The History of Gill & Co.
In the 1920’s Gill & Co commissioned a local historian to research the history of the company who wrote the following:
Few business houses in Oxford or elsewhere have a definite record of direct succession dating from the “golden days” of the second Charles.
It may be safely averred that within a few decades, businesses or Companies in private ownership will be practically non-existent. Within living memory a large number of old Oxford business houses have “gone under”. This has been due to a variety of causes – some unavoidable, some otherwise. Lack of enterprise or capital, and want of successors willing to continue the business have been a fruitful cause of the decay and disappearance of old businesses.
From some points of view the great but inevitable changes that have taken place, and the gradual disappearance of old “landmarks” in names or buildings, is to be regretted.
The “older methods”, though possibly not always “up-to-date”, were personal and intimate, and also in agreeable contrast with the pitiless impersonality that is so unattractive a feature of the modern multiple-shop or departmental store. Not that one would unduly extol the past. Modern business cannot stand still, and it must be realised that changes are inevitable. Methods must be adopted to meet altered conditioned, or failure and disaster are certain.
Possibly the only business in Oxford that has had an uninterrupted succession, and has remained in private hands since the second half of the seventeenth century, is the firm
GILL & CO., IRONMONGERS AND DOMESTIC ENGINEERS, of High Street.
FOURTEENTH CENTURY
For nearly six hundred year the Ironmongery Trade has been represented in Oxford. In almost the earliest record of the names of its population, there appear those of four persons who were connected with the Trade. They were as follows:
JOHANNE COUTRYTE LE IRMONGERE
JOHANNA LE IRMONGERE
WILLELMO PALMERE LE IRMONGERE ET MATIELDA VXORE EIVS
WILLELMO LE IRMONGERE ET AGNETO VXORE EIVS
These names appear in the Poll Tax for the year 1380. At that date the population of Oxford is generally thought to have been about 5,500. The tax was intended to produce about twelve pence from each person liable, but collectors were empowered to exercise a certain amount of discretion on the understanding, however, that no one paid less than fourpence or more than twenty shillings. In Oxford the highest assessment was 13s. 4d., the total amount collected was 100s 5s 0d.
The amounts collected from the persons who names above varied considerably, and were as follows: the first and third, twelvepence: the fourth, three shillings and fourpence. The second – a woman – paid the very large sum of seven shillings. Possibly she was a widow, and an employer of workmen.
SEVENTEENTH CENTURY
During the seventeenth century and possibly earlier, the principal Ironmongery establishment in Oxford was owned by the Smythe or Smith family, and from them the business has descended to the present Proprietors.
THE SMYTHE FAMILY
For nearly two centuries the Smythes took a prominent part in the government of the City, and on several occasions held offices of distinction, including that of Chief Magistrate. One of the earliest was Abel Smythe, admitted as Hanaster (Freeman) in 1537, Councillor ten years later, and Chamberlain in 1584.
Another famous Smythe was Thomas, who, in 1551, was appointed Auditor for the Parish of St. Thomas. Subsequently he became Chamberlain, and on August 28th, 1578 he charged the citizens with “iiijs iiijd for a paer of gloves geven to Ladie Norreys”.
In 1571 he agreed with the “Cownsell to fynd two good stronge and sufficient horses to lode to the Castle mylles, the same horses to be reddy from tyme to tyme .. for the necessary use of the bakers of the said Cyttie as also for other free men”.
A few years later he was committed to the Castle for “denying obedience to the Vice-Chancellor”, and was only released on expressing regret for his offence and promise of future amendment. The same day that he was committed, and possibly because of it, Smythe was granted by the Town Council “the games of Swannes of this Cyttie from Michaelmas next year for xxj yeares yf he so long lyve payeing yearlie fower fatt fed signetts”. Three of these were to be ready “against the eleccon dynner and tother agaynst the comying home of the Mayor yearlie”.
Thomas Smythe was Major in 1585, 1590, 1595, 1600, and dying during his year of office was succeeded by William Levinz, whose fine monument near the Major’s Stall still exists in All Saints’ Church.
That the Smythes were somewhat “lively” is attested by an entry made in the Council Book on June 5th, 1573, which records the fact that John Smythe “hath payde to the Key Kepers to the use of thye Cytye XXs for hys fyne for his contempte and approbrios words undescretelye used towards Mr Alderman Flaxney”.
Possibly a still more famous member of the family was Oliver Smythe No 1, there were at least two others of that name. He was Baylif in 1612: Mayor in 1619, 1624 and 1631. His arms enrich the window in the Mayor’s Parlour.
Thomas Smythe was Mayor in 1638 and 1643, and John Smythe held the same office in 1639.
The earliest definite date connecting the Smythes with the HIGH STREET BUSINESS occurs late in the seventeenth century. There are, however, not wanting evidences that the association may have been existing at a considerably earlier date. Mr William Smythe was buried at St . Martin’s (in which parish the business was located) on 4th May, 1616, and Miss Sibilla Smythe – possibly his daughter – was interred in the same church on February 23rd, 1640
William Smythe’s son – Henry – probably succeeded his father, and previous to the destruction of the earlier Carfax Church (in 1820), a monument existed to his memory: on this he was described as being "“ member of an old Oxford Family,” and also as “an Ironmonger”. Smythes of the name of Henry were resident in Oxford in 1637, 1640 and 1704
Henry Smythe appears to have been succeeded by John Smythe, who died April 1st, 1754, and was buried at St. Martin’s. His wife Ann died September 3rd, 1763. A memorial recording these details was removed from St. Martin’s when that Church was destroyed in 1896 and prefixed on the west wall of All Saints’ Church above the Gallery. The same Tablet also bears the name Thomas Fowler who married John Smythe’s daughter. He also is described as “Ironmonger” and may have been associated with his father-in-law at the HIGH STREET BUSINESS. Another daughter also commemorated on the memorial at All Saints’ Church – Eleanor – married a Mr Bush. She died March 8th, 1785
NINETEENTH CENTURY
At All Saints’ Church there are two memorials to the Bush Family – both on the South Wall. They commemorate:
Thomas Bush – died 1823, aged 76
Thomas Bush – died 1823, aged 42 (the second son of the first)
Charles Bush – died 1836, aged 78
The Bush Family became what Hearne rudely described as “wasted to females”. One of the daughters married Mr. Pitcher, and consequent on this union the business was designated:
BUSH & PITCHER
About 1840, Mr James Gill became associated with Mr Pitcher, when the business became known as: PITCHER & GILL
JAMES GILL, born in 1814 and christened in the church of St Peter le Bailey, Oxford, was the younger of two sons of JAMES GILL (1778-1854), a coal-merchant’s clerk, and grandson of ANDREW GILL (d.1781), a printer of St Mary Magdalen parish, Oxford. As a child, the elder JAMES had been apprenticed to his mother’s younger brother JAMES STONE, a whitesmith of Catte Street, but attached himself by the time of his marriage in 1812 to the coal-dealing family WARD, who established themselves in the neighbourhood of George Street, Oxford between the 1770s and the early 1800s. His wife ANN WARD (1787-1841) was a daughter of JOSEPH WARD, who was probably a brother or cousin of the more prominent RICHARD WARD, a woodmonger and coal-dealer who had bought the freedom of the city in 1777 and established a woodyard at the north end of St Giles, living at the south end on the site of the Taylorian. JOSEPH had settled in St Mary Magdalen parish by 1780 when he married a native of the parish, MARY COLLINS.
The elder JAMES GILL prospered and became a coal-dealer in his own right. By the 1840s he had moved from the vicinity of the canal basin to 21 St John Street, where his immediate neighbour to the north, on the corner of Pusey Street (then Alfred Street) was a fellow coal-dealer, the young WILLIAM WARD (1807-1880), a future Mayor of Oxford and elder brother of GEORGE. In 1841 Jame’s wife ANN died, and he seems to have moved away from Oxford for a time, leaving his house to his younger son JAMES who had recently entered into business with the ironmonger CHARLES PILCHER of 5 High Street. Although Pilcher was still in his thirties, his wife Elizabeth was considerably older; and this may have influenced him to give up the business within a year or two to JAMES GILL and his young cousin or close associate GEORGE WARD.
Three years later Mr George Ward joined Mr Gill and the name of the firm was altered to:
GILL & WARD
Both of these gentlemen became members of the Town Council, and the latter was elevated to the Aldermanic Bench and appointed J.P. The former died in 1879, and Alderman Ward died eight years later.
In 1879 the business became the property of Mr Alfred Ward and Mr Thomas Green. The second of these gentlemen retired in 1891 and Alderman Green died in 1897. His name will always be associated with the Oxford Volunteer Fire Brigade, in the formation and maintenance of which he took a prominent part.
TWENTIETH CENTURY
Mr Alfred Ward retired in 1915, when he disposed of the business the Messrs. BARLOW AND ALDEN, LTD. In 1922 the business became amalgamated with the firm ISONS, KIDMAN AND WATTS which, under the name of BROWNING AND CO., had existed for considerably over a century in Cornmarket Street. The combined businesses became the property of the present owners – a small private Company – who have judiciously reverted to the old title:
GILL AND CO. (IRONMONGERS) LIMITED
Their present premises at 127 – 128 HIGH STREET, OXFORD, were purchased in 1925, and their policy of supplying the highest type of goods at lowest competitive prices will be rigidly maintained. For those who so desire, goods of medium class are also supplied, and no effort will be wanting to meet present-day requirements and to give complete satisfaction to their numerous clients.
In 1974 the business was bought by fellow shop assistants Mr Len Astley-Penny (far right), Mr John Partlett (far left) and Mr Donald Bourne (centre)
In 1984 Mrs Astley-Penny became a partner. Mr Donald Bourne died January 2000. Mr John Partlett retired in the late 1990’s but continued to work on a part-time basis until finally retiring at the same time as Mr & Mrs Astley-Penny in August 2000 when the business was bought by the current owners, Victor and Dawn Hunt from Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire.
NB: The history from 1925 is very patchy and still needs to be researched, this page will be updated as soon as there is more information. If anyone can help please write or email.
