Collection LMA/4453/O - THRESHER AND COMPANY LIMITED

Identity area

Reference code

LMA/4453/O

Title

THRESHER AND COMPANY LIMITED

Date(s)

  • 1937-1968 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

0.02 linear metres

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Between 1897 and 1898, Samuel Benett Burt Thresher, founded Thresher and Company, a firm of wine merchants with eight shops (four in Fulham, one each in Lewisham, Ladywell, Streatham and Putney). In 1917 Thresher's became registered as a limited company. S B B Thresher retired in 1938. He was succeeded by Sydney Follett as managing director and H A Bonner as chairman.

The firm was bought by Flowers Breweries of Luton, Bedfordshire in 1957, and in turn part of the Whitbread empire in 1962 when Flowers Breweries was acquired by Whitbread and Company Limited. Flowers Breweries had begun as Flower and Sons in 1831 based at Brewery Street in Stratford-upon-Avon. In 1954 it merged with J W Green Limited of Luton who owned the Phoenix Brewery located on Park West Street. One condition of the merger was that the Flowers name be retained and so the new company became known as Flowers Breweries. After becoming part of Whitbread, brewing continued at the Luton site until the late 1960s before production was moved to Whitbread's Cheltenham site on Monson Avenue. Production of the Flowers brands was later transfered to the Boddingtons plant before coming under Interbrew when Whitbread's assets were sold in 2000.

The Thresher's shops were amalgamated in 1965 with wine shops of F S Stowell Limited, the managed off-licence group acquired by Whitbread in 1920. Combined head offices were established at Britten Street, Chelsea. Thresher's became part of Whitbread's growing wine and spirits business becoming its main off-license chain with over 1,600 off-licence stores. In 1998 the firm became owned by Allied Domecq, before being bought by Nomura Principal Finance in 2003. The firm fell into administration with Wine Cellar and First Quench Retailing in 2009.

Head office: 4 Thames House, Queen Street Place, City of London (until 1938); Burlington Lodge, Rigault Road, Fulham (from 1938); Britten Street, Chelsea (after 1965-1977); Great North Road, Hatfield, Hertfordshire (1977-1982); Sefton House, Church Road, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire (1982-).

Archival history

LMA/4453/O 1937-1968 Collection 0.02 linear metres Threshers Limited , off-licence chain

Between 1897 and 1898, Samuel Benett Burt Thresher, founded Thresher and Company, a firm of wine merchants with eight shops (four in Fulham, one each in Lewisham, Ladywell, Streatham and Putney). In 1917 Thresher's became registered as a limited company. S B B Thresher retired in 1938. He was succeeded by Sydney Follett as managing director and H A Bonner as chairman.

The firm was bought by Flowers Breweries of Luton, Bedfordshire in 1957, and in turn part of the Whitbread empire in 1962 when Flowers Breweries was acquired by Whitbread and Company Limited. Flowers Breweries had begun as Flower and Sons in 1831 based at Brewery Street in Stratford-upon-Avon. In 1954 it merged with J W Green Limited of Luton who owned the Phoenix Brewery located on Park West Street. One condition of the merger was that the Flowers name be retained and so the new company became known as Flowers Breweries. After becoming part of Whitbread, brewing continued at the Luton site until the late 1960s before production was moved to Whitbread's Cheltenham site on Monson Avenue. Production of the Flowers brands was later transfered to the Boddingtons plant before coming under Interbrew when Whitbread's assets were sold in 2000.

The Thresher's shops were amalgamated in 1965 with wine shops of F S Stowell Limited, the managed off-licence group acquired by Whitbread in 1920. Combined head offices were established at Britten Street, Chelsea. Thresher's became part of Whitbread's growing wine and spirits business becoming its main off-license chain with over 1,600 off-licence stores. In 1998 the firm became owned by Allied Domecq, before being bought by Nomura Principal Finance in 2003. The firm fell into administration with Wine Cellar and First Quench Retailing in 2009.

Head office: 4 Thames House, Queen Street Place, City of London (until 1938); Burlington Lodge, Rigault Road, Fulham (from 1938); Britten Street, Chelsea (after 1965-1977); Great North Road, Hatfield, Hertfordshire (1977-1982); Sefton House, Church Road, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire (1982-).

Received in 2001 as a gift.

Records of Thresher and Company, wine merchants, comprising register of seals only. It is not known whether other records of this company survive elsewhere.

One item only.

Available for general access.

Copyright to these records rests with the Corporation of London.

English.

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

July 2011. Business history Retail trade Threshers Limited , off-licence chain Trade (practice) History

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Received in 2001 as a gift.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Records of Thresher and Company, wine merchants, comprising register of seals only. It is not known whether other records of this company survive elsewhere.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

One item only.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Available for general access.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright to these records rests with the Corporation 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

Subject 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

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area