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Kearley and Tonge
Casebook Message Boards: General Discussion: Miscellaneous:
Kearley and Tonge
Author: Timsta
Friday, 06 September 2002 - 03:13 pm |        | Matters, quoted in Begg:
"[Durward St] lies east and west along the London and North Eastern Railway line...On the left are fine modern tall warehouses. I was interested to note that one of them belongs to Messrs Kearley and Tonge, Ltd, in front of whose other premises in Mitre Square a murder was committed on September 30th."
Is this true? If so, when did Messrs Kearley and Tonge acquire this property? Also, what line of business was the company in? I've seen the word "warehouse" lots of times but no reference as to their trade, I don't think.
Regards
Timsta |
Author: Jack Traisson
Friday, 06 September 2002 - 06:52 pm | | Hi Timsta,
Kearley and Tonge were food wholesalers. Initially formed as Heseltine and Kearley in 1878 at Brentford. G.A. Tonge took over after Heseltine's retirement in 1887 and the company became Kearley and Tonge. By this time they had many branches. The company was very successful and continued to grow through a series of chain-stores. If memory serves, I believe the warehouse from which Watkins fetched Morris housed tea in 1888.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
John |
Author: The Viper
Saturday, 07 September 2002 - 05:32 pm | | Thanks for that little snippet of information about the history of Kearley and Tonge, Jack. Their premises at Mitre Square were described as 'coffee and tea warehouses' and were used to store quantities of those commodities imported through the London docks.
It is worth noting that whilst Leonard Matters may have linked Kearley and Tonge to Durwood Street (Buck's Row), he was writing in the late 1920s. His reference to their presence there is clearly contemporous to his research. I have not come across any supporting evidence that K&T had premises there forty years earlier. Has anybody else?
Regards, V. |
Author: Jack Traisson
Sunday, 08 September 2002 - 02:02 am | | Hi Viper, Timsta,
I can't confirm Matters' Kearley and Tonge, Durward Street sighting, but I did find this vague personal reference from 'The Early Days of the Woodcraft Folk' by Leslie Paul:
"I had already done some freelance camping in St. Leonard's Forest with another scout, and in 1922 (Osbert) Walter and I walked through the night from Forest Hill to St. Leonard's Forest carrying all our camping and sleeping gear in home made rucksacks and began a fortnight's exploration of the Weald and the Sussex Downs. That was my first 'grown-up' summer holiday; I was seventeen and had been at work for just over a year at Kearley and Tonge in the East End of London."
Unfortunately, Paul doesn't mention where. He later goes on to say that he quit the same year to go to work in Fleet Street. It is interesting to note that he doesn't say "the City," or "Aldgate," indicating a different location than Mitre Square.
Cheers,
John |
Author: Timsta
Sunday, 08 September 2002 - 01:16 pm | | Hi all.
As far as I can see Kearley and Tonge is currently owned by B.A.T Stores Holdings (part of British American Tobaccos). I might give their PR people a call.
(Source: http://www.library.ucsf.edu/tobacco/batco/OCR/4400/4437.txt)
Regards
Timsta |
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