was connected with George junior’s has not been ascertained. By 1891 John had also become a market gardener, the census describes him as a ‘druggist and market gardener’ living on Apyhill Lane. John had three children: Julia, who was established as a dressmaker on Castlegate for several years in the late1880s and early 1890s; Samuel, who was also a market gardener and tin plate worker, again on Castlegate and Ernest Hedley, who was a grocer on Northgate in the early 20th century. Following his death in 1896, John Colbeck’s widow, Sarah traded as a greengrocer and toy dealer on Market Place for the next 20 years or so.

Samuel Colbeck continued as a market gardener on Castlegate until the late 1920s; he, also, operated a horse-drawn delivery service to Harworth and Bircotes.