Collection GB 0074 LMA/4577 - PRITCHARD AND BURTON {TOBACCO MANUFACTURERS}

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0074 LMA/4577

Title

PRITCHARD AND BURTON {TOBACCO MANUFACTURERS}

Date(s)

  • 1869-1949 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

0.8 linear metres.

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Pritchard and Burton, tobacco manufacturers, was founded by Edward Pritchard, tobacconist of Snow Hill, King Street, London. Originally from Wales, Pritchard was previously a partner of Pritchard and Lloyd, 'Snuff Manufacturers and 'Segar' Merchants', founded in 1825, before his partner died and he began trading alone. In 1846, he took Alfred Burton (c.1842-1917) on as his clerk. In 1853 Burton married Pritchard's niece and was then made a partner in the new firm of Pritchard and Burton in 1857. On Pritchard's death in 1869, Burton was left sole proprietor.

The company was most famous for its celebrated Boar's Head Shag blend, made from East Indian raw leaf tobacco which proved very popular with London's working classes. In 1878, Burton's eldest son Edward came into the business, followed, in 1881 by his second son Frank. Alfred Burton's decision not to join the new Imperial Tobacco Company and refusal to invest in the cigarette, believing it to be just a passing fad, possibly hampered the success of the company. However the firm remained prosperous into the early 20th century, providing pipe tobacco within the London area. The company began to advertise extensively from the 1930s mostly on the London Underground network. By the 1940s, the firm was performing poorly, and was taken over by George Dobie and Son Limited of Paisley, Scotland. Within one year, the firm was wound up, and Pritchard and Burton was sold to Godfrey Phillips Limited of London. In 1968 the Acton factory was closed and within a few months, the Phillips group was taken over by the American firm of Phillip Morris Inc. who in 1971 moved Pritchard and Burton to Silvertown in London's Docklands. Family member Lovick Burton continued as the managing director of the Pritchard and Burton division of Phillip Morris Inc. until the early 1980s.

Head Offices: Snow Hill, City of London (until 1870); due to the construction of the Metropolitan Railway, the firm was forced to move to a purpose built warehouse at 1 Farringdon Road (1870-1930s); moved to a new factory in Victoria Road, Acton, Middlesex (1930s-1968); upon closure the production of the Boars Head brand continued in Commercial Street, East London; Silvertown (1971-1980s).

Archival history

GB 0074 LMA/4577 1869-1949 Collection 0.8 linear metres. Pritchard and Burton , tobacco manufacturers

Pritchard and Burton, tobacco manufacturers, was founded by Edward Pritchard, tobacconist of Snow Hill, King Street, London. Originally from Wales, Pritchard was previously a partner of Pritchard and Lloyd, 'Snuff Manufacturers and 'Segar' Merchants', founded in 1825, before his partner died and he began trading alone. In 1846, he took Alfred Burton (c.1842-1917) on as his clerk. In 1853 Burton married Pritchard's niece and was then made a partner in the new firm of Pritchard and Burton in 1857. On Pritchard's death in 1869, Burton was left sole proprietor.

The company was most famous for its celebrated Boar's Head Shag blend, made from East Indian raw leaf tobacco which proved very popular with London's working classes. In 1878, Burton's eldest son Edward came into the business, followed, in 1881 by his second son Frank. Alfred Burton's decision not to join the new Imperial Tobacco Company and refusal to invest in the cigarette, believing it to be just a passing fad, possibly hampered the success of the company. However the firm remained prosperous into the early 20th century, providing pipe tobacco within the London area. The company began to advertise extensively from the 1930s mostly on the London Underground network. By the 1940s, the firm was performing poorly, and was taken over by George Dobie and Son Limited of Paisley, Scotland. Within one year, the firm was wound up, and Pritchard and Burton was sold to Godfrey Phillips Limited of London. In 1968 the Acton factory was closed and within a few months, the Phillips group was taken over by the American firm of Phillip Morris Inc. who in 1971 moved Pritchard and Burton to Silvertown in London's Docklands. Family member Lovick Burton continued as the managing director of the Pritchard and Burton division of Phillip Morris Inc. until the early 1980s.

Head Offices: Snow Hill, City of London (until 1870); due to the construction of the Metropolitan Railway, the firm was forced to move to a purpose built warehouse at 1 Farringdon Road (1870-1930s); moved to a new factory in Victoria Road, Acton, Middlesex (1930s-1968); upon closure the production of the Boars Head brand continued in Commercial Street, East London; Silvertown (1971-1980s).

This collection was purchased with grateful assistance of the Museum, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA)/Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) Purchase Grant Fund in February 2011.

Records of Pritchard and Burton, tobacco manufacturers. The collection contains detailed financial records belonging to the company including balance sheets, private ledgers, departmental account books, journals, cash book, accounts of Alfred Burton's investments and accounts of Edward Pritchard Burton's Estate. There are also photograph albums containing staff portraits (LMA/4577/02/01) and a draft history of the company. The accounts of Alfred Burton's investments are of particular interest as they contain records of payments made to various companies around the world, such as the Grand Trunk Railway, Canada and De Beers consolidated mines (LMA/4577/01/06). The private ledgers also contain detailed capital accounts showing the growth in proprietor assets through the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries (LMA/4577/01/02).

Disposal of duplicate: LMA/4577/01/02/005 Private ledger 1894-1906.

The records are arranged as follows: LMA/4577/01 Finance; LMA/4577/02 Staff; LMA/4577/03 History.

These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998.

Copyright to this collection rests with the City of London.

English

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

January to May 2011. Tobacco industry Agricultural products Plant products Tobacco Financial records Accounts Accounts ledgers Information sources Documents Business records Business Business administration Industry Business management Enterprises Pritchard and Burton , tobacco manufacturers Ealing Middlesex City of London London England UK Western Europe Europe Acton Management

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

This collection was purchased with grateful assistance of the Museum, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA)/Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) Purchase Grant Fund in February 2011.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Records of Pritchard and Burton, tobacco manufacturers. The collection contains detailed financial records belonging to the company including balance sheets, private ledgers, departmental account books, journals, cash book, accounts of Alfred Burton's investments and accounts of Edward Pritchard Burton's Estate. There are also photograph albums containing staff portraits (LMA/4577/02/01) and a draft history of the company. The accounts of Alfred Burton's investments are of particular interest as they contain records of payments made to various companies around the world, such as the Grand Trunk Railway, Canada and De Beers consolidated mines (LMA/4577/01/06). The private ledgers also contain detailed capital accounts showing the growth in proprietor assets through the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries (LMA/4577/01/02).

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Disposal of duplicate: LMA/4577/01/02/005 Private ledger 1894-1906.

Accruals

System of arrangement

The records are arranged as follows: LMA/4577/01 Finance; LMA/4577/02 Staff; LMA/4577/03 History.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright to this collection rests with the City of London.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

London Metropolitan Archives

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area