of
N James, April 1991
Historical Manuscripts Commission
All enquiries about access to the records in this list should be addressed to the Historical Manuscripts Commission.
The Barker Ellis Silver Co Ltd, established in 1801, is one of the oldest firms of silversmiths and electroplaters now trading in Birmingham. It still possesses the original Boulton & Watt dies acquired during its early days of manufacturing. The business appears in the Post Office Directory of Birmingham 1871 as Barker Brothers, silversmiths, producing a wide range of candlesticks, cutlery and tableware at their premises in Paradise Street. As Barker Brothers Silversmiths Ltd, it was incorporated in 1907. By the early twentieth century, the company had moved to Constitution Hill, where it remained until the 1980s. It also maintained a London showroom during the early part of this century. In the 1960s, the firm merged with another, old established company manufacturing silver plated and electroplated ware, Ellis & Co (Birmingham) Ltd. After a period as a subsidiary of Pentos plc, the business returned to private ownership in 1984. The archive consists mainly of design records for the products of Barker Ellis, and provides a very complete picture of this aspect of the business. The records were inspected at the company’s premises on 24 April 1991 by kind permission of Mr BG Lapworth.
All records listed below are kept in a storeroom on the first floor of the company’s premises at Harford Street, except where otherwise specified. The room is also partly occupied by the firm’s current records from the 1980s onwards, which were not inspected.
Minute books (3 volumes) [production director’s office and storeroom] 1924-38, 1939-54, 1954-63
Draft board minutes (1 bundle) 1962-63
Directors’ and general meeting minute book of Ellis & Co (Birmingham) Ltd 1932-72
Register of directors’ holdings 1950s
Printed reports and accounts (7 items) 1907-14
Ledger 1898-1907
Sales, purchase and production records
Order books (3 volumes) from 1885, c1886-1906, from 1893
Cost and order books for condiment sets, dressing table sets, etc as follows:
[236-774] 1 volume c1908
[384-429] 1 volume c1926
[0394-0895] 1 volume from 1905
[1683-2228] 1 volume c1913-23
Silver cost book (including correspondence relating to orders 1897-1907) c1900
Silver cost book from 1913
Cost book for hand made photograph frames 1934-40
‘Odds bought’ book (list and illustrations of items bought as patterns and for special commissions, etc) 1910-16
Pattern books (numerical series), as follows:
1st series
[100-3699] c1900
[100-2281 c1910
[100-1999] c1909-12
[2000-3000] 1911-36
[2437-2997] 1916-c1921
[3501-6329] 1930s
[5000-5244] 1933-38
[7044-7744] from 1914
[8001-8073] 1930s
[9000-9341] 1925-40
2nd series
[10150-12891] from 1897
[12474-13028] from 1911
[15725-16665] from 1914
[16666-17200 and LS1-520] from c1911
[20298-21424] c1913
[21427-22946] 1907-27
[22947-24305] 1911-1920s
[24306-25153] from 1926
Pattern books (alphabetical series), as follows:
AY series
[AY225-451] 1913-17
[AY452-971] 1918
B series
[B100-157] 1932-56
C series
[C100-2180] 1937-52
[C1070-2038] nd
[C2180-2292] from 1952
H series
[H100-906] nd
K series
[K4729-5512] 1915-18
[K5513-6131] 1920s
[K6134-6518] from 1928
[K6002-6636] c1926-33
LS series
[LS1-520]: see [16666-17200]
[LS522-802] c1929
N series
[N6011-6110] 1931-47
P series
[P2375-3188] from 1935
[P3189-3463] 1930s
[P8513-8895 and P1000-1543] c1911-14
[P20298-21426] 1949-63
W series
[W757-1064] from 1914
London showrooms pattern book nos. 1-154 20th century
Other pattern and design books (11 volumes) 1910-53, nd
Specification books (2) 1897, from 1910
Index book of dies and shelf numbers of souvenir spoons late 20th century
Technical notebook of AP Villiani c1916-19
Design drawings (uncompleted breakdown sketches) of silverware, etc (1 file) nd
Tracings for epergne dishes (1 file) 20th century
Miscellaneous design sketches for hair brushes, etc (1 album) 1930, nd
Miscellaneous loose tracings and drawings and designs of silverware mounted on card 1959, nd
Miscellaneous blueprints for cups (1 bundle) 20th century
Design drawings of products, blueprints, etc including items mounted on boards (c4 shelves) late 19th-late 20th century
Tracings of embossings etc (c13 bundles and files) 20th century
Patents, agreements, indentures and deeds (1 box) 1816, 1896-1964
List of employees and rates of pay (1 volume) 1920-27
Photographs of products (15 volumes, 1 binder) 20th century
Photographs of dies (1 volume) nd
Scrapbook of company catalogues and press cuttings 1901-1950s
Scrapbook relating to Proud’s exhibition of Barker Ellis silverware in Australia November 1967
‘Suggestion book no 2’ (annotated items from other manufacturers' catalogues of products) from 1904
Printed catalogues for Barker Brothers, Ellis & Co and other silversmiths (15 volumes) from 1900
Printed advertisements (1 file) late 20th century.