H. W. Trickett Ltd.

H. W. Trickett Ltd. was a slipper manufacturer based in Rossendale, Lancashire.

As the prosperity of the textile industry in Lancashire began to decline in the mid-19th century, the town of Rossendale, which already had an established felt industry, turned towards the manufacture of footwear. Many of the old cotton mills were converted into premises for the manufacture of slippers and other footwear.

By 1900 there were 13 shoe and slipper factories in Rossendale. Production of slippers totaled 70,000 pairs per week and the slipper trade was described by the local press as “the industry that saved Rossendale”. H. W. Trickett Ltd. was established by Sir Henry Whittaker Trickett who converted the Gaghills cotton mill into one of the largest slipper factories in the area. Trickett became known as “the Slipper King” and by the time of his death in 1913 the company had 1,300 employees, growing to a workforce of 6,000 in the 1920s.

by Mark Matlach

Batger & Co. Ltd.

Batger & Co. Ltd. was a confectionery manufacturer in London from 1748 until 1970. Although the early history of the company is sketchy, an Elizabeth Batger made and sold sweetmeats from a shop in Stepney, east London, in 1748.

From the 1860s Batger's had a factory in Stepney and another in Clapham. The main factory in Stepney manufactured jams, bakery sundries, sweets, and toffee. The best-known products were Chinese figs, Silmos lollies, Jersey Caramels, and John Peel marmalade. The Clapham factory produced Harlequin Christmas Crackers and all forms of cake decorations for the bakery industry.

Batger & Co. was acquired by another confectionery manufacturer called Needlers Ltd. in 1970. The business is now part of Ashbury Confectionery Ltd.

Advertisement 1942

 

by Mark Matlach

C K & J LTD. (Chamberlain, King & Jones Ltd.

The C K & J LTD. handstamped overprint belongs to Chamberlain, King & Jones Ltd. , a company of cabinet makers, upholsterers and furniture retailers established in 1851 at Union Street in Birmingham.

Hulley's Birmingham Directory of 1876 lists the business as “carvers and gilders”; the firm was responsible for some of the carving at the Birmingham Law Courts. Kelly's Directory of 1895 describes the firm as “cabinet makers, carpet factors, upholsterers and decorators”.

The company traded until at least 1956.

by Mark Matlach

I. H. S. & Co. (J. Henry Schröder & Co.)

In 1818 Johann Heinrich Schröder founded a banking company in London. The company prospered, focusing on the finance of trade between America and Europe, particularly in the tobacco, cotton, and sugar markets. In the 1850s the firm began issuing bonds for overseas borrowers in the London market. The company's first bond was issued in 1853 to finance the Matanzas and Sabanilla Railway in Cuba. In 1869 Schröder's strong connections with Latin America lead to the firm being appointed as the British agent for the sale of Peruvian guano – an important fertilizer at the time. A specialist department was established to handle the guano business and for the next decade made a significant contribution to the company's profits. In 1870 Schröder introduced the Japanese government's first foreign loan to the London market. This raised £1 million to finance the construction of the country's first railway, between Tokyo and Yokohama.

By the beginning of the 20th century Schröders was one of the leading banking companies in London, issuing bonds for clients around the world. Johann Heinrich Schröder died in 1910 and his nephew Baron Bruno Schröder took control of the business until 1940. In the 1950s the company name was anglicized and changed to Schroders Ltd. In the 1960s and 1970s Schroders established a presence in each of the major financial markets of the world. Subsidiary and associated companies were established to undertake investment banking and asset management activities in a number of countries around the world.

Today, Schroders is a multinational asset management company headquartered in the City of London. The company employs over 3,000 people worldwide across 34 offices in 27 different countries around Europe, America, Asia and the Middle East.

by Mark Matlach

For sale or trade

Jeff Turnbull has commercial overprints that are available for sale--or for trade for perfin revenues of Great Britain or former Commonwealth countries. Here are some examples of the material that is available:

There are also commercial overprints on receipts and some handstamps. Jeff can provide scans.

If you are a collector interested in adding to your collection or a non-collector who is intrigued by this barely explored piece of history, you can contact Jeff at:

by Michael Behm