Jolly & Son was a small department store chain based in Kent and the West Country. Jolly's historic flagship store in

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

had been part of the

House of Fraser House of Fraser (rebranding to Frasers) is a British department store chain with 23 locations across the United Kingdom and 2 in Ireland, part of Frasers Group. It was established in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1849 as Arthur and Fraser. By 1891, it ...

group since 1971. Following the stores closure in February 2025, it was announced that it would be reopened in 2026 by Morleys Stores.

Early history

James Jolly set up a linen drapery store in

Deal, Kent Deal is a coastal town in Kent, England, which lies where the North Sea and the English Channel meet, north-east of Dover, England, Dover and south of Ramsgate. It is a former fishing, mining and garrison town whose history is closely linked t ...

during the 1810s. The business thrived, and by 1823 he opened a seasonal store in

for his son Thomas. The shop was a success and by 1830 became a permanent shop. The business quickly expanded and by 1852 Jolly & Son had branches in Deal,

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, Bath,

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

. The business sold amongst others linen, toys, silk and cutlery. However in 1889, the Bristol store was sold off. In addition to the shops, Jollys had an extensive mail order business. In 1903, Jolly and Son was sold to a new private limited company called Jolly & Son Ltd. The main shareholders in the new company were still the Jolly family. By 1905, they had outgrown their Bath store and so moved started a rebuilding programme of the Milsom Street site. Although building work continued in 1906 the business saw sales grow to £83,050. The business still kept growing and by 1912 it had purchased 9 Milsom Street and the stock of T Knight & Son.

1918 onwards, Frasers ownership and closure

During the First World War, business struggled so special train excursions were started, and with the visit of Queen Mary while she was at

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, saw the profits increase which was enough for the business to purchase the Milsom street site outright. In 1922 the company re-purchased the Bristol store that it had sold in 1889, which was financed by the company being floated in 1923. A small furniture store was opened in

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also in this year. By 1924 the turnover of the chain amounted to £264,000. However by the late 1920s and 30s the business struggled during the depression, and only minor alterations were made to the Bristol and Bath stores. During the Second World War, the Bristol store was completely destroyed by Enemy bombing and smaller premises on Whiteladies Road was used, and eventually purchased as the stores permanent home. In the 1961, the Bristol store was enlarged by the purchase of an adjourning three storey building, and the Bath store had a new restaurant added in 1965. By 1968 a new separate holding company was formed Jolly & Son (Holdings) Ltd was set up to oversee several other business set up, including an auction house and a transportation company. In 1970, the business was purchased by E J Dingles and Co, who in turn were purchased by

. The Bristol, Queens Road store was closed in 2001, while the Bath store continued to trade as a House of Fraser store albeit with the retained historic Jolly's signage. Following a major refurbishment and restoration of the Milsom Street store in 2014, the Jolly's name was revived. In December 2024, closing down signs appeared in store windows as

Frasers Group Frasers Group plc (formerly known as Sports Direct International plc) is a British retail, sport and intellectual property group, named after its ownership of the department store chain House of Fraser. The company is best known for trading pr ...

decided to shutter the department store, one of the oldest in Europe. The store closed in February 2025.

Reopening

However in March 2025 it was announced that Jolly's would reopen in early 2026 following restoration and repair work on the building. The store will now be owned and operated by Morleys Stores.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jolly and Son Buildings and structures in Bath, Somerset Department stores of the United Kingdom Retail companies established in 1903 Department store buildings in the United Kingdom House of Fraser