PERCY JONES (TWINLOCK) LIMITED

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 0074 LMA/4236
Held at	: London Metropolitan Archives   Click here to find out how to view this collection at https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/lma ›
Full title	: PERCY JONES (TWINLOCK) LIMITED
Date(s)	: 1905-1993
Level of description	: Collection
Extent	: 4.38 linear metres
Name of creator(s)	: Percy Jones (Twinlock) Limited | ledger manufacturers

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

Percy Jones began his business in 1905 from a small office in Cheapside. He was approached by an American businessman Mr. Charles Maltby who was travelling in Britain trying to find an agent for his loose leaf Twinlock ledgers. Percy Jones bought £100 worth of goods and six months later moved to a warehouse and office in Carter Lane near St Paul's Cathedral. Here Shelton Cox, who later became a Director of the company joined Percy Jones as a shorthand typist. As turn over grew and as a result of a fire in the Twinlock factory in America the first factory in Britain was established in Cowcross Street, Smithfield. In 1913 the Cowcross premises became too small so the factory moved to Little Sutton Street.

During the War the Twinlock News was founded (1916) and copies from 1916 to 1963 are included among the records. After the War Twinlock became a Limited Company, and in 1919 built a factory in Beckenham. The first showroom was built in 1921 in Charles Street, Hatton Garden.

The Twinlock Company also formed a company in South Africa to manufacture the Twinlock line and this is also represented in some of the photographs of the collection.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Records of Percy Jones (Twinlock) Limited, ledger manufacturers, 1905-1993. Records include minutes dating from 1912 to 1957, articles of association, and correspondence dating from 1910 to 1960, personnel records which concern Twinlock personnel during the Second World War; financial records including balance sheets from 1909 and a cash book dating from 1905 along with sales records and figures 1918 to 1965, salaries and pensions information 1940's to 1964; papers relating to associated organisations including the Shannon Company and factory 1906 to 1967.

Also publications including the "Twinlock News" from 1916 to 1963, as well as a history of the company, and a set of product catalogues 1913 to 1960's; a good selection of products dating from 1910 to 1970's showing the development of the Twinlock products and the work that went into their design and creation; photographs showing members of the Company, the Twinlock works in Beckenham and South Africa, and workers social events and activities; and a series of artefacts from the Twinlock Factory includes the Time-Bell from the Little Sutton Street premises and a 'Timothy Twinlock' Uniform which was the costume worn by the Company logo, a page boy holding a pile of books. The costume dates from the 1950's and includes the page boy's cap.

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

Administration: LMA/4236/A; Finance: LMA/4236/B; Related Organisations: LMA/4236/C; Publications: LMA/4236/D; Products: LMA/4236/E; Photographs: LMA/4236/F; Ephemera: LMA/4236/G

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 rests with the depositor.

Finding aids:

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

Archival Information

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Deposited at the Archive in 1999.

Allied Materials

Related material:

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:

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:
July to October 2009