Collection GB 0074 LMA/4682 - WITHERBY AND COMPANY LIMITED {PRINTERS AND STATIONERS}

Zone d'identification

Cote

GB 0074 LMA/4682

Titre

WITHERBY AND COMPANY LIMITED {PRINTERS AND STATIONERS}

Date(s)

  • 1741-2003 (Création/Production)

Niveau de description

Collection

Étendue matérielle et support

2.74 linear metres

Zone du contexte

Nom du producteur

Notice biographique

Witherby's was founded in 1740 by Thomas Witherby (1719 - 1797), stationer. He began by copying manuscript documents brought to him by solicitors relating to property leases, wills and marriage settlements, as well as producing pro-forma articles of agreement, bonds and other documents relating to insurance and shipping required by merchants, shop owners and their captains. Many of these transactions were carried out in coffee houses including the Sword Blade coffee house in Exchange Alley which was burnt to the ground in 1748 together with Thomas Witherby's premises next door.

Witherby signed a new lease for a 'new built brick messuage' at 9 Birchin Lane in 1749 where the business remained until 1873.

In 1767 Thomas was elected to the Common Council of the City of London Corporation representing Langbourne Ward. In 1779 the firm became Witherby & Son, and later Witherby and Company becoming a registered limited company as Witherby and Company Limited in 1935 which acted as a parent for subsidiary companies. These subsidiaries included HF & G Witherby Limited, publishers specialising on books on British Birds reflecting Harry Forbes Witherby's interest in ornithology. Publications included the monthly magazine 'British Birds' launched in 1907 and printed at Witherby's Holborn works. The firm also diversified its products range from account books and headed stationery to 'Witherby's Magnetic pen' patented in 1898 and Witherby's Universal Automatic Gum Bottle.

Successive acquisitions (including Bean, Webley and Company in 1925 and drake, Driver and Leaver Limited in 1954) , and the expansion of the printing business, led the firm to settle at specially built premises for modernised printing production techniques at 32-36 Aylesbury Street, Islington in 1965. It was only in 2009, after its publishing arm merged in 2008 with Scottish based Seamanship International Limited, that Witherby's moved to Tottenham Hale.

The Company specialises in litho and digital printing.

Seven generations of Witherbys were involved in the business. Thomas Witherby's son George Henry (1766 - 1805) became a partner in 1778 and was joined by William (1758- 1840) when the business changed to 'Witherby and son', succeeded by William's son William Henry (1793 - 1890) and George Henry's son George (1791 - 1861). The fourth generation comprised Walter (1826 - 1881) and Henry Forbes (1836 - 1907) sons of George; then Harry Forbes (1873 - 1943), George (1878 - 1958) and Theodore (1872 - 1957) all sons of Henry Forbes Witherby.
By the twentieth century the company was managed by Harry's sons Thomas and Richard and latterly George's son Anthony. The seventh and final generation joined the business in the 1960's - Alan and David Witherby. The family's association with the business ended when David Witherby resigned as director of Witherby's Limited in 2012.

Trading As

Thomas Witherby 1759-1778 Birchin Lane

Thomas Witherby and Son 1779-1788

Thomas Witherby and Sons 1789-1800

William and George Henry Witherby 1801-1814

W.G and W.H Witherby 1815 - 1830

Witherby and Co.

Witherby and Company Limited 1935

Histoire archivistique

GB 0074 LMA/4682 1741-2003 Collection 2.74 linear metres Merchant Investors Assurance Company Ltd , Printers and Stationers
xx Thomas Witherby
xx Thomas Witherby & Son
xx Thomas Witherby & Sons
xx William & George Henry Witherby
xx W.G and W.H Witherby
xx Witherby & Co.

Witherby's was founded in 1740 by Thomas Witherby (1719 - 1797), stationer. He began by copying manuscript documents brought to him by solicitors relating to property leases, wills and marriage settlements, as well as producing pro-forma articles of agreement, bonds and other documents relating to insurance and shipping required by merchants, shop owners and their captains. Many of these transactions were carried out in coffee houses including the Sword Blade coffee house in Exchange Alley which was burnt to the ground in 1748 together with Thomas Witherby's premises next door.

Witherby signed a new lease for a 'new built brick messuage' at 9 Birchin Lane in 1749 where the business remained until 1873.

In 1767 Thomas was elected to the Common Council of the City of London Corporation representing Langbourne Ward. In 1779 the firm became Witherby & Son, and later Witherby and Company becoming a registered limited company as Witherby and Company Limited in 1935 which acted as a parent for subsidiary companies. These subsidiaries included HF & G Witherby Limited, publishers specialising on books on British Birds reflecting Harry Forbes Witherby's interest in ornithology. Publications included the monthly magazine 'British Birds' launched in 1907 and printed at Witherby's Holborn works. The firm also diversified its products range from account books and headed stationery to 'Witherby's Magnetic pen' patented in 1898 and Witherby's Universal Automatic Gum Bottle.

Successive acquisitions (including Bean, Webley and Company in 1925 and drake, Driver and Leaver Limited in 1954) , and the expansion of the printing business, led the firm to settle at specially built premises for modernised printing production techniques at 32-36 Aylesbury Street, Islington in 1965. It was only in 2009, after its publishing arm merged in 2008 with Scottish based Seamanship International Limited, that Witherby's moved to Tottenham Hale.

The Company specialises in litho and digital printing.

Seven generations of Witherbys were involved in the business. Thomas Witherby's son George Henry (1766 - 1805) became a partner in 1778 and was joined by William (1758- 1840) when the business changed to 'Witherby and son', succeeded by William's son William Henry (1793 - 1890) and George Henry's son George (1791 - 1861). The fourth generation comprised Walter (1826 - 1881) and Henry Forbes (1836 - 1907) sons of George; then Harry Forbes (1873 - 1943), George (1878 - 1958) and Theodore (1872 - 1957) all sons of Henry Forbes Witherby.
By the twentieth century the company was managed by Harry's sons Thomas and Richard and latterly George's son Anthony. The seventh and final generation joined the business in the 1960's - Alan and David Witherby. The family's association with the business ended when David Witherby resigned as director of Witherby's Limited in 2012.

Trading As

Thomas Witherby 1759-1778 Birchin Lane

Thomas Witherby and Son 1779-1788

Thomas Witherby and Sons 1789-1800

William and George Henry Witherby 1801-1814

W.G and W.H Witherby 1815 - 1830

Witherby and Co.

Witherby and Company Limited 1935

Deposited in May 2014.

Records of Witherby and Co Ltd including Partners deeds, memorandum and articles of association, minutes, acquisition and policy papers, accounts, ledgers, journals, 'precedent' books (specimen forms), staff salaries, photographs, annual outing booklets, premises deeds, rentals, plans, inventories, printed material, history research including Witherby family papers and memoirs.

There are also records of subsidaries including H. F. & G. Witherby publishers of 'British Birds' , Electric Law Press Limited, Greaves Pass & Company and Drake, Driver and Leaver Limited (subsidiaries).

A highlight is the precedent books containing pro forma specimen court documents and forms written in Thomas Witherby's hand and intended for the guidance of his staff of law writers.

Arranged in sections as follows:

LMA/4682/A - Corporate and Administration

LMA/4682/B - Shares

LMA/4682/C - Accounting and Financial

LMA/4682/D - Legal

LMA/4682/E - Operation and Production

LMA/4682/F - Marketing and Advertising

LMA/4682/G - Staff and Employment

LMA/4682/H - Premises

LMA/4682/I - History

LMA/4682/J - Family

LMA/4682/K - H.F and G. Witherby

LMA/4682/L - Greaves Pass and Company

LMA/4682/M - Electric Law Press Ltd

LMA/4682/N - Drake, Driver and Leaver Ltd

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 rests with the depositor.

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.
Added October 2016. Communication personnel Printing Publishing Publishing industry Merchant Investors Assurance Company Ltd Printers People People by occupation Personnel Mercantile personnel Stationers

Source immédiate d'acquisition ou de transfert

Deposited in May 2014.

Zone du contenu et de la structure

Portée et contenu

Records of Witherby and Co Ltd including Partners deeds, memorandum and articles of association, minutes, acquisition and policy papers, accounts, ledgers, journals, 'precedent' books (specimen forms), staff salaries, photographs, annual outing booklets, premises deeds, rentals, plans, inventories, printed material, history research including Witherby family papers and memoirs.

There are also records of subsidaries including H. F. & G. Witherby publishers of 'British Birds' , Electric Law Press Limited, Greaves Pass & Company and Drake, Driver and Leaver Limited (subsidiaries).

A highlight is the precedent books containing pro forma specimen court documents and forms written in Thomas Witherby's hand and intended for the guidance of his staff of law writers.

Évaluation, élimination et calendrier de conservation

Accroissements

Mode de classement

Arranged in sections as follows:

LMA/4682/A - Corporate and Administration

LMA/4682/B - Shares

LMA/4682/C - Accounting and Financial

LMA/4682/D - Legal

LMA/4682/E - Operation and Production

LMA/4682/F - Marketing and Advertising

LMA/4682/G - Staff and Employment

LMA/4682/H - Premises

LMA/4682/I - History

LMA/4682/J - Family

LMA/4682/K - H.F and G. Witherby

LMA/4682/L - Greaves Pass and Company

LMA/4682/M - Electric Law Press Ltd

LMA/4682/N - Drake, Driver and Leaver Ltd

Zone des conditions d'accès et d'utilisation

Conditions d'accès

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 de reproduction

Copyright rests with the depositor.

Langue des documents

  • anglais

Écriture des documents

  • latin

Notes de langue et graphie

English

Caractéristiques matérielle et contraintes techniques

Instruments de recherche

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

Zone des sources complémentaires

Existence et lieu de conservation des originaux

Existence et lieu de conservation des copies

Unités de description associées

Descriptions associées

Zone des notes

Identifiant(s) alternatif(s)

Mots-clés

Mots-clés - Lieux

Mots-clés - Noms

Mots-clés - Genre

Zone du contrôle de la description

Identifiant de la description

Identifiant du service d'archives

London Metropolitan Archives

Règles et/ou conventions utilisées

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.

Statut

Niveau de détail

Dates de production, de révision, de suppression

Langue(s)

  • anglais

Écriture(s)

    Sources

    Zone des entrées