IDENTITY STATEMENT
Reference code(s): GB 0074 CLC/B/043
Held at: London Metropolitan Archives
Title: CHARLES FRODSHAM AND COMPANY
Date(s): 1876-1955
Level of description: Collection
Extent: 17 production units.
Name of creator(s): Charles Frodsham and Co | chronometer, clock and watch makers
CONTEXT
Administrative/Biographical history:
This firm of chronometer, clock and watch makers was established circa 1834 by Charles Frodsham (1810-1871), son of William James Frodsham who was co-founder of Parkinson and Frodsham. In 1837 Charles Frodsham was renting premises at 12 The Pavement, Finsbury, moving a year later to 7 The Pavement, Finsbury. Following the death of John Roger Arnold in 1843, Frodsham took over Arnold's business and premises at 84 Strand. When Frodsham himself died in 1871 the business was continued by his son. The last Frodsham to be involved with the firm died in 1928. Charles Frodsham and Co Ltd became a subsidiary of Devon Instruments in 1977.
The firm was known as Charles Frodsham c 1834-1843; Arnold and Frodsham 1843-1858; Charles Frodsham 1858-84; Charles Frodsham and Co 1884-1893, and Charles Frodsham and Co Ltd 1893- . It traded from 12 The Pavement, Finsbury 1837; 7 The Pavement, Finsbury 1838; 84 Strand 1858-1895; 115 New Bond Street 1896-1914; 27 South Molton Street 1914-1941; 62 Beauchamp Place 1942-1945; 173 Brompton Road 1946-1973; 4-5 South Audley Street 1974-1977; and Topsham, Devon 1977-.
CONTENT
Scope and content/abstract:
Records of Charles Frodsham and Company, chronometer, clock and watch makers. The records comprise minutes of the board of directors 1893-1939 and annual general meetings 1894-1939 (Ms 19904); a ledger 1939-55 (Ms 19905), and watch manufacturing books 1876-1910 and 1895-7 (Ms 19906-7).
ACCESS AND USE
Language/scripts of material: English
System of arrangement:
Records arranged by MS number, assigned during cataloguing at the Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section.
Conditions governing access:
These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information may be subject to access restrictions.
Conditions governing reproduction:
Copyright to this collection 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:
The records were deposited in the Manuscripts Section of Guildhall Library in 1982 by the Clockmakers' Company. The Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section merged with the London Metropolitan Archives in 2009.
ALLIED MATERIALS
Related material:
LMA also holds the records of Parkinson and Frodsham; see CLC/B/176.
Publication note:
A history of the firm is given in R. V. Mercer's The Frodshams. The Story of a Family of Chronometer Makers (Antiquarian Horological Society monograph 21, 1981).
DESCRIPTION NOTES
Date(s) of descriptions: November 2010 to January 2011.