Public Benefit Boot Co Ltd

Sectors:

  • Wearing apparel & footwear production Footwear & footwear components production
  • Distribution - retailing Wearing apparel, footwear, haberdashery, mercery, etc, retailing

Notes:

Established at Hull in 1875 by William Franklin as a retailer of inexpensive footwear to working classes trading as Public Benefit Boot & Shoe Co, soon shortened to Public Benefit Boot Co and based at Leeds. The business grew rapidly and by 1890s had c50 shops and manufacturing interests. From early on William Franklin was close to the Lennard family who manufactured footwear at Leicester from the 1870s and who also developed significant retailing interests based on Bristol. Lennards were incorporated in 1897 as Lennards Ltd with its shops also trading as Public Benefit Boot Co. In the 1890s the Franklin business was incorporated as Franklin's Public Benefit Boot Co Ltd and in 1897 reorganised as Public Benefit Boot Co Ltd. An attempted merger of the two businesses failed in 1904 after which they developed separately. By 1920 had 143 stores. 1946 renamed Benefit Footwear Ltd. 1957 merged with Saxone & Lilley & Skinner Holdings Ltd and later part of British Shoe Corp [2023]

Groups: