Bevingtons and Sons Limited , leather merchants and manufacturers

Bevingtons and Sons Limited , leather merchants and manufacturers

Bevingtons and Sons Limited, leather merchants and manufacturers were based at Neckinger Mills, Bermondsey, Southwark. The Bevington family were Quakers originating from Warwickshire and neighbouring Gloucestershire and had been associated with tanning since at least the mid-seventeenth century. For most of its history, the leather industry was in the hands of numerous family firms, of which Bevington and Sons Limited is recognised as a significant example. By 1795 operations had been established under Samuel Bevington Senior at the former site of Neckinger Paper Mills. At this time his son Samuel Bourne Bevington was based in Yeovil, Somerset, another area associated with the leather industry.

From 1802, following the death of Samuel Bevington Senior, his sons Samuel Bourne, Henry, Richard and Timothy Bevington continued as partners in the family business. At the Neckinger Mills factory, Bevington and Sons produced and dealt in a wide range of leathers and leather goods, such as gloves. Products were made from foreign and domestic skins including kid, lamb, sheepskin and fine seal-skins. Light leathers, such as Morocco, were produced for making shoes and fancy goods. The company also had premises in Saint Thomas' Street, Bermondsey and in Cannon Street, City of London. The family had a home at 34 Gracechurch Street, City of London. Later business premises included Hawley Mills, Dartford, Kent. The now dissolved public limited company of Bevington and Sons (Neckinger) Limited was incorporated on 6/11/1931.

Members of the Bevington Family have been admitted to the Worshipful Company of Leathersellers. James Geoffrey Bevington, partner from 1927, became the last remaining member of the Bevington Family in the firm. The company moved to Leicester in 1980. As of 2012, Bevington Specialist Leathers exists as a division of Milton Leicester Ltd, North Street, Wigston, Leicester.

For further details see 'Bevingtons & Sons Ltd, 1795-1995' by Geoffrey Bevington, published by Bevington and Sons, 1991. Held in City of London Library Collection (Closed Access Pam 22433). An edition is also available in this collection (ACC/1616/G/01/004).