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As a fan of the ties and scarves made by the British firm Tootal, I thought I would try to bring together some background information on their products. I found this breakdown of the company history:
Tootal Broadhurst Lee Co
of Radcliffe, Lancs, (now Greater Manchester)
of Manchester and Bolton, cotton manufacturers, later textile spinners and manufacturers.
of 56 Oxford Street, Manchester. Telephone: Manchester, Central 3244. Cables: "Tootal, Manchester". London Address: 21 Cavendish Place, Cavendish Square, London, W1. (1947)
1888-1972 (37 boxes)
• 1799 The company was founded in Manchester, by Robert Gardner, a textile merchant.
• 1842 Tootal family involvement began.
• 1860s Sunnyside Mills, Bolton and Newton Heath Mills, Manchester, were acquired.
• 1888 After several name changes, the firm became Tootal Broadhurst Lee Co Ltd. The company was registered on 17 January, to take over the business of spinners and manufacturers, carried on at Manchester, London and elsewhere, under the firms of Tootal-Broadhurst, Lee and Co and the Lee Spinning Co. [1]
• 1891 Directory (Radcliffe): Listed as Cotton spinners and manufacturers. More details [2]
• 1891 Directory (Manchester and Salford): Listed as Cotton Spinners and Manufacturers. More details. [3]
• 1891 Directory (Bolton): Listed as Cotton spinners and manufacturers. More details. [4]
• 1918 A research department was established, which carried out early work on creating crease resistant fabric. The company was notable for its early use of brand names and was a leader in the field of selling direct to retailers.
• By 1939, the firm had spinning, weaving and yarn dyeing factories in Bolton and factories in Newton Heath, Manchester, weaving silk and wool and producing handkerchiefs and ties. There were branches in Belfast, Birmingham, Leeds, London and Glasgow and overseas in Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, and New Zealand. The company had agencies throughout the world. Subsidiaries’ activities included dress manufacture, bleaching, dyeing and crease resistant finishing.
• 1947 A new factory was opened in St. Helens, Lancs. (now Merseyside).
• 1947 Listed Exhibitor - British Industries Fair. Mufacturers of Tobralco, Lystav, Robia and other Tootal Dress and Furnishing Fabrics; of Pyramid Handkerchiefs, Tootal Ties and other Tootal Products. (Earls Court, Ground Floor, Stand No 123) [5]
• 1952 A new factory was opened in Devonport, Tasmania.
• The company became a subsidiary of the holding company Tootal Ltd, which joined English Sewing Cotton Co in 1963.
• 1968 This in turn merged with the Calico Printers Association, becoming English Calico Ltd.
• 1973 This became Tootal Ltd.
• 1985 It became Tootal Group PLC, and is now part of Coats Viyella plc.
(This historical account is mainly based on L. Richmond and B. Stockford, ‘Company Archives’ (1968)).
(information from Grace's Guides - British Industrial History at http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Tootal_Broadhurst_Lee_Co )
Tootal Broadhurst Lee Co
of Radcliffe, Lancs, (now Greater Manchester)
of Manchester and Bolton, cotton manufacturers, later textile spinners and manufacturers.
of 56 Oxford Street, Manchester. Telephone: Manchester, Central 3244. Cables: "Tootal, Manchester". London Address: 21 Cavendish Place, Cavendish Square, London, W1. (1947)
1888-1972 (37 boxes)
• 1799 The company was founded in Manchester, by Robert Gardner, a textile merchant.
• 1842 Tootal family involvement began.
• 1860s Sunnyside Mills, Bolton and Newton Heath Mills, Manchester, were acquired.
• 1888 After several name changes, the firm became Tootal Broadhurst Lee Co Ltd. The company was registered on 17 January, to take over the business of spinners and manufacturers, carried on at Manchester, London and elsewhere, under the firms of Tootal-Broadhurst, Lee and Co and the Lee Spinning Co. [1]
• 1891 Directory (Radcliffe): Listed as Cotton spinners and manufacturers. More details [2]
• 1891 Directory (Manchester and Salford): Listed as Cotton Spinners and Manufacturers. More details. [3]
• 1891 Directory (Bolton): Listed as Cotton spinners and manufacturers. More details. [4]
• 1918 A research department was established, which carried out early work on creating crease resistant fabric. The company was notable for its early use of brand names and was a leader in the field of selling direct to retailers.
• By 1939, the firm had spinning, weaving and yarn dyeing factories in Bolton and factories in Newton Heath, Manchester, weaving silk and wool and producing handkerchiefs and ties. There were branches in Belfast, Birmingham, Leeds, London and Glasgow and overseas in Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, and New Zealand. The company had agencies throughout the world. Subsidiaries’ activities included dress manufacture, bleaching, dyeing and crease resistant finishing.
• 1947 A new factory was opened in St. Helens, Lancs. (now Merseyside).
• 1947 Listed Exhibitor - British Industries Fair. Mufacturers of Tobralco, Lystav, Robia and other Tootal Dress and Furnishing Fabrics; of Pyramid Handkerchiefs, Tootal Ties and other Tootal Products. (Earls Court, Ground Floor, Stand No 123) [5]
• 1952 A new factory was opened in Devonport, Tasmania.
• The company became a subsidiary of the holding company Tootal Ltd, which joined English Sewing Cotton Co in 1963.
• 1968 This in turn merged with the Calico Printers Association, becoming English Calico Ltd.
• 1973 This became Tootal Ltd.
• 1985 It became Tootal Group PLC, and is now part of Coats Viyella plc.
(This historical account is mainly based on L. Richmond and B. Stockford, ‘Company Archives’ (1968)).
(information from Grace's Guides - British Industrial History at http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Tootal_Broadhurst_Lee_Co )
