Toye and Bromley , yarn, hemp and fibre merchants

The firm of Toye and Bromley, yarn, hemp and fibre merchants of 132 Fenchurch Street, has its origin in a business established by Samuel Toye.

Toye first appears in trade directories in 1864 as a bass broom maker with premises in Worship Street (1864-74) and 15 Mile End Road (1874-79).

In 1874, Samuel Toye is also listed as an importer of coir yarn and other fibres, hemp, jute and fibre merchant, with premises at 132 Fenchurch Street. He appears to have entered into partnership with Frank Charles Bromley, a fibre merchant, and from 1877 this part of the business was carried on under the name of Toye and Bromley. C B Smith and T K Cleghorn, a hemp merchant, whose names are mentioned in the ledger, may also have had an interest in the firm.

The broom business at Mile End Road continued under the name of Samuel Toye until 1880, when it was absorbed by Toye and Bromley. The firm retained the premises, but brush manufacture appears to have been abandoned.

Toye and Bromley were based at 132 Fenchurch Street, and 15 Mile End Road from 1880 (1877-83), 116 Fenchurch Street and 15 Mile End Road (1884-90), and 15 Mile End Road, (1891-95).

The firm of Toye and Bromley disappears from trade directories after 1895 but seems to have been succeeded by Samuel Toye and Company, importers of coir yarn, cordage and brush fibres, hemp, jute, fibre bristle and coir yarn, merchants, bass and fibre dressers of 15 Mile End Road. By the following year this firm are described simply as bristle merchants.

Samuel Toye and Company had premises at 15 Mile End Road (1896), 3 Mitre Street, Aldgate (1897-1901), 18 Heneage Lane, Bevis Marks (1902-56), and 27A Victorian Grove, London N16 (1957-73). The firm does not appear in directories after 1973.