July 1937
A.L.Jefferies (Glover) Ltd.
Fifty-four years ago, in a small back bedroom of a house at Westbury, Wiltshire, two young men began to make gloves. From that small beginning sprang the seven factories in various parts of the West Country which made up the firm of Messrs. A. L. Jefferies (Glover) Ltd., with the largest output of any firm of glove manufacturers in the country. This month the business was acquired by Messrs. Dent, Allcroft & Co. Ltd., with Mr. A.G. Jefferies, a son of one of the two young men, as manager.
It was in 1883 that 20-years-old Arthur Lenthall Jefferies and his 16-years-old brother, William, cut their first crude gloves from sheepskin, selling them to Messrs. I. & R. Morley. For a time their output was small, but greater experience brought increased skill and the following year saw business take a decisive turn with the successful copying of the then well-known busman’s “patched” gloves.
No fewer than 34 separate pieces of leather went to make up one of these gloves, and in the first week of June that year a fatherless boy, named James, was engaged to help in the work. The brothers had their first employee, and were now turning out five dozen pairs of gloves a week, on which a third brother, J.N.L. Jefferies, marked the fittings with a quill pen.
Increased output brought its own problem – the dressing of the skins, but the brothers evolved a crude yet effective device to overcome it.
A barrel was sawn in half. In one tub the skins were soaked in water before being transferred to the other, in which was a mixture of hot water, oil and yolk of egg. There a bare-footed lad, with trousers rolled up to the knees, would tread the skins until they had absorbed the oil and the eggs, and then they were taken out and hung on a wooden horse to dry. Drying hard, the skins were again damped and worked with a ground-stake and an arm-stake until they were soft and pliable.
The brothers Jefferies were glove manufacturers.
Two years later, Arthur took his bride to a house in Warminster Road, Westbury, and the business was transferred to the servants’ quarters. Several lads were taken on, some soon to leave, but one, Lambert Nutt, stayed on and is today still an active employee.
At least four cutters and a few machines were installed in an attic where other girls were being taught the hand-sewing, button-holing and other branches of work, but in 1890 yet another move was made, this time to Fore Street, Westbury, where a two-storeyed factory was established. A disused cloth mill at Hawkeridge was also taken over, and there a tumbler for skin dressing was installed in place of the outmoded tubs and treader. Considerably improved and extended, the Hawkeridge premises are still in use today.
The business, founded in such a small way, continued to flourish and in 1907 Mr. Wm. Jefferies’ eldest son, Chester, joined it to help with the books and accounts. Many more machines were now in use, and another large work-room had grown up bit by bit. Here gloves were numbered by machinery, the quill pen having gone.
A few years after Mr. Alfred Jefferies, brother of Chester, had followed him into the firm, the Great War broke out. Like many others, the firm of Jefferies felt the effects and many valued employees had to leave to serve their country. Women and girls were brought in to take their place, and soon 14 were busy cutting doeskins, with the few remaining men cutting gloves for the army.
After the War the leeway was soon made up, but another setback came in 1920, when fire destroyed much of the factory. Fire had its compensations and a new building grew up to replace the old.
“Put the factory where you have the labour,” was Mr. Alfred Jefferies’ motto, and in 1921, when the Westbury works were outgrown, an additional factory was established at Warminster, a factory which was destined quickly to treble its size.
In 1921, Mr. Arthur Jefferies passed away, but before he died the company of A.L. Jefferies (Glover) Ltd., had been formed, and the business he had founded in the back bedroom had become a power in the glove-making world.
Continued progress followed the advent of Mr. George Jefferies as salesman and manufacturer, and soon a further factory had taken root at Radstock, across the border in the county of Somerset, where Mrs. Hall took over the responsibilities of manageress and later Mr. Smith joined the firm and a leather-dressing plant was started at Midsomer Norton.
In 1931, Mr. Bob Jefferies, grandson of the founder, joined the firm, this completing the three generations, and all working together.
The jubilee of the firm was celebrated fittingly in 1933, and in the following year the fatherless boy, James, was presented with a gold watch to commemorate the completion of 50 years’ service as the first and oldest employee.
By this time the firm’s output stood at over 2,000 dozen a week, and in 1934 increasing business led to the taking over of a disused boot factory at Midsomer Norton, where another branch started. Pique and Pxm machines were set up at Southampton, followed by another expansion at Frome.
For 50 years Messrs. Dent, Allcroft & Co. had bought an ever-increasing quantity of the firm’s output, and it was with relief, mingled with feelings of regret at the passing of the old order, that staff and employees learned on June 8th this year that A.L. Jefferies (Glover) Ltd., was no more, and that Messrs. Dent, Allcroft & Co. had taken over the business. Today everyone, from Mr. Alfred Jefferies, the manager, down to the rawest learner, is looking forward confidently to many more years of progress and even greater prosperity under the new regime. The Jefferies’ division now employs some 1,300 persons.
Hawkeridge. Mr. Povall joined us in 1933, in charge of the whole of the Dyeing dept. at our Hawkeridge factory.
Midsomer Norton. Mr. Smith joined us in 1933 and is responsible for all the Chamois, White Washable, Buckskin, Deerskins, etc., finishing. (We regret that a recent photograph of Mr. Smith is not available).
Mr. P. Vincent is in charge of all the cutting at Midsomer Norton, and his constant smile and perseverance has been one of our great finds.
Mr. James has now completed 54 years with this company.
Radstock. Mrs. Hall joined us in 1932, and was primarily responsible for the building of the factories at Radstock and Midsomer Norton. It is to her untiring efforts on behalf of A.L. Jefferies (Glover) Ltd., that we have been able to build up such a large organization in this district, and one that in a very short space is able to produce goods of excellent quantity.
Warminster. Miss Prince and Mr. Collier are jointly responsible for Warminster factory, and both have been with us over 20 years.
Westbury. Mr. Burgess is in charge at Westbury, and has been with us over 30 years.
Southampton. Miss Lucas is responsible for Southampton, and has helped us to establish ourselves in the Southampton area.
Frome. Mr. H. Farley is in charge at Frome. He has had many years with us, and proves that youth has a great future with the company.
Radstock Factory.
Midsomer Norton.
Warminster Factory.
Mr. W. L. Jefferies.
Mr. Alfred Jefferies.
Manager, Jefferies Division.
Southampton Machine Room.
Hawkeridge Leather Plant.
Mr. Povall.
Hawkeridge.
Mrs. Hall.
Radstock.
Mr. James. Midsomer Norton.