J R Gaunts History Timeline

[btns]

19 February 1991
Dear Sir
The Board of J R Gaunt & Son Limited ("Gaunts") and Firmin & Sons pic ("Firmins")
are pleased to announce that the Insignia and Factored businesses formerly carried
on by Gaunts have been purchased by Firmins, who have agreed to take over all the
outstanding contracts of those businesses.
Gaunts has been located for the last two years in the Icknield Street factory
which also accommodates the activities of The Birmingham Mint Limited.
Due to the need to install plant and machinery recently ordered by The Birmingham
Mint Limited in the area currently occupied by the Gaunts business, the Board of
The Birmingham Mint Limited have reluctantly had to take the decision to sell the
Gaunts business.
This decision was not taken lightly, but we believe that by selling this business
to Firmins, a company with long history and experience in this market, the best
interests of the customers and employees of Gaunts will be served.
With effect from today's date, therefore, all correspondence relating to any
aspect of the business (with the exception of settling outstanding balances
currently due to or from J R Gaunt & Son Limited) should be directed to:
Firmin & Sons pic
Globe Works
82 Newtown Row
Birmingham
B6 4HU

[hagwalther]

Originally Posted by 'Ticker' Riley

This piece appeared in The Times in June 1973, and whilst it has been noted elsewhere (such as my posting here) that Gaunts were sold to the Birmingham Mint that year, I thought it was interesting if only because it tells us the price paid was £600,000. Anyway, as I say I hope to have something ready to post up about the family and company history of J. R. Gaunt & Son soon, which hopefully will also be of interest to Forum members.

Regards

Martin

Hi Martin,

Do you have the actual June date of The Times newspaper article?

Regards

Chris

['Ticker' Riley]

Hi Chris

Sent you a PM with the exact reference for the 1973 piece from The Times about the Birmingham Mint paying £60,000 for J. R. Gaunt & Son. As I’ve said, once I’ve had a chance to go through things, I’ll post up some more information on Gaunt’s history. In the meantime here’s another small snippet – it seems J. R. Gaunt & Son (Canada) Limited, i.e. the Montreal branch, were incorporated on 7 July 1908.

Best regards

Martin

P.S. If anyone would like to see an actual copy of the circular letter about the Firmin takeover of Gaunts in 1991, the text for which btns has now posted up for us, there’s currently a digital version of this on John Dunnigan’s site here

[btns]

Dear Peter616,
Again,thank you for posting sheets from the pattern books.
May I ask if they have fire damage, (e.g. soot) ?
I feel drawn pattern books were kept in the drawing office. The (older) sample pattern books were in the Warstone premises. Fire damage to your books may indicate that the designers were in Birmingham, not London.
Would you be so kind as to post a picture of the book itself, i.e. cover & spine?
regards,
btns

[GriffMJ]

Originally Posted by peter616

here some of my pages of pattern books i own which came for the archives of Major T.J. Edwads

peter

Hi Peter

By chance....... is there a pattern for a "Helmet Plate" for the PAO Leicestershire Yeomanry Cavalry (c1844) in the pattern books?

the pattern books i have came from Birmingham and yes they have fire damage, i only got about 200 pages or bits of pages there was no cover & spine but i did miss out on some of the other books sadly


peter

[btns]

Dear Peter,
Thank you,
By 1912 Gaunt had taken over many small companies. Are there any company names on your sheets?
best regards,
btns

[Jelly Terror]

Superb thread, and a real shame it hasn't maintained its original momentum.

Hoping the following will be of use/interest (source: https://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/org...ib1_1240323821):



J.R. Gaunt and Son Ltd.

Other names: J.R. Gaunt and Son (1884-99)

Active: 1884 -

Function: Medallists, bronzists, silversmiths, enamellists, die-stamping, manufacturers of badges, buttons, swords, and souvenirs

Policy: Listed as a manufacturer of 'Badges in enamel and metal for the Army, Navy, Volunteers, Societies and all purposes'. See Forrer vol. 7, (1923), p. 344.

History or description: Business founded in (or around) 1884 as J.R. Gaunt and Son when John Richard Gaunt and his eldest son, Charles Frederick (born 1864 in London), left their employment with the long-established London military button-makers, Firmin & Sons, to set up on their own. They established a successful firm of medallists and bronzists, silversmiths, manufacturers of badges, buttons, swords and all manner of military accoutrements, souvenirs and advertising novelties, specialising in die-stamping and vitreous enamelling. One of their chief designers from the 1920s onwards was the sculptor, Edward Carter Preston*

In 1899 Gaunt's became a limited company and traded under that name until 1993. The offices and production were located in Birmingham but from about 1905 the firm had showrooms in London. Gaunt's workshops were initially located at the intersection of Clifford street and Furnace Lane in the Birmingham district of Lozells. From 1895 (the year after becoming a Ltd. company) the firm occupied Warstone Works and stayed there until 1973. In 1981 Gaunt's relocated to Lower Tower Street Birmingham and in 1989 moved to part of the Birmingham Mint Site in Ickfield Street, where they remained until 1991. The firm's last premises were in Brearley Street. Trading ceased in 1993 but in 2010 J.R. Gaunt & Son was re-established in London and Birmingham.

This entry includes information provided by Stephen Gaunt.

Locations
Business located at Warstone Parade Works Birmingham | View on map
1895 - 1973
Listed as 'east' from 1941.
Located at 5 Denmark Street Soho London | View on map
1900 - 1951
This was the address of Edward Thurkle, Swordmakers, which Gaunt took over in 1897. According to company records the premises were given up in 1904, however there are references to this address in the London trade directories between 1900-51
Showroom located at 53 Conduit Street London | View on map
1905 - 1918
Showroom located at 60 Conduit Street London | View on map
1918 - 1925
Showroom located at 2 New Burlington Place Regent Street London | View on map
1925 - 1941
Gaunt moved to 2 New Burlington Place in 1925 after the takeover of Jennens Ltd. They remained there until forced to move in 1941 due to the building being war damaged.
Showroom located at 5 Warwick Street Regent Street London | View on map
1941 - 1973
Listed address in 1941 includes the sentence 'to H.M. the late King George V'. Gaunt occupied this address until 1973. They then relocated to 1–8 Batemans Buildings, Soho Square, London until 1991.

Associated People
Designers included Edward Carter Preston
Trade name of James Richard Gaunt
1884 (Circa) - 1908
James Gaunt founded the firm and was involved with it until his death

Descriptions of Business or Institution
Listed under Medallists Post Office London Directory, 1900 Post Office/Kelly London Directories
1900
p.2206
Listed under Medallists Kelly's Directory of Birmingham, Trades, Official and Adverts 1901 Kelly's Trades Directories
1901
Listed under Medallists Kelly's Directory of Birmingham, 1911 Kelly's Trades Directories
1911
Listed under Medallists Kelly's Birmingham Directory, Trades Section, 1921 Kelly's Trades Directories
1921
Listed under Medallists The London Directory, 1930 Post Office/Kelly London Directories
1930
p.1013 Listed as 'Medallist'
Listed under Medallists Kelly's Directory of Birmingham with its suburbs and Smethwick, 1931 Kelly's Trades Directories
1931
Listed under Medallists Kelly's Birmingham Trades and Professional Directory, 1941 Kelly's Trades Directories
1941
Listed under Medallists Kelly's Directory of Birmingham (with its suburbs) and Smethwick (with street plan), 1951 Kelly's Trades Directories
1951

Sources
Biographical Dictionary of Medallists, Coin, Gem, and Seal-Engravers, Mint Masters, &c., Ancient and Modern with References to their Works, B.C. 500 - A.D. 1900, Volume VII, 1923 Biographical Dictionary of Medallists
1923
p. 344.
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911
2009
RG14PN17915 RG78PN1093 RD383 SD3 ED5 SN186
Kelly's Birmingham Trades and Professional Directory, 1941 Kelly's Trades Directories
1941
p. 1734.
Kelly's Birmingham Directory, Trades Section, 1921 Kelly's Trades Directories
1921
p. 1092.
Kelly's Directory of Birmingham (with its suburbs) and Smethwick (with street plan), 1951 Kelly's Trades Directories
1951
p. 1929.
Kelly's Directory of Birmingham with its suburbs and Smethwick, 1931 Kelly's Trades Directories
1931
p. 1396.
Kelly's Directory of Birmingham, 1911 Kelly's Trades Directories
1911
p. 1008.
Kelly's Directory of Birmingham, Trades, Official and Adverts 1901 Kelly's Trades Directories
1901
p. 857.
Post Office London Directory, 1900 Post Office/Kelly London Directories
1900
p.2206
The London Directory, 1930 Post Office/Kelly London Directories
1930
p.1013

* He of bronze memorial plaque ('death penny') fame.


Regards,

JT

[btns]

Stephen Gaunt is a fake name. The man using it was banned from the forum and returned later under another name.

He set up a fake trail and managed to get himself listed as Vero member and owner of the Gaunt tradename on e-bay. For a while he vero-ed sellers of Gaunt items, including members of this forum.
Using his fake name he contacted former Gaunt directors and impressed Lew Shotton, who was selling buttons from the Gaunt collection on e-bay.
He ran the now defunct Gaunt.co website.
He also tried to raise funds to save James Grove & Sons.

There is no original research in his publications and you better forget about them.

[cavalryman]

Btns, Didn't Stephen Gaunt become Warstone? regards John

[btns]

Originally Posted by cavalryman

Btns, Didn't Stephen Gaunt become Warstone? regards John

Yes, I think so.
Bill A had a chat with him and decided he could stay on.

[btns]

bump 20191013
Lies and old fakes are hard to eradicate