Barry, Ostlere and Shepherd

Linoleum flooring has been with us for a century and a half. It was invented by Englishman Frederick Walton in 1860. The flooring is made from solidified linseed oil, pulverized limestone, wood flour and cork dust; backings are made from burlap, hemp or other fibers. Linoleum is considered "green" because of its natural makeup and its durability. Over the years linoleum has moved in and out of popularity, with a recent revival starting in the mid 2000s.

In 1863, an Englishman - Frederick Walton - applied successfully for a patent for the exclusive manufacture of a new floor covering material, which he called 'linoleum', his company, Walton's Linoleum Manufacturing Company, was founded during 1864 to start production of this product.

After 1877, when Walton's patent expired, production became more widespread in Britain and abroad, spreading in particular to Scotland and to the town of Kirkcaldy in West Fife.

By 1877, Kirkcaldy had established itself as the world's largest centre for the manufacture of wax floor-cloth, and was in an ideal position to exploit a rapidly growing national and international market for linoleum. Within a few decades over a dozen linoleum manufacturing companies had taken root and flourished, helping to transform Kirkcaldy into the Linoleum Capital of the world.

The first producer in Kirkcaldy was the Scottish Linoleum Company which was registered on 29th September 1899, taking over the businesses of floorcloth and linoleum manufacturers John Barry, Ostlere and Co., the Kirkcaldy Linoleum Co., and Messrs. Shepherd and Beveridge.

In February 1930 a company called Linoleum Manufacturing Co Ltd with works at Staines, Middlesex, and offices at 6 Old Bailey, London EC4, (which had been registered 3rd June 1864), changed its name to Barry and Staines Linoleum Ltd.

In December 1930, Barry, Ostlere & Shepherd Ltd converted into a private company and Barry and Staines Linoleum Ltd then acquired all its assets. Although Barry and Staines Linoleum Ltd was the parent company, the two companies continued to trade under their original names, at its height, they employed around 350 people in Staines, making it the towns largest employer, churning out by 1956 3,200 sq. yards of 'Staines Lino' each week.

Sadly, during 1963/4 the flooring company Barry, Ostlere and Shepherd succumbed to a downturn in the linoleum business and folded, causing the loss of around 1,500 jobs.

By Paul Green

Bank of British West Africa

Bank of British West Africa was a British Overseas bank that was important in introducing modern banking into the countries that emerged from the UK's West African colonies.

1891 Elder Dempster shipping magnate Alfred Lewis Jones (born in Carmarthen, Wales in 1845) and George William Neville ( born at Richmond, near London in 1852), the local agent of Elder Dempster & Co. of Liverpool, attempted to develop a banking operation along the Guinea coast.

1892 African Banking Corporation acquired Elder Dempster’s banking operations in Lagos, Nigeria. Within a year they wished to close it down. Instead, they sold the operation to A.L. Jones and Elder Dempster.

1893 Elder Dempster helped form Bank of British West Africa (BBWA) which took over the ex-ABC operation in Lagos. Eventually, BBWA established branches in Liverpool, London, and Manchester.

1896 BBWA established a branch in Accra, Ghana. Its main business then was the distribution of silver coins, of which it was the sole supplier. As the only bank in the country at the time, it came to play a unique role in the economy, acting as the Central Bank. In 1902, it opened another branch in Sekondi. It opened an agency in Obuasi in 1905, which it raised to the status of a branch in 1909. In 1906 it opened a branch in Kumasi. British Bank of West Africa expanded its network to cover most of the main business centre’s in the Gold Coast and went on to dominate commercial banking in Ghana.

1919 Lloyds Bank and three other banks became shareholders in BBWA.
In 1957 it changed its name to Bank of West Africa, and in 1965 was acquired by Standard Bank.

By Paul Green

Colthurst & Harding

Originally dating back to 1850 adjacent to the River Avon, Phoenix Wharf, as it was known, was a paint and varnish factory built by Bristol Paintmakers, Colthurst & Harding one of the numerous paint makers based in Bristol at that time. Extended and altered over the next 100 years it was taken over by Courtaulds and fell into decline as paint production became centralized elsewhere. In all 12 acres had been assembled by the 1930s.

As buildings were vacated from paint making they were let out to other users. Eventually all paint manufacture ceased and the site became known as Central Trading Estate. Over the next few years the site became run down and neglected.

Permission was granted during 2004 to redevelop the area as a centre for creative industries.

By Paul Green

Mappin & Webb

Founded in 1774 by Jonathan Mappin, Mappin & Webb is one of the UK's leading retailers of fine jewelery and silverware. Today, it is renowned for combining timeless craftsmanship with superior quality and contemporary design to produce exquisite jewelery, elegant silverware, watches and glassware.

Jonathan Mappin opened his first small silversmith workshop in Sheffield in 1774 and the following year the Mappin mark was entered at the assay office. Over the next fifteen years Jonathan Mappin's reputation for producing high quality silver spread throughout Sheffield. From these humble beginnings the business grew steadily and soon the next generation were expanding the business further

The first store to be opened in London was in 1849 at 17 Fore Street and was soon followed by stores in Moorgate and King William Street. In 1858, following rapid expansion of the Sheffield factory, John Newton Mappin invited his brother-in-law, George Webb to join him in the business. The first association of Mappin & Webb was forged.

Mappin & Webb's reputation spread as the business became a leading name within its field. A testament to its success came in 1897 with the granting of Royal Warrants. Today Mappin & Webb is silversmith to Her Majesty the Queen and to His Royal Highness Prince of Wales.

Mappin & Webb takes great pride in its rich heritage and outstanding reputation, successfully combining all the positive qualities from its past with an innovative approach to design and craftsmanship today.

By Paul Green

Thomas De La Rue & Company Ltd.

The Company was founded by Thomas de la Rue who moved to London in 1821 and set up in business as a stationer and printer. In 1831 his business secured a Royal Warrant to produce playing cards, in 1855 it started printing postage stamps and in 1860 it began printing banknotes. In 1896, the family partnership was converted to a private company.

In 1921, the de la Rue family sold their interests. It was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1947. The Company, then called Thomas De La Rue & Company, Limited, changed its name in 1958 to The De La Rue Company Limited. A takeover bid for De La Rue was made by the Rank Organization Plc in 1968 but this was rejected by the Monopolies commission as being against the public interest. In 1991 the company’s name was changed again--this time to De La Rue Plc.

In 1997 De La Rue acquired Harrison and Sons, the stamp and banknote printers, based in High Wycombe. Harrisons had made significant inroads into De La Rue's banknote printing operations.

In 2003 the Company acquired the Debden based banknote printing operations of the Bank of England.

By Paul Green

Indo-European Telegraph Company

Indo-European Telegraph Company (IETC) , was a telegraph company that controlled telegraph wires between Tehran and the Russian border and onward through Russia and Germany to London. Unlike the Indo-European Telegraph Department (IETD) operated by the British Indian government and the native Iranian system, the Indo-European Telegraph Company was privately owned and operated by the Siemens Company.

On 11 January 1868, Nasáer-al-Din Shah granted the Siemens brothers a concession to build and operate a telegraph from Tehran to the Russian frontier at Jolfa. The agreement stipulated that, after 25 years, the entire line would default to the Iranian government unless overridden by a subsequent agreement.

In January 1891, the IETC extended their concession with Persia through 1925. The Persian government had previously built a rudimentary telegraph connecting Tehran and Tabriz, but used the Siemens concession to upgrade the link at no cost to itself. Robert Murdoch Smith, director of the IETD Persian section, wrote in an 1868 letter, "The Tabreez line has been very bad of late of course, the Iranians will do nothing to it in anticipation of Siemens taking it over".

Contemporaries frequently confused the IETC and IETD, leading Frederic Goldsmid, IETD director from 1865-71, to pen a clarification letter to The Times of London published 7 February 1870. The British government initially welcomed the IETC for the communications security an additional Indo-European telegraph route would provide. However, the IETC line fell under the protection of Russian authorities, even if most of its directors were English.

The IETC 480-mile double wire line opened in August 1869 for both Iranian and foreign traffic, although the IETC did not complete the route via Tiflis, Odessa, Warsaw, Thorn, Berlin, Emden, and Lowestoft to London until January 1870. The commencement of IETC operations shortened Indo-European communications from 12 days to just over six minutes. Increased traffic to Tehran via the IETC route spurred growth on the IETD system in the rest of Iran so as to accommodate traffic onward from Iran to India.

Beginning in 1912, the IETC sought to transform its Iranian operations into a wireless company, though this was interrupted by the outbreak of World War I, which cut off IETC service; it did not resume until August 1923.

In 1929, Imperial and International Communications, a predecessor to Cable and Wireless, acquired the IETC. In 1931, Imperial and International Communications ceased its operations in Iran, liquidating the landline the following year.

By Paul Green

Liverpool Gas Company

In 1816 The Liverpool Gas Light Company was created by Jonathan Varty, a local coach builder, and an engineer by the name of John Hargreaves. The company started to supply gas after getting a Charter of Incorporation by Act of Parliament in 1818. One of the company's responsibilities was lighting the Town Hall with gas.

In 1823 the rival Liverpool Oil Gas Company was created by an Act of Parliament to produce gas from oil only. In 1834 this restriction was lifted and the company was allowed to make gas from coal as well.

The next 25 years saw a bitter rivalry between these two gas companies. In 1848, following a campaign to lower gas prices, an Act of Parliament resulted in the amalgamation of the two companies to form The Liverpool United Gas Company.

Liverpool United Gas Company showroom, opened at Duke Street in 1872.

In 1914 The Liverpool United Gas Company changed its name to The Liverpool Gas Company. The company's area of supply was extended and it expanded by taking over several local gas companies.

When the UK gas industry was nationalised in 1949, The Liverpool Gas Company became part of the North West Gas Board.

By Mark Matlach

In addition to the overprint shown here, there are reports that there is a second version in which the text runs in the opposite direction.