1. Midway along Upper Thames St ... we are looking towards the north side of the
street. The church is St Mary Somerset, on the corner of Old Fish St Hill. Beyond that are
Nos. 204, 205, 206, 207, and it is 207 that is interesting. With five storeys and pulley
on the front this is the sugar house of Richard Quelch 1768, Laborde & Son 1780,
and Frieake & Co 1794. H & S Frieake are listed at 205 in 1813 ... possibly
by then an addition to the sugar house. This picture was drawn by Thomas H Shepherd and engraved by J E Roberts c1830. Visit the Guildhall Library "Collage" website for this picture (enter 4631 in search box) and an earlier one (enter 4634 in search box). Please use the "Back" button to return. |
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2. Charles Smith - No. 203 - a liquid sugar flagon ... |
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| images - © bryan mawer 2004. |
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Flagon details ... The flagon - marked "Charles Smith", rather than "Smith & Tyers", dating it before
he took a business partner in 1840, but after he moved to 203 Upper Thames St in abt
1837. The number "109" is either an identification number required by Smith for each flagon, or
the pattern/production number of the pottery. The contents - capillaire, a water-clear syrup originally flavoured with dried
maidenhair fern though later with orange-flower water, much used by confectioners and also as
a cordial. John Smith - from 1807 through to his death in 1832 [will], was a sugar refiner & capillaire maker at 50 Upper Thames St, midway between Brooks & Queenhithe wharfs, and in the latter years the company name was Smith & Son (Dir). Charles Smith - born the youngest of the seven children of John Smith and his wife Margaret Alice Bedell on 15 Apr 1806, and baptised a month later at St Michael Queenhithe (1851 census/IGI) . He married Sophia Ann (Hill?) with whom he had at least 9 children, all baptised at Queenhithe (IGI). However, only the first was born at Queenhithe, in 1835; the others at St Mary Somerset, implying the family had moved to 203 (1851 census). Charles took over his father's business in 1832 and was soon trading as 'capillaire maker & spirit colour manufacturer' though was listed personally as 'sugar refiner' (Pigot Dir 1836), but by 1838 had moved the business across the road to 203. In 1840 Charles went into partnership with Robert Tyers under the name of Smith & Tyers Liquid Sugar Refiners, though they continued the other lines of business. Tyers appears in 1846 to also have had a fish sauce warehouse in Southwark (Dir). By 1853 Smith & Tyers, sugar refiners, colour manufacturers, & vinegar and pickle makers, had moved to 14 Green St, Blackfriars Rd in South London (Dir), and the business was still running under that name in 1890 (Dir). Charles Smith died 11 Sep 1873, his residence given as 18 Grove Hill Ter, Grove Lane, Camberwell. His will was proved 14 Nov 1873 (The Times). The 1881 census shows his son Frederick Henry Smith refining in Tyson Rd, Lewisham employing 11 men. |
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