Bryant & May Ltd
Other Business Names:
- May, Francis
- Bryant, William
- Diamond Match Co
- Collard, Kendall & Co
- Swan Vesta
- Moreland, S J, & Son Ltd
- Judd, George M, & Brothers Ltd
- British Match Corp Ltd
- Masters, J John, & Co Ltd
- Swedish Match Co
- Albright & Wilson Ltd
- Wilkinson Sword Ltd
Locations city-town / local authority / county1974 / region-state / country:
- Bow, Greater London, Greater London, Greater London, England
Sectors:
-
Chemical production
Match production
Notes:
Traced origins to c1839 when Francis May, a London grocer, and William Bryant, a Plymouth manufacturer of candles, soap, etc, established a provision merchants business. From 1850 a major line was importing safety matches from Sweden and in 1861 they started to manufacture matches at Bow and emerged as the leading UK match maker - had 5,000 employees by c1870. 1864 May withdrew from the business. 1884 public company. 'Matchgirls strike' occurred at Bryant & May factories 1888, reflecting dreadful working conditions and pay. 1901 merged with Diamond Match Co of USA which, in 1895, had acquired Collard, Kendall & Co of Liverpool, originators of the Swan Vesta brand. Subsequently acquired other UK matchmakers including S J Moreland & Son Ltd of Gloucester in 1913 and George M Judd & Brothers Ltd of London in 1914. 1926 reconstruction resulted in the formation of the British Match Corp Ltd, controlled by Bryant & May, embracing match interests of Bryant & May Ltd, J John Masters & Co Ltd and UK interests of Swedish Match Co. Established a connection with Albright & Wilson Ltd in 1929. 1973 merged with Wilkinson Sword Ltd.
Publications:
- A mansion made from matches. Hillcroft Cottage, Surbiton by Ehrlich, Doreen
- After the Match Girls' Strike. Bryant & May in the 1890s by Satre, Lowell J
- Bryant & May Group of Companies by Unknown
- Bryant & May Making Matches, 1861-1961 by Unknown
- Bryant & May Museum of Fire-Making Appliances. Catalogue of the exhibits by Christy, Miller
- Brymay Book by Unknown
- 'Brymay' in W B Beable, Romance of Great Businesses by Beable, William H
- Development and Organisation of the British Match Corp Ltd by Elkins, Anthony J
- Employers' labour strategies, industrial welfare and the responses to new unionism at Bryant & May, 1888-1930 by Fitzgerald, Robert
- Match Girls' Strike, 1888 by Beer, Reg
- Match Makers. The story of Bryant & May by Beaver, Patrick
- Match Making by Lucas, Walter
- Match Making; being some glances at the British match making industry in the factories of Bryant & May Ltd by Leigh-Bennett, Ernest P
- Matches Plus! Bryant & May's growing diversity of interests by Unknown
- 'Messrs Bryant & May, Fairfield Works, Bow' in H Mayhew (ed), Shops and Companies of London by Mayhew, Henry
- 'Messrs Bryant & May Ltd, London' in Royal Album of Arts and Industries of Great Britain by Unknown
- 'Out of light a little profit'? Returns to capital at Bryant & May, 1844-1927 by Arnold, A J
- Politics of occupational ill health in late nineteenth century Britain. The case of the match making industry by Harrison, Barbara
- 'Strike at Bryant & May's match factory, East London, July 1888' in A Charlesworth et al (eds), Atlas of Industrial Protest in Britain, 1750-1990 by Rose, G
- Striking a Light. The Bryant & May matchwomen and their place in labour history by Raw, Louise
- Swan Centenary by Luker, J H
- Swedish Match Company, 1917-1939 ... Corporate Growth. The Swedish match industry in its global setting by Lindgren, Hakan
- We Started with a Match by Unknown
- Working for Bryant & May. A book for employees by Unknown
Groups:
Other Business Names:
- May, Francis
- Bryant, William
- Diamond Match Co
- Collard, Kendall & Co
- Swan Vesta
- Moreland, S J, & Son Ltd
- Judd, George M, & Brothers Ltd
- British Match Corp Ltd
- Masters, J John, & Co Ltd
- Swedish Match Co
- Albright & Wilson Ltd
- Wilkinson Sword Ltd
Locations city-town / local authority / county1974 / region-state / country:
- Bow, Greater London, Greater London, Greater London, England
Sectors:
- Chemical production Match production
Notes:
Traced origins to c1839 when Francis May, a London grocer, and William Bryant, a Plymouth manufacturer of candles, soap, etc, established a provision merchants business. From 1850 a major line was importing safety matches from Sweden and in 1861 they started to manufacture matches at Bow and emerged as the leading UK match maker - had 5,000 employees by c1870. 1864 May withdrew from the business. 1884 public company. 'Matchgirls strike' occurred at Bryant & May factories 1888, reflecting dreadful working conditions and pay. 1901 merged with Diamond Match Co of USA which, in 1895, had acquired Collard, Kendall & Co of Liverpool, originators of the Swan Vesta brand. Subsequently acquired other UK matchmakers including S J Moreland & Son Ltd of Gloucester in 1913 and George M Judd & Brothers Ltd of London in 1914. 1926 reconstruction resulted in the formation of the British Match Corp Ltd, controlled by Bryant & May, embracing match interests of Bryant & May Ltd, J John Masters & Co Ltd and UK interests of Swedish Match Co. Established a connection with Albright & Wilson Ltd in 1929. 1973 merged with Wilkinson Sword Ltd.Publications:
- A mansion made from matches. Hillcroft Cottage, Surbiton by Ehrlich, Doreen
- After the Match Girls' Strike. Bryant & May in the 1890s by Satre, Lowell J
- Bryant & May Group of Companies by Unknown
- Bryant & May Making Matches, 1861-1961 by Unknown
- Bryant & May Museum of Fire-Making Appliances. Catalogue of the exhibits by Christy, Miller
- Brymay Book by Unknown
- 'Brymay' in W B Beable, Romance of Great Businesses by Beable, William H
- Development and Organisation of the British Match Corp Ltd by Elkins, Anthony J
- Employers' labour strategies, industrial welfare and the responses to new unionism at Bryant & May, 1888-1930 by Fitzgerald, Robert
- Match Girls' Strike, 1888 by Beer, Reg
- Match Makers. The story of Bryant & May by Beaver, Patrick
- Match Making by Lucas, Walter
- Match Making; being some glances at the British match making industry in the factories of Bryant & May Ltd by Leigh-Bennett, Ernest P
- Matches Plus! Bryant & May's growing diversity of interests by Unknown
- 'Messrs Bryant & May, Fairfield Works, Bow' in H Mayhew (ed), Shops and Companies of London by Mayhew, Henry
- 'Messrs Bryant & May Ltd, London' in Royal Album of Arts and Industries of Great Britain by Unknown
- 'Out of light a little profit'? Returns to capital at Bryant & May, 1844-1927 by Arnold, A J
- Politics of occupational ill health in late nineteenth century Britain. The case of the match making industry by Harrison, Barbara
- 'Strike at Bryant & May's match factory, East London, July 1888' in A Charlesworth et al (eds), Atlas of Industrial Protest in Britain, 1750-1990 by Rose, G
- Striking a Light. The Bryant & May matchwomen and their place in labour history by Raw, Louise
- Swan Centenary by Luker, J H
- Swedish Match Company, 1917-1939 ... Corporate Growth. The Swedish match industry in its global setting by Lindgren, Hakan
- We Started with a Match by Unknown
- Working for Bryant & May. A book for employees by Unknown