Pawsons & Leafs Ltd.

In 1780 William Leaf opened the first wholesale silk warehouse in London, at 110 Fleet Street.The firm underwent a number of name changes over the next century before becoming Leaf & Co. Ltd in 1877. In 1832 John F. Pawson established I. F. Pawson & Co., a textile and clothing wholesaling company based at 5 and 9 St. Paul's Churchyard, London. The business was later styled as Pawson & Co., becoming Pawson & Co. Ltd in 1873.

In 1892 the two textiles companies merged to become Pawsons & Leafs Ltd. The company operated from Pawson's original premises at St. Paul's Churchyard until 1964, when the business relocated to 32/43 Chart Street. The company appears to have ceased trading some time after 1968.

There are 16 different overprints recorded for Pawsons & Leafs and the pre-merger companies of I. F. Pawson & Co.; Leaf, Sons & Co. and Leaf & Co. Ltd.

Overprint	Style	SG Cat. Numbers
Received for / I. F. PAWSON & Co. / £........ / …........	H4a	IRL, IRS
Received for / LEAF, SONS & CO. / £	H3a	IRL
Received for / LEAF, SONS & Co. / £	H3b	IRL
Received for / LEAF, SONS & CO. // £	H3e	IRS
Received for / LEAF, SONS & CO. // £	H3e	IRS
Received for / LEAF, SONS / & Co. / £	H4a	IRS
Received for / LEAF & CO. LTD.	H2d	172
Received / with thanks for / PAWSON & Co / LIMITED	V4b	172
Received, / with thanks, for / PAWSON & COMPANY / (LIMITED). / £............. / …...........	H6a	IRS, 172
Received for / PAWSON & COMPANY / (LIMITED). / £............... / …...........	H5b	IRS
RECEIVED / £ / for / PAWSONS & LEAFS / LD.	V5b	172
RECEIVED / £ / for / PAWSONS & LEAFS / LD.	V5d	172
RECEIVED / £ / for / Pawsons & Leafs / LD.	V5d	172
RECEIVED / £ / for / Pawsons & Leafs / Limited.	V5d	357, 368, 421
Received / £ / for / Pawsons & Leafs / Limited.	V5b	329, 368, 421, 442, 465
PAWSONS // & LEAFS, LTD.	H2d	465, 488, 506

Legend : 

IRL = 1d Inland Revenue (large) type of 1860 - 1867

IRS = 1d Inland Revenue (small) type of 1868 - 1881

by Mark Matlach