Business History Explorer Supported by the Business Archives Council

Barrow Hepburn & Gale Ltd

Other Business Names:

  • Barrow, Samuel, & Brother Ltd
  • Hepburn, Gale & Ross Ltd
  • Hodgson, Richard, & Sons Ltd
  • Holmes, Thomas, & Sons Ltd
  • Blackman's Leather Goods Co Ltd
  • Kitchin & Co Ltd
  • Grange Tannery
  • Hepburn & Gale Ltd
  • Ross, Alexander, & Co Ltd

Locations city-town / local authority / county1974 / region-state / country:

  • Bermondsey, Greater London, Greater London, Greater London, England

Sectors:

  • Wearing apparel & footwear production Footwear & footwear components production
  • Leather & other skins processing & products manufacture Leather & other skins processing
  • Leather & other skins processing & products manufacture Leather industrial products eg belting, hose, bellows, etc, manufacture
  • Distribution - wholesaling, broking, market trading, etc Leather, fur & other skins distribution
  • Leather & other skins processing & products manufacture Luggage, bags, accessories, etc, production
  • Chemical production Paint, varnish, mastic, glue, resin, white lead, etc, production

Notes:

Traced origins to 1920 when established through merger of Hepburn, Gale & Ross Ltd and Samuel Barrow & Brother Ltd, both of Bermondsey. HG&R itself was a product of the 1919 merger of Hepburn & Gale Ltd and Alexander Ross & Co Ltd. The former, in particular, was a tanner and supplier of leather goods to the armed forces and the latter, based at Grange Tannery, was a tanner and leather merchant. Public company. Later in 1920 acquired the large tanning business of Richard Hodgson & Sons Ltd of Beverley. Subsequently acquired in 1935 Thomas Holmes & Sons Ltd of Hull, tanners, in 1937 Blackman's Leather Goods Co Ltd, and in 1946 Kitchin & Co Ltd, Leeds, tanners. Came to be the UK's largest leather business involved in tanning; leather goods production, eg belting, military equipment, cases, footwear soles, etc; glues and gelatine; tanning extracts; etc.

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