Judging by the smell that drifted across the Liffey from the Central Hide and Skin Co Ltd, 49-53 Watling Street, Dublin, in the late 1950s and probably early 60s, the "pong" in 1837 from the 26 houses in that street inhabited by skinners, tanners, and curriers, and the allied trades - leather dresses, basil manufacturers, hair and skin factors, bark manufacturers, glue and neatsfoot oil manufcturers - must have been unbearable to the inhabitants of No 53, Miss Wesman's school.
In 1850 there were 19 houses engaged in these allied trades, according to the Dublin Directory of that year.
The numbers continued to decrease and by 1901 Thomas Coughlan, tanner, currier, parchment and basil manufacturer, at 56-7 and 64-66, was all that was left.
Today there is none.
The Guilds of Dublin lists the names of 22 persons of many occupations who were admitted into the Guild Merchant of Dublin in 1226.
They were variously known by their Christian names, with the addition of either (1) a surname, (2) the name of a trade, ( 3) the name of a town, (4) the relationship to another person, or (5) a personal attribute.
One of those identified by his trade was Willelmus filius Johannis Tanur.
By the end of the 15th century craftsmen had arrived at a certain degree of organisation, and each different guild had its own banner.
"Skynners, House-Carpynders, and Tanners, and Browders: for the body of the camell, and Oure Lady and her chile well aperelid, with Joseph to lede the camell, and Moyses with the children of Israell, and the Portors to berr the camell."
Like Carpenter and Skinner, Tannereventually became a surname.
It was Gaelicised TainΘar, but it never had an Irish form based on s·daire, the Irish for "tanner".
Indeed, this Irish word had its origin in the Old English, giving the surname Soutar, Souter, Soutter.
There are but 19 of this surname - variously spelt - on this island, mainly in Ulster. Osberto Le Tanur was among the witnesses of a document of 1210, as was Thoma le Tanner in 1247.
In 1260 Dyme Wife of Richard le Tanner made her will; Hugh Tanner is mentioned in documents of 1259 and 1273 relating to land at Killuskey; in 1285 Waltero le Tanner was one of the witnesses to a document relating to "villa de Scryne versus Taueragh".
A document of 1240 listed Walter le Taneor among the witnesses concerning land at Bertramy (now Bartramstown, Co Meath), and one of 1300 noted the land of Stephen le Tanur as bordering "ville de Thulach in Affelmith" (Tullowphelim, Co Carlow).
Archbishop Alen's Register noted Gilbert Le Tanner among the witnesses in a hearing of 1287 concerning "buildings and appurtances in St Patrick's Street, Dublin".
It also noted the presence of Sir Thomas Tanner, canon of Dublin at an inquisition taken in the parish church of Kenlis (Kells, Co Meath) in the year 1373.
This concerned the church of Dersenkill/Dersenkyle/Dorsenkill in the Co Westmeath barony of Fore.
The Justiciary Rolls (1308-1314) lists the name of Tanner 19 times between 1310 and 1313 and hearings in Carlow, Cork, Kildare, Meath, Louth, Waterford and Tipperary, the majority being in counties Meath and Carlow.
That of Co Tipperary took place in 1314 when the provost and the whole community of Clonmel were charged with abduction and imprisonment of William ╙g, son of William, leading to his being slayed feloniously.
Among named leading persons was Thomas le Tanner (and Jack le Skynner).
A hearing in Meath concerned the robbery of five score and seven cows from William, son of Ralph le Tannere in 1311, while in a number of other cases Tanners were listed among jurors.
The Calendar of the Gormanstown Register notes that Adam Le Tanner was among the witnesses in a 1304 hearing concerning the grant "of the castle and town of Karlingford with all lands & appurtances in Ergalia and in Coly", and Ralph le Tanner was among the witnesses in three cases in 1312.
In 1330 John le Tanner was among the witnesses concerning a messuage in the town of Naas.
The 1659 Census of Ireland notes John Tanner as a titulado in Newtown, Co Laois, with him also being a Poll-Money Ordinance Commissioner for that county in 1660 and 1661.
Tanner is listed 16 times in the Phone Book of Northern Ireland, with 50 entries in telephone directories south of the Border.
These are most strongly in south Leinster and counties Waterford, Cork and Tipperary.
In the latter is Tannersrath in the parish of Kilgrant, in the neighbourhood of Clonmel.
This is Rβth an TainΘaraigh, "the ringfort of Tanner".