Toye, Kenning & Spencer is a British

jewellery Jewellery ( UK) or jewelry (U.S.) consists of decorative items worn for personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and cufflinks. Jewellery may be attached to the body or the clothes. From a western pe ...

and clothing

manufacturer Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to a rang ...

based at

Bedworth Bedworth ( or locally ) is a market town and unparished area in the borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth, Warwickshire, England.OS Explorer Map 232 : Nuneaton & Tamworth: (1:25 000) : It is situated between Coventry, 6 miles (9.5 km) to the south, ...

, Warwickshire; the

Jewellery Quarter The Jewellery Quarter is an area of central Birmingham, UK, in the north-western area of Birmingham City Centre, with a population of around 19,000 people in a area. The Jewellery Quarter is Europe's largest concentration of businesses invol ...

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

; and Covent Garden,

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...

. Founded in

1685 Events January–March * January 6 – American-born British citizen Elihu Yale, for whom Yale University in the U.S. is named, completes his term as the first leader of the Madras Presidency in India, administering the colony ...

, the company still retains Toye family members. The firm holds a Royal Warrant to

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

for "Supply of Gold and Silver

Lace Lace is a delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open weblike pattern, made by machine or by hand. Generally, lace is divided into two main categories, needlelace and bobbin lace, although there are other types of lace, such as knitted ...

Insignia An insignia () is a sign or mark distinguishing a group, grade, rank, or function. It can be a symbol of personal power or that of an official group or governing body. On its own, an insignia is a sign of a specific or general authority and is ...

and

Embroidery Embroidery is the craft of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to apply thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. In modern days, embroidery is usually seen on c ...

". It supplies

honours Honour (British English) or honor (American English; see spelling differences) is the idea of a bond between an individual and a society as a quality of a person that is both of social teaching and of personal ethos, that manifests itself as a ...

badge A badge is a device or accessory, often containing the insignia of an organization, which is presented or displayed to indicate some feat of service, a special accomplishment, a symbol of authority granted by taking an oath (e.g., police and fi ...

s and

ribbon A ribbon or riband is a thin band of material, typically cloth but also plastic or sometimes metal, used primarily as decorative binding and tying. Cloth ribbons are made of natural materials such as silk, cotton, and jute and of synthetic mat ...

s presented at investitures and is sole supplier of the buttonhole

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

insignia An insignia () is a sign or mark distinguishing a group, grade, rank, or function. It can be a symbol of personal power or that of an official group or governing body. On its own, an insignia is a sign of a specific or general authority and is ...

. The company has also been commissioned to produce semi-official commemorative coins for politically important events aimed at improving diplomatic relations with the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Nor ...

.CCT2514
1973 silver Exhibition of Archaeological Finds of the People's Republic of China
was minted with parts of the design coming from high-level Chinese government officials. The coin has the phrase, in Chinese characters, "Chinese-British friendship".

History

Early history

The Toyé family arrived in England in 1685 as

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Bez ...

refugees, following the

revocation of the Edict of Nantes The Edict of Fontainebleau (22 October 1685) was an edict issued by French King Louis XIV and is also known as the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. The Edict of Nantes (1598) had granted Huguenots the right to practice their religion without s ...

Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Ve ...

. Arriving up the

Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the ...

disguised as cattle-dealers, the Toye family settled in Hope Town, now known as

Bethnal Green Bethnal Green is an area in the East End of London northeast of Charing Cross. The area emerged from the small settlement which developed around the Green, much of which survives today as Bethnal Green Gardens, beside Cambridge Heath Road. By t ...

, close to

Spitalfields Spitalfields is a district in the East End of London and within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The area is formed around Commercial Street (on the A1202 London Inner Ring Road) and includes the locale around Brick Lane, Christ Church, ...

. Here they resumed the traditional family business of weaving, lace-making, embroidery and gold and silver wire-making. In 1784 Guillaume-Henri Toyé was established in this industry and living with his family in Hope Town. He had four sons and three daughters. In 1835 William Toyé (grandson of Guillaume) acquired larger premises at George Street, Bethnal Green. At first, he applied himself to broad weaving but other forms of weaving soon appealed to him, particularly the making of ribbons, as there was then a far larger demand for this commodity. It was found necessary to open retail establishments further west in London in addition to the factories. A shop was opened in 1888 at 18 Little Britain, and a short time later, a further establishment was opened at 17

Clerkenwell Road Clerkenwell Road is a street in London. It runs west–east from Gray's Inn Road in the west, to Goswell Road in the east. Its continuation at either end is Theobald's Road and Old Street respectively. Clerkenwell Road and Theobalds Road wer ...

. By 1890 the weaving of heavy, double-twilled silks, nine-feet wide, for trade-union and Friendly Societies became an important part of the business. The banner department used painting and embroidery to illuminate the designs. With increased and varied activities, it became apparent that the factory at 186 Old Ford Road was inadequate. The Masonic section was rapidly becoming more important, therefore it was essential to move the factory nearer to the headquarters of

freemasonry Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

in Great Queen Street. Premises were acquired in 1898 at 57 Theobalds Road where showrooms were opened, the factory being placed at the rear and continuing right through the block into Red Lion Square.

1900 to present

In 1903 Herbert Toye joined the business, a step made necessary by the considerable expansions that had taken place. In 1909 it became necessary, in accordance with the Companies Act 1908, to register the firm as a company. From then on, all business was transacted as Toye & Co. In 1910 William Toye, Senior, died and under the terms of his Will, his sons William, Frederick and Herbert and Timothy J Mister all became partners in the business. In 1930 it was necessary to rebuild and enlarge the main factory in Red Lion Square, London. Then came a fresh crisis: Britain was hit by the global depression, and three million people were thrown out of work. During these dismal days of dole queues and empty larders, Toye maintained full employment, an accolade for the management. In 1937 the

coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The coronation of George VI and his wife, Elizabeth, as King and Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and as Emperor and Empress of India took place at Westminster Abbey, London, on Wednesday 12 May 1937 ...

gave the company another massive trade boost and provided an outlet for the skilled crafts of their staff. They worked day and night for six months producing

banner A banner can be a flag or another piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or another message. A flag whose design is the same as the shield in a coat of arms (but usually in a square or rectangular shape) is called a banner of arms. Also, ...

emblem An emblem is an abstract or representational pictorial image that represents a concept, like a moral truth, or an allegory, or a person, like a king or saint. Emblems vs. symbols Although the words ''emblem'' and ''symbol'' are often used i ...

robe A robe is a loose-fitting outer garment. Unlike garments described as capes or cloaks, robes usually have sleeves. The English word ''robe'' derives from Middle English ''robe'' ("garment"), borrowed from Old French ''robe'' ("booty, spoil ...

s and

for that historic occasion. The velvet cushions on which the Royal Crowns were carried into

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

were made by Toye women in conjunction with the

Royal School of Needlework The Royal School of Needlework (RSN) is a hand embroidery school in the United Kingdom, founded in 1872 and based at Hampton Court Palace since 1987. History The RSN began as the School of Art Needlework in 1872, founded by Lady Victoria Welby. ...

. In 1949 Miss Henrietta E Toye, who had completed thirty years' service on the sales side, was elected to the Board; few firms at that time had elected women to board level. In 2010 after years of Labour Government, Toye lost a multimillion-pound contract with the

Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...

due to pricing concerns, and is now enjoying a Brexit bounce.

Manufacturing facilities

Birmingham

Toye's factory, W.J. Dingley Ltd, in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter is home to the group's metal manufacturing. Every stage in the manufacture of a metal product takes place there. Products include medals, badges and buttons, chains of office and insignia for heads of state and dignitaries, jewellery and cufflinks, presentation cups for sporting organisations and commemorative plaques. The

FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competit ...

medal A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be int ...

s are made by Toye.

Bedworth

The group's textile production is in Bedworth, near Coventry. There, Toye specialises in narrow fabric weaving, manufacturing coloured ribbons, braids and laces for military, homeland security, club, association, school and fashion markets worldwide. Bedworth also specialises in hand and machine embroidery, and making crafted hats and caps for the military, homeland security, corporate, sports and show business markets. Customers range from the MOD and overseas defence forces, to international fashion houses, sporting organisations and local schools. Honours caps for the Rugby Football Union, buttons for Henley Royal Regatta and Grand National ties were produced there.

References

External links

Toye, Kenning & Spencer website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Toye, Kenning And Spencer British brands Companies established in 1685 Retail companies of the United Kingdom British Royal Warrant holders British jewellers 1685 establishments in England