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London Metropolitan Archives

EDMUND FRY AND SON {LETTER FOUNDERS AND ENGRAVERS}


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): LMA/4614

Held at: London Metropolitan Archives

Title: EDMUND FRY AND SON {LETTER FOUNDERS AND ENGRAVERS}

Date(s): 1815-1835

Level of description: Collection level

Extent: 0.05 linear metres

Name of creator(s): Edmund Fry and Son | letter founders and engravers x Edmund Fry and Company x Fry, Steele and Company
J S Fry and Sons | chocolate manufacturers

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

Originally founded 1764 by Joseph Fry (who also founded the chocolate making business in Bristol which became known as Fry and Hunt, later J S Fry and Sons from 1822) and William Pine, and later known as J Fry and Company. Joseph Fry's sons Edmund (1754-1837) and Henry Fry joined partnership in 1782. Name changed to Edmund Fry and Company upon Joseph Fry's retirement in 1787. Isaac Steele joined in 1794 and the named changed to Edmund Fry and Isaac Steele, styled as 'letter-founders to the Prince of Wales'. The named changed again to Fry, Steele and Company upon George Knowles' admission to the partnership in 1799, and in circa 1808 to Fry and Steele.

In 1816 a 'Specimen of Printing Types by Edmund Fry, Letter Founder to the King and Prince Regent' was published. In the same year the firm became Edmund Fry and Son when Edmund Fry's son Windover Fry was admitted to the partnership. In 1828 Edmund Fry sold the business to William Thorowgood of Fann Street Foundry. Windover died 1835. Edmund died 1837. The business passed to Thorowgood and Besley, then R Besley and Company, and finally Sir Charles Reed and Sons before closing in early 20th century.

Premises: 1764-1768 Bristol; moved to City of London 1768; in 1788 the firm moved to new premises known as 'Type Street Foundry' in Type Street, Chiswell Street, City of London. The foundry was later known as Polygot Foundry (in 1824) and continued at that site until at least 1835.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

Cash book giving customer name and amount paid only. Includes references to payments concerning Fry and Hunt, later J S Fry and Sons, chocolate manufacturers; withdrawals by Windover and his brother Arthur Fry up to 1835 and payments concerning work done at Type Street Foundry premises.

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English.

System of arrangement:

Arranged as follows: LMA/4614/01 CASH BOOK.

Conditions governing access:

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 governing reproduction:

Copyright held by the City of London.

Finding aids:

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

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Gifted in August 2012.

ALLIED MATERIALS

Related material:

Records of J S Fry and Sons Limited, chocolate manufacturers, are held at Bristol Record Office and by Kraft Foods.

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Archivist's note: Catalogued by Richard Wiltshire.

Rules or conventions: 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.

Date(s) of descriptions: Added to AIM25 October 2012.


INDEX ENTRIES
Subjects
Engraving | Handicrafts
Food industry | Manufacturing industry | Industry

Personal names

Corporate names
Edmund Fry and Son

Places