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My Great Grandfather, John Blundell, started
the firm in 1839, after he had met and married Harriot Mary Hearn,
whose parents owned Gold Refiners in Hatton Garden in the City
of London. Whether Harriot's father saw John Blundell as a fortune
hunter or whether his business was just not big enough to support
another member of the family, it was made abundantly clear to
them both that there was no place for John Blundell in the Hearn
family business. On his marriage to Harriot, John set up home
in a freehold property at 24 Dean Street, Soho. This house had
land on which there were outbuildings and it was from one of
these outbuildings that he continued his trade. Dean Street being
over the stipulated one-mile distance from his father-in-law's
business and, therefore, no threat to Mr. Hearn. Many years later
John Blundell incorporated the Hearn business into his one. John
and Harriot had four boys and two girls. On the birth of his
sons John Blundell started to trade as John Blundell & Sons.
Leasehold premises were acquired at 162 Wardour Street, where
the family lived and John carried on his business with the help
of his two eldest sons, James John and Thomas George, who was
my grandfather. The eldest of John's daughters, Emily Sarah,
was born 1856, married into an American family called Perse and
later lived in her father's house in Dean Street, inheriting
it after his death.
In 1829 a Mr.
George Wigg purchased land on the West Side of the most northerly
end of Wardour Street for a cost of £57.19s.10d. On the
16th June 1868 this land was transferred to a Mr. John Stone
Wigg, who in turn sold it to John Blundell in 1890 for the sum
of £1780.0s.0d. When John's wife Harriet died in 1897,
John used some of her money to build our present premises on
this land, which is now numbered 199 Wardour Street. In 1898,
at a special board meeting, the brothers decided they would not
install the latest form of lighting, call electricity, into their
new building, as they were not confident that electricity was
here to stay. They preferred to play safe and have all gas lighting.
However in 1904 electricity was installed at a cost of £110.19s.6d.
In 1899 the building was completed and incorporated a smelting
shop and 1 1/4" completely steel lined strong room. John
used the top two floors as his private residence being looked
after by his housekeeper Harriot Norton. On the ground floor
was the shop, at the back of which was the smelting room and
in the basement a factory. This arrangement still applies today,
although a major restructuring of the shop area took place in
1979 to comply with the strict requirements of the insurance
company, such as closed-in counters and bullet-proof glass. We
then left the Victorian era and joint the 20th century.
In 1904, at the age of 78, John Blundell died.
On 28th May, James, John and my grandfather, Thomas George, entered
into a formal business partnership. By 1904 my grandfather had
three sons, Thomas George, John Albert and my father, Frederick
Hearn, who was born in 1888.
On my grandfather's death in 1912, only 8
years after his own father, James John went into partnership
with his two nephews, John Albert and Frederick Hearn. My Great
Uncle James continued to live and work at 199 Wardour Street
with the help of my uncle and father, until he died in 1930.
My father's eldest brother, Thomas George,
became a stockbroker and served in the 1914-1918 war. He survived
the fighting only to come home and fall victim to the post war
flu epidemic, which killed over a quarter of a million people.
Uncle John and my father were excused active service because
of Blundell's involvement with the war effort.
On the death of Great Uncle James in 1930,
Uncle John and my father continued in business and in 1933, when
the firm became a Limited Company, they made themselves Joint-Managing
Directors, with Uncle John as Chairman.
By 1933 John was married and living in Finchley
with his wife, son Thomas John and daughter Margaret. My father,
who was still single, was living at the family house in Hampstead
looking after his mother, so there was not need for the top two
floors at 199 to remain as a private residence and were subsequently
rented out as offices.
In 1939 Blundell's purchased another jewellers,
called James Newell. The brothers bought all the stock from the
shop as well as the lease of the building which was No 122 Wardour
Street, the crown lease of which expired in 1984.
During the 1930's John and my father purchased
another Silversmithing company called Charles Boyton Limited
and it was during this decade in the year of 1932 that my mother
first became involved with Blundell's as a young 18 year old
secretary'. My father courted her for the next eight years and
on the death of his elderly mother in 1940 married and took her
to live in the family Hampstead home, where my sister Beryl was
born in 1941 and myself in 1943. Meanwhile Thomas John, Uncle
John's now grown-up son was studying accountancy ready for his
entry into the family business. However, in 1941 he was called-up
into the R.A.F and was killed a year later while training in
Canada at the controls of a Tiger Moth. This had a profound impression
on my father, who died in 1981 at the age of 93, having retired
one year earlier. He could never be persuaded to travel by plane
and really disliked my sister or myself using this form of transport.
On 31st January 1944, John Blundell retired
and my father bought his share of the business, thus becoming
Chairman. My mother was made a shareholder and director.
During both world wars Blundell's was taken
over by the Ministry of Defence and was involved in the production
of a mercury oxide. This was the highly explosive substance that
ignited detonators. Oxide is still used in the production of
bullets today. We found papers confirming that Blundell's was
already making this special oxide in May of 1939 in anticipation
of war.
Because of my father's advancing years he
passed over shares of the business to my sister and myself when
we were will very young to ensure the business remained in the
family. My mother was persuaded reluctantly to come back into
the company in 1954 and only retired in 1982, at the age of 68.
I was bought into the business in 1958, because my father, aged
70, was about to have an operation. I was made a director in
March 1966, after the birth of my first son John. My sister was
made a director six months later after the birth of her first
son. My sister and my wife were persuaded to join me in the business
in 1975 and still today help me to run the company.
 I received the
Freedom of the City of London on 6th September 1979 and at the
same time became a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Gold
& Silver Wyre Drawers. In 1983 the Worshipful Company exercised
their ancient and historic right to perform a Search of Blundell's
premises. This ceremony had not previously been performed for
more than 120 years. The Gold & Silver Wyre Drawers' Livery
Company was chartered in the 17th Century to ensure the accurate
quality of Gold & Silver Wire. I am very proud to say they
awarded my Company with their Charter for Excellence, which hangs
in our shop behind the counter. I have the privilege of being
on its Court and this year, 2002, I have the honour of being
Master of the Company.
Ken Blundell |
