Swaine
Adeney Brigg of London has been selling umbrellas since 1750,and got its royal
warrant from Queen Victoria in 1893. The Brigg brolly achieved international
fame when wielded by John Steed in The Avengers TV series. But they're not that
cheap so what makes them different from more ordinary umberellas?
Swaine
Adeney History
In the year
1750, John Ross founded a Whip making business at 238 Piccadilly, London W1.
James
Swaine later purchased this business in 1798, having for some years been
foreman of a successful whip making business in Holborn.
A royal
appointment to His Majesty King George III and to his sons, The Prince of Wales
and the Dukes of York, Clarence, Kent, Cumberland and Cambridge quickly
followed and Swaine Adeney’s reputation for quality and excellence was
established.
The Royal
appointments were renewed in the reigns of His Majesty George IV and His
Majesty William IV. In the year 1835, James Swaine moved his business to larger
premises at 185 Piccadilly. The business continued to flourish and in 1845
Edward Swaine took his nephew into partnership and Swaine Adeney was born.
In many
ways, much remains the same today, the same artisan’s crafts are used to
hand-shape the fine leather goods: tooling, stitching and engraving each piece
in time-honoured tradition.
The Swaine
Adeney workshops in Cambridgeshire and Norfolk are (alas) one of the UK’s last
studios left in the UK to craft fine leather in this way. This is where
customers can send their favourite pieces for repair, however old!
In 1851,
Swaine Adeney decided to put its fine products on show to the world at the
London Exhibition held at the newly constructed Crystal Palace. The Exhibition
was the largest the world had ever seen (attracting over six million visitors
to a space four times the size of St. Peter’s in Rome).
Swaine
Adeney won several prize medals at the London Exhibition, prompting the company
to show its fine goods at the Paris Exhibition of 1900 (at which further medals
followed). Swaine Adeney’s reputation was now growing on a worldwide stage, as
the finest producer of leather goods.
Thomas
Brigg and Son’s was established in 1836 at No. 23 St. James’s Street a stone’s
throw from Swaine Adeney Brigg’s present location. The company specialised in
the manufacture of the finest umbrellas, walking sticks and hunting crops.
During the
Second World War, Brigg & Sons lost its Paris shop when France was
occupied. Back home in London, help was at hand in the form of Swaine Adeney:
the two firms joined forces mid-war in February 1943, to form Swaine Adeney
Brigg & Sons Limited. The store became well known for the supply of its
equestrian goods, which are still made to this day.
In the late
18th century, Royal tradesmen began displaying the Royal Arms on their premises
and stationery. Queen Victoria ensured Royal Warrants gained the prestige they
enjoy today. During her 64 year reign, the Queen and her family granted more
than 2000 Royal Warrants, eight times as many as the Queen’s uncle, George IV.
In 1893,
Thomas Brigg and Sons received its first Royal Appointment from Her Majesty
Queen Victoria and became the first umbrella maker ever to be honoured with an
appointment. Further Royal Appointments were also bestowed by Her Majesty Queen
Victoria and by His Majesty Edward VI with the last bestowed by HRH The Prince
of Wales.
Papworth
History
Originally
based in Papworth Everard, Cambridgeshire, Papworth Travel Goods owes its
beginnings to Dr (later Sir) Pendrill Varrier-Jones, a social pioneer who
founded the Cambridgeshire Tuberculosis Colony. The Colony was later to become
the Papworth Village Settlement and the forerunner of the Papworth Trust.
Varrier-Jones’ vision was to create not just a hospital or rehabilitation
centre for TB patients, but a whole community.
The Colony
began at Bourn in Cambridgeshire in 1917 however, Varrier-Jones soon collected
enough funding (£6,000) to purchase Papworth Hall, and the Colony moved to the
village of Papworth Everard the following year. With the Hall went most of the
land in the parish and, under Varrier-Jones’ capable management, the Papworth
Colony rapidly expanded. Although there were still many deaths from
tuberculosis, the aim was to rehabilitate sufferers by providing treatment for
them (surgery and ‘fresh air’) and giving them appropriate work.
When the
Hall became too small, a new hospital was built, along with new homes for the
TB patients and their families. In the 1930’s factory buildings were also
constructed, to enable patients who were well enough the opportunity to work.
The
Papworth Industries became a great financial success, expanding over many years
under the trade-mark of ‘Pendragon’. Industries included the manufacture of
travel goods, carpentry, cabinet making, leather work, and printing.
‘Pendragon
Travel Goods’ evolved in the 1970s to become ‘Papworth Travel Goods.’
The brand
was acquired in 1997 by Swaine Adeney Brigg.
Royal
Warrants issued to Papworth Travel Goods
1924-1941
Warrant
appointing Cambridgeshire Tuberculosis Colony as trunk makers and
cabinet-makers by King George V
1931
Warrant
appointing Papworth Industries trunk and cabinet -makers by the Prince of Wales
1940 – 1947
Warrant
appointing Papworth Industries trunk and cabinet-makers by Queen Elizabeth.
1952 – 2002
Warrant
appointing Papworth Industries trunk and cabinet-makers by Queen Elizabeth the
Queen Mother
The Company
Today
To
emphasise Pendragon's speciality of fine leather goods manufacturing we adopted
a new name - Papworth Leather Goods. For over three-quarters of a century
luggage of distinction and quality has been produced by Pendragon in a quiet
leafy village in the heart of the English countryside eight miles from
Cambridge.
Traditional
tools and methods of manufacture are still employed and encouraged and largely
contribute to the individuality and characteristics of Papworth business cases
and luggage. Papworth Travel Goods are hand-made by craftsmen with years of
experience in the trade, whose first consideration is quality.
Renowned
the world over for lasting quality, every Papworth case is an individual
creation – top quality selected hides of many different hues and grains are
carefully stored, awaiting their turn to be cut and matched to linings of
gentle suedes, velvets and silks. Locks and fittings of solid brass and other
metals will be carefully fitted by hand, transforming the whole into items of
prestige and elegance.
From the
distinctive style of our suitcase to the classic cut of our briefcases, the
Papworth signature is always unmistakable.
Brigg
History
Thomas
Brigg & Sons were established in 1836.
In 1893,
Thomas Brigg and Sons received its first Royal Appointment from Her Majesty
Queen Victoria and became the first umbrella maker ever to be honoured with an
appointment. Further Royal Appointments were also bestowed by His Majesty King
Edward VII and successive Monarchs.
Up until
WWII, Thomas Brigg & Sons also had an establishment in Paris.
Thomas
Brigg & Sons merged in 1943 with Swaine & Adeney and were afterwards
styled ‘Swaine, Adeney, Brigg & Sons’.
The Brigg
umbrella is famous for its high quality and long history supplying Royal
Families, Prime Ministers and distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen around the
World.
Today, we
are still crafting reputedly the best umbrellas in the world in our workrooms
in England!!
Herbert
Johnson History
In 1872, a
young Lad named Herbert Louis Johnson was apprenticed, by his parents, for
seven years to hat-makers Lincoln Bennett, to learn the trade. He obviously did
well and in 1889 on the somewhat unlikely advice of the Prince of Wales (later
to become King Edward VII), he went into business with one Edward John Glazier
at 45 New Bond Street, London W1.
The story
recounts that one day when the Prince of Wales was riding in the park, his top
hat blew off, damaging it. The young Herbert Johnson who happened to be ‘to
hand’, picked up the Royal topper and offered his professional services. The
hat was duly repaired. The Prince was pleased and subsequently suggested to the
young hero that he set himself up in business. All this came to pass and
Herbert Johnson soon became well known for all forms of headwear for the
well-dressed gentleman including Royal patronage.
Fame and
success came quickly and Kaiser Wilhelm, the Czar of Russia, King George of
Greece not to mention the Duke of Clarence – of doubtful fame – amongst other
great names, all found their way to Bond Street.
Herbert
Johnson continued to work in the business personally until his retirement in
1928. He had made the name synonymous with quality “..a man with a Herbert
Johnson hat is a man apart”. He has an air of sophistication and assurance such
as arises from the knowledge that he is in possession of superb quality
craftsmanship”. Whether a bowler (black for the town, brown for the country or
grey for driving), a classic tweed cap for shooting or fishing, a classic
Homberg, a hat for racing across the Atlantic or a cap for scoring runs on the
village green – it had to be from Herbert Johnson.
Today
Herbert Johnson hats can be found in some of the most prestigious retailers
worldwide. The company also enjoys a long, successful and continuing
relationship with the worlds of both theatre and film.
The
military is an equally important patron. Nearly every regiment patronises
Herbert Johnson for dress caps, khaki caps and berets. Bombay bowlers and Polo
caps were specially made for Lord Kitchener’s troops in Sudan.
Herbert
Johnson military hats are best known for their ‘floating bevel’. This concept
dates from World War 1 when Herbert Johnson supplied the ‘soft topped’ cap,
then known as the ‘Jack Johnson’ in response to requests by Generals Haig and
French and other senior officers for both a practical and comfortable cap for
field operations. After the 2nd World War, many British Regiments who had liked
the ‘soft topped’ cap for field operations, requested that Herbert Johnson
produce their dress caps also in the ‘floating bevel’ style. Regiments who
currently wear the Herbert Johnson hat include all those listed on the products
page.
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