Williams and Griffin
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Fenwick Colchester is a large high street
department store A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store made a dramatic app ...
situated in Colchester, Essex, England, formerly known as Williams & Griffin (1963–2016). Independent for much of its history, it was formed from the merger of H.E. Williams & Co Ltd (an
ironmonger Ironmongery originally referred, first, to the manufacture of iron goods and, second, to the place of sale of such items for domestic rather than industrial use. In both contexts, the term has expanded to include items made of steel, aluminium ...
and agricultural machinery business) and another Colchester family business, H.L. Griffin & Co Ltd (a furnishings store), in April 1963. In 2007, Williams & Griffin won "Best Independent Department Store of the Year", sponsored by ''
Drapers Draper was originally a term for a retailer or wholesaler of cloth that was mainly for clothing. A draper may additionally operate as a cloth merchant or a haberdasher. History Drapers were an important trade guild during the medieval period, ...
''. The store was sold in March 2008 to the Fenwick chain of department stores. Current departments include beauty, fashion, toys, gifts,
housewares Household goods are goods and products used within households. They are the tangible and movable personal property placed in the rooms of a house, such as a bed or refrigerator. Economic role Businesses that produce household goods are categorize ...
and furniture, as well as top-floor
restaurant A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearan ...
Carluccio's.


H. L. Griffin & Co.

H. L. Griffin & Co had its beginnings early in the nineteenth century, when a William Griffin set up as a linen draper along with a business partner with the surname Barrell. It was not long, however, before Griffin was independent and adding haberdashery to his business, with premises at 5 and 6 Botolph Street; they were extended in number 7 in the 1840s. At the same time a shop on the High Street was opened (number 50) but this closed after a few years, making way for premises on Head Street. In March 1855, William Griffin Senior retired, leaving the business to his son William, which was now styled "Griffin and Son". Another son, George Lainson Griffin, set up another drapery business on Botolph Street whilst a third, John Edward Griffin, set up as an auctioneer, valuer and estate agent on Queen Street, the same profession to which William Griffin Jr. also turned his hand after selling his drapery business in 1861. In the 1870s George set up a High Street Shop; not long afterwards he was succeeded in this by his son by Henry Lainson Griffin (1855–1916), certainly before 1891. Henry was primarily an upholsterer, the second of five children born to George and his wife Caroline Collins, of
Stanway, Essex Stanway is a village and civil parish in Essex, England near Colchester and within Colchester Borough. 'Stanway' is an Anglo-Saxon name for the 'stone way' of the Roman road, now the A12. Stanway is about west of Colchester city centre on th ...
. Certainly, the company swapped its Colchester High Street premises on February 1, 1900 for new ones on Head Street, where it remained until 1963. Originally dealing in the sale or let of both soft furnishings such as "eider down quilts, coal vases etc" and houses, the former was its only enterprise at the time of merger with H. E. Williams. Its logo was a
griffin The griffin, griffon, or gryphon (Ancient Greek: , ''gryps''; Classical Latin: ''grȳps'' or ''grȳpus''; Late Latin, Late and Medieval Latin: ''gryphes'', ''grypho'' etc.; Old French: ''griffon'') is a legendary creature with the body, tail ...
; this remained in the weeks following the merger, despite the accompanying company name being altered.


H. E. Williams & Co.

H. E. Williams & Co., an
ironmonger Ironmongery originally referred, first, to the manufacture of iron goods and, second, to the place of sale of such items for domestic rather than industrial use. In both contexts, the term has expanded to include items made of steel, aluminium ...
and agricultural machinery business, was founded by Herbert E. Williams (1862–1920) before 1882 as ''Williams and Co.''. It was registered as a
limited company In a limited company, the liability of members or subscribers of the company is limited to what they have invested or guaranteed to the company. Limited companies may be limited by Share (finance), shares or by guarantee. In a company limited by ...
in 1922. It traded both at High Street premises (which now form the modern site of Williams & Griffin), and later also at roomier premises on Cowdray Avenue further from the town centre, from where it sold most of its tractors and other farming equipment. In 1950, after the sudden death of the then chairman and the managing director (also a large shareholder), the company was taken over by Kenneth Ireland (1907–1971), a farmer from nearby
Feering Feering is a village and civil parish in the Braintree district of Essex, England. The parish is between Colchester and Witham. The village, which lies at the south-west edge of the parish, is conjoined to the neighbouring village of Kelvedon. W ...
, it has been run since 1972 by his son Bill. At the time of the merger, the company sold ironmongery, kitchenware, electrical, radio and TV and nursery goods from its High Street premises.


Williams & Griffin

In April 1963, H. L. Griffin & Co and H.E. Williams & Co merged to form a combined enterprise employing 110 people. The Griffin premises were soon sold (within two years), and the output merged to create a single department store. Other acquisitions included ''A. & E.P. Baker'' in 1964 (a local ladies fashion store) and ''Heasman & Son'' (a jewellers on the High Street founded before 1907). In 1966, the Griffin family sold out - their representative on the board, Jack Griffin, wished to retire due to ill health, and his sons wanted to go their own separate ways. The majority shareholding was therefore taken up by the Ireland family, and in 1969 the final vestige of the previous businesses – Williams' Cowdray Avenue farm machinery sideline – was sold to Eastern Tractors after two years' worth of discussions, though the Ireland family kept ownership of the site. At this time, Williams & Griffin's turnover was valued at £400,000. In 1981, however, the decision was reversed and Williams & Griffin opened a garden centre on the site under the guidance of Patrick Ireland, which ran until 1990, when the site was finally sold off. In 2007, Williams & Griffin won "Best Independent Department Store of the Year", sponsored by ''
Drapers Draper was originally a term for a retailer or wholesaler of cloth that was mainly for clothing. A draper may additionally operate as a cloth merchant or a haberdasher. History Drapers were an important trade guild during the medieval period, ...
''. The award was picked up by Colchester's MP, Bob Russell, who proposed an
early day motion In the Westminster parliamentary system, an early day motion (EDM) is a Motion (parliamentary procedure), motion, expressed as a single sentence, Table (parliamentary procedure), tabled by Member of Parliament, members of Parliament that formally ...
on the topic. It remained in the control of the Ireland family until its sale in March 2008 to the Fenwick chain of department stores. Current departments include fashion, toys, gifts,
housewares Household goods are goods and products used within households. They are the tangible and movable personal property placed in the rooms of a house, such as a bed or refrigerator. Economic role Businesses that produce household goods are categorize ...
and furniture, as well as a top-floor
restaurant A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearan ...
. In 2015, it announced that, following a major redevelopment of its site, it would rebrand under the new Fenwick name, becoming Fenwick Colchester.


See also

*
List of department stores This is a list of department stores. In the case of department store groups the location of the flagship store is given. This list does not include large specialist stores, which sometimes resemble department stores. Note: "trading" is British En ...


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fenwick Colchester Department stores of the United Kingdom Buildings and structures in Colchester (town) Companies based in Colchester