of
in the custody of
Listed by N James, October 1991
Historical Manuscripts Commission
All enquiries about access to the records described in this list should be addressed to the Historical Manuscripts Commission.
The firm of Deakin & Francis Ltd traces its origins back to 1786, although the first clear evidence for its existence in the ownership of the Woolfield family is from the 1790s, when Benjamin Woolfield traded as a perfumer and toymaker. On CF Woolfield's death in 1848, the business of Woolfield & Sons, factors and merchants, was sold to Charles Washington Shirley Deakin. He acquired the firm with the financial backing of GA Moore, but it appears from the local directories to have traded under CWS Deakin's name alone during the 1850s as a wholesale jeweller and factor. Between 1864 and 1879, CWS Deakin was in partnership with Charles William Beatson Moore, and the firm traded as Deakin & Moore, wholesale jewellers. on Moore's retirement, CWS Deakin traded with his nephew, Stephen Henry Deakin. By 1882, SH Deakin was in partnership with John Horace Francis, and in 1902 a limited company, Deakin & Francis Ltd, was formed. It was reincorporated in 1919. JH Francis died in 1932 and since that time the business has been carried on by the Deakin family alone as manufacturing jewellers. The present chairman is the great great nephew of the founder, CWS Deakin.
Since CWS Deakin's time the business has been based in Regent Place, first at number 30 and later at 15-17, in premises earlier occupied by James Watt. It continues to manufacture a wide range of jewellery and silverware, including cuff-links, rings and dressing table sets.
The records in the following list were inspected on 7 October 1991 by kind permission of the Chairman, DJ Deakin Esq. The Commission is also grateful to Mrs Barbara MD Smith, whose notes on the history of the firm have provided the basis of this introduction.
The following records are divided between the company secretary's office, chairman's office and basement workshop of the firm's premises at 15-17 Regent Place. Notional letters and numbers have been assigned to the bays and shelves in the basement workshop, working from the far corner, for ease of reference. Other records noted by Mrs BMD Smith in 1963-64 as being stored in the loft have since been accidentally destroyed.
Company secretary's office [records not seen in situ]
Directors, minute books (2) 1938-70f, c1971 to date (not seen)
General meeting minute book 1920-90
Share ledger 1920 to date
Chairman's office:
Display cabinet
Letter book 1885-1902
Private ledgers (2) (1 locked) 1880-1910, nd
Ledgers (2) 1887-92, 1891-98
Cash book (locked) nd
Private cash book 1897-1900
Cash or account book of CWS Deakin 1848-53
Bank book of CWS Deakin (in account with Taylor & Lloyds, Birmingham) 1848-53
Printed Birmingham directories (3 volumes) 1815, 1818, 1839
Glass fronted corner cabinet
Ledgers (2) (1 locked) 1853-73, nd
Pattern books 1 and 2 (jewellery) c1904, c1912
Pattern book (cuff-links) c1930s
Photographs of jewellery, hair brush designs, etc (3 volumes) 20th century
Printed catalogues of Deakin & Francis silverware and jewellery (5 volumes and loose sheets) 20th century
Framed documents on walls
Orders for payment to Mrs Sarah Woolfield and the executors of her late husband from CWS Deakin and GA Moore for the purchase of the Woolfield jewellery business, the price to be paid in two annual instalments of £2,000 1848 (with endorsements for 1849 and1850)
Articles of copartnership, SH Deakin and JH Francis 1882
Printed notice about sale of ordinary shares 1912
Photographs of premises and staff, designs, drawings and other memorabilia relating to the family and the firm (27 items) 19th-20th century
Deed of sale of property in Lichfield to Nicholas Deakin 1734
Cardboard box [in chairman's possession]
Sales account, marked 'GA Moore', [?of Woolfield's] (2 sheets) 1846-47
Lawyer's bill from WJ Burman for dissolution of partnership 1864
Memorandum of agreement between Francis Deakin, CWS Deakin and CWB Moore about the reorganisation of the partnership 1880
Deed of copartnership, SH Deakin and JH Francis c1881
Agreement for dissolution of the Deakin & Francis partnership and the establishment of a limited company 1902
Directors' committee minute book 1919-35
Business and financial correspondence of CWS Deakin with GA Moore and related papers (3 bundles, c30 items) 1848-c1859
Miscellaneous loose business correspondence and papers, mainly 1890s
Balance sheet and related papers (1 envelope) 1899
Miscellaneous accounts (3 sheets) 1853-63
Accounts, drawings, debenture and miscellaneous papers (1 file) 1933-74
Correspondence with Lloyds Bank (1 file, 1 item) 1895, 1912-22
Bank book of Deakin & Francis in account with Lloyds Bank: bills deposited 1927-36
Correspondence with firm of George Dimmer, Liverpool (1 file) 1897-1916
Miscellaneous loose correspondence with customers and related financial papers 1920s-1950s
Papers relating to bankrupt jewellers supplied by the firm (2 items) 1869,1880
Sales and profit and loss account (1 envelope) 1887-90
Pattern book (jugs and other silverware) nd
Job record cards (3 items) 1917-19
Trade mark papers (1 file), from 1931
Correspondence relating to directors' and staff salaries (1 file) 1912
Memorandum relating to wartime salaries (1 file) 1914
Printed staff dinner and concert programme (1 item) 1909
Lease of house and premises, 30 Regent Place, by John Taylor to CWS Deakin, February 1849
Valuation of premises 1901
Printed article about new premises of firm from Watchmaker, Jeweler, Silversmith and optician, 1 September 1906
Typescript notes about James Watt's house at 17 Regent Place (3 sheets) nd
Photographs of jewellery and design records, prints of premises, publicity material, etc (1 folder and loose items) 19th-20th century
Mrs BMD Smith's notes on the history of the firm and photocopy of 'Woolfield & Sons' account with John Goode 1829 and 1842, taken from Goode's ledger (made in connection with exhibition of business records at Birmingham Museum of Science and Industry) c1964
Rough Draft of the Genealogy of the Deakin Family 1889
Personal correspondence of DJ Deakin [not inspected] 1960s
Letters from Charles Moore relating to his family (2 items) 1849,1859
Miscellaneous bills (4) of 'Mr Francis' 1857, 1859,1867
Scrapbook relating to JH Francis (d 1932) and his son Captain John Francis (killed in action, 1915), early 20th century
Share certificates of JH Francis for shares held in other companies (1 file, 1 bundle) 1930-31
Correspondence and papers relating to the death of JH Francis 1932
Deed of assignment for rents of Greene family's Irish property 1805
House of Commons official frank bearing autograph of Sir Robert Peel 1827
Basement workshop:
Bay A
Shelf 1
Accounts and balance sheets (9 items) 1931-36
Comparative sales analysis (1 item) 1931, 1932
Job record cards (giving details of costs, specifications, workman, etc) (1 box) c1910-28
Miscellaneous photographs of silverware (1 bundle) 20th century
Shelf 2
List of customers (1 volume), ?early 20th century
Stock book (gems) 1960s-1970s
Pattern books (4) for silverware, civic regalia, ecclesiastical plate, hairbrushes, etc 20th century
Silverware designs (1 volume) 20th century
Miscellaneous sketches for jewellery and printed catalogues (1 box) 20th century
Job record cards (1 box) 20th century
Photographs of products (1 box, 1 volume), late 20th century
Framed photographs of works, staff and members of owner's family (1 box) 19th-20th century
Shelf 3
Pattern book (ecclesiastical plate, etc) and miscellaneous loose patterns and drawings 20th century
Design records and photographs of silverware, etc (1 box) including patent records 1910-14 (6 envelopes and bundles) 20th century
Job record cards (1 box) c1915-1930s
Bay B
Shelf 1
Designs and engine turnings (1 volume) c1930
Design scrapbook 20th century
Sketch book with tracings of drawings for silverware, badges, etc 1951
Silver price lists, with photographs (2 binders) and photographs of products (1 box) 20th century
Bay C
[Shelf 1 empty]
Shelf 2
Directors' minute book (including minutes of extraordinary general meeting 1935) 1920-38
Private ledgers A (2 volumes) (locked) nd
Private ledgers B (2 volumes) (locked) nd
Private ledgers A2 (2 volumes) (1 locked) 1919-42, nd
Private ledgers (2) 1935-63, 1964-73
Expenses ledger (locked) nd
Customer account books (2) [of Woolfield's] 1840-48, 1845-48
Address book of customers, suppliers, etc c1940
Jewellery pattern books 3 and 4 c1912-25, c1913-25
Jewellery pattern book (marked 'sketch book') 1919-23
Printed volumes (2) of designs 1868, nd
Miscellaneous mounted designs, photographs, etc (1 box) nd
Works committee minute book 1919-23.
Articles of copartnership, agreement for dissolution, and related papers (5 items) 1864-1902 [Chairman's office: cardboard box and framed item on wall]
Directors' minute books (3) 1920 to date [Company secretary's office; Basement workshop: bay C, shelf 2]
Directors' committee minute book 1919-35 [Chairman's office: cardboard box]
General meeting minute book 1920-90 [Company secretary's office]
Framed orders (2) for payment to Mrs Sarah Woolfield, etc to purchase Woolfield & Sons' business 1848 (endorsements to 1850) [Chairman's office wall]
Business and financial correspondence (1 volume, 3 bundles, etc) 1848-1902 including letter book 1885-1902 [Chairman's office: display cabinet and cardboard box]
Balance sheets, accounts and related papers (1 envelope, 9 items) 1899, 1931-36 [Chairman's office: cardboard box; Basement workshop: bay A, shelf 1]
Private ledgers (10) to 1973 [Chairman's office: display cabinet; Basement workshop: bay C, shelf 2]
Ledgers (4) from 1853 [Chairman's office: display cabinet and glass fronted corner cabinet]
Expenses ledger nd [Basement workshop: bay C, shelf 2]
Private cash book 1897-1900 [Chairman's office: display cabinet]
Cash books (2) 1848-53, nd [Chairman's office: display cabinet]
Bank books (2) 1848-53, 1927-36 [Chairman's office: display cabinet and cardboard box]
Miscellaneous accounts and financial correspondence and papers 1853-1974 [Chairman's office: cardboard box]
Sales and profit and loss account (1 envelope) 1887-90 [Chairman's office: cardboard box]
Comparative sales analysis (1 item) 1931, 1932 [Basement workshop: bay A, shelf 1]
Correspondence with customers and related financial papers (1 file and loose items) 1869-1950s [Chairman's office: cardboard box]
List of customers (1 volume) ?early 20th century [Basement workshop: bay A, shelf 1]
Address book of customers, suppliers, etc c1940 [Basement workshop: bay A, shelf 1]
Stock book (gems) 1960s-1970s [Basement workshop: bay A, shelf 2]
Pattern and design books (18 volumes) and other design records (1 box, etc) 19th-20th century [Chairman's office: glass fronted corner cabinet, framed items on walls and cardboard box; Basement workshop: bay A, shelves 2 and 3, bays B and C]
Job record cards (3 boxes, 3 items) 20th century [Chairman's office: cardboard box; Basement workshop: bay A, shelves 1-3]
Patent records (6 envelopes and bundles) 1910-14 [Basement workshop: bay A, shelf 3]
Trade mark papers (1 file) from 1931 [Chairman's office: cardboard box]
Correspondence and memorandum relating to directors' and staff salaries (2 files) 1912-14 [Chairman's office: cardboard box]
Works committee minute book 1919-23 [Basement workshop: bay C, shelf 2]
Printed staff dinner and concert programme 1909 [Chairman's office: cardboard box]
Premises records [Chairman's office: cardboard box]
Lease of house and premises, 30 Regent Place, by John Taylor to CWS Deakin 1849
Valuation of premises 1901
Printed article on new premises from Watchmaker, Jeweler,. Silversmith and Optician, 1 September 1906
Typescript notes about James Watt's house at 17 Regent Place (3 sheets) nd
Photographs, publicity material, price lists and miscellaneous printed volumes, etc 1815-1ate 20th century [Chairman's office and basement workshop passim]
Mrs BMD Smith's notes on the history of the firm, etc c1964 [Chairman's office: cardboard box]
Miscellaneous correspondence and papers (4 items) 1805-59 [Chairman's office: cardboard box]
Customer account books (2) 1840-48 [Basement workshop: bay C, shelf 2]
Sales account marked 'GA Moore' [of Woolfield's?] (2 sheets) 1846-47 [Chairman's office: cardboard box]
Deakin family papers [Chairman's office]
Framed deed of sale of property in Lichfield to Nicholas Deakin, 1734 [office wall]
Rough Draft of the Genealogy of the Deakin Family, 1889 [cardboard box]
Personal correspondence of DJ Deakin 1960s [cardboard box: not inspected]
Francis family [Chairman's office: cardboard box]
Miscellaneous bills (4) 1857-67, share certificates (1 file, 1 bundle) 1930-31, scrapbook early 20th century and correspondence and papers (1 bundle) 1932 of or relating to the family.