At the beginning of the 19th century every house on the river front was occupied by a tradesman or craftsman needing wharfage or storage space for their work. Among them were dyers, brick-makers, iron-founders, coal merchants, a soap manufacturer and a miller. But many of the Banksiders still made their living from the river and its needs: John Scott the lighterman, Shears the coppersmith, Hack the anchorsmith, Arnold the mast and oar maker, White and Field the barge makers, and Sutton the sailmaker…Shop talk of lug-sails, top-sails and main-sails and their different ‘castings’ or patterns: of ‘linings’ for strengthening such as ‘clew and head’, ‘tack and corner’ pieces, come from the corners of the workroom, while Master Sutton stands at his door, looking with an appraising eye at the tan-coloured sails of the barges in the neighbouring British Lion Wharf…by the beginning of the 20th century these picturesque trades had disappeared from Bankside, as did the numerous public houses…

From Old Bankside by Grace Golden (Williams & Northgate 1951) pp 174-175