After collecting for a good few years now I had not come across a 'Churchman's' ashtray but then all of a sudden two come along together!
Here they are below:- a ceramic ashtray from the 1960-70's and an older bakelite one from the 1930-40's
Here they are below:- a ceramic ashtray from the 1960-70's and an older bakelite one from the 1930-40's
Here is information about Churchman's (taken from Grace's Guide to British Industrial History)
W. A. and A. C. Churchman
of Ipswich, London and Norwich.The firm of W.A. and A.C. Churchman was founded in Ipswich by William Churchman in 1790, beginning as a small pipe tobacco manufacturer with a shop at Hyde Park Corner.
In 1888 William Alfred (later Sir William) and Arthur Charles Churchman (later Lord Woodbridge and a director of the British American Tobacco from 1904 to 1923), grandsons of the founder, succeeded their father, Henry, in the business. It was from them that the Company derived its title. At that time output was mainly shag, snuff and tobacco.
By 1890 the Company was also making 'white cigarettes', and six years later installed one of the first cigarette-making machines, producing 20,000 cigarettes an hour; the famous 'Churchman's No. 1' brand dates from this period.
In 1891 Churchmans opened a new factory in Portman Road, Ipswich.
In 1890 James Buchanan Duke of North Carolina merged his family tobacco business, W. Duke Sons & Co., with four of the largest American manufacturers to form the American Tobacco Company, which by 1901 had amassed capital to the equivalent of £150 million sterling. An aggressive assault was launched on the British cigarette market, Duke making no secret of his authority to spend up to £6 million of American Tobacco Company money on the acquisition of British and European tobacco companies.
To counter this threat, W. D. and H. O. Wills, John Player and Sons (Player's), Lambert and Butler, Hignett Brothers (with their associated firms) and Stephen Mitchell and Son, with six other firms, joined forces to found the Imperial Tobacco Co in 1901.
The following year Churchmans joined the new company. Churchmans' Portman Road factory was extended several times during the inter-war years. From at least as early as 1918 to at least as late as 1944 they also had a small branch in Norwich, of which very little documentation appears to have survived
In 1961 W.A. & A.C. Churchman amalgamated with Lambert & Butler and Edwards, Ringer and Bigg, to become first Churchman, Lambert & Ringer, then renamed Churchmans in 1965. By now production was concentrated on the manufacturing of cigars, and in August 1966 Churchmans acquired the firm of Herbert Merchant, the main UK agents for the Dutch cigar producers Henri Wintermans.
With a work force of over 1,000, the Ipswich factory produced more than 1,000,000 cigars a day. But in 1972 the company ceased to be a separate brand of Imperial Tobacco; the cigar business was integrated with John Player and Sons, and the tobacco interests with Ogdensof Liverpool.
Finally, in May 1992, in order to streamline operations, the parent company moved all production to Bristol, and Churchman's closed with the loss of over four hundred jobs.
W. A. and A. C. Churchman
of Ipswich, London and Norwich.The firm of W.A. and A.C. Churchman was founded in Ipswich by William Churchman in 1790, beginning as a small pipe tobacco manufacturer with a shop at Hyde Park Corner.
In 1888 William Alfred (later Sir William) and Arthur Charles Churchman (later Lord Woodbridge and a director of the British American Tobacco from 1904 to 1923), grandsons of the founder, succeeded their father, Henry, in the business. It was from them that the Company derived its title. At that time output was mainly shag, snuff and tobacco.
By 1890 the Company was also making 'white cigarettes', and six years later installed one of the first cigarette-making machines, producing 20,000 cigarettes an hour; the famous 'Churchman's No. 1' brand dates from this period.
In 1891 Churchmans opened a new factory in Portman Road, Ipswich.
In 1890 James Buchanan Duke of North Carolina merged his family tobacco business, W. Duke Sons & Co., with four of the largest American manufacturers to form the American Tobacco Company, which by 1901 had amassed capital to the equivalent of £150 million sterling. An aggressive assault was launched on the British cigarette market, Duke making no secret of his authority to spend up to £6 million of American Tobacco Company money on the acquisition of British and European tobacco companies.
To counter this threat, W. D. and H. O. Wills, John Player and Sons (Player's), Lambert and Butler, Hignett Brothers (with their associated firms) and Stephen Mitchell and Son, with six other firms, joined forces to found the Imperial Tobacco Co in 1901.
The following year Churchmans joined the new company. Churchmans' Portman Road factory was extended several times during the inter-war years. From at least as early as 1918 to at least as late as 1944 they also had a small branch in Norwich, of which very little documentation appears to have survived
In 1961 W.A. & A.C. Churchman amalgamated with Lambert & Butler and Edwards, Ringer and Bigg, to become first Churchman, Lambert & Ringer, then renamed Churchmans in 1965. By now production was concentrated on the manufacturing of cigars, and in August 1966 Churchmans acquired the firm of Herbert Merchant, the main UK agents for the Dutch cigar producers Henri Wintermans.
With a work force of over 1,000, the Ipswich factory produced more than 1,000,000 cigars a day. But in 1972 the company ceased to be a separate brand of Imperial Tobacco; the cigar business was integrated with John Player and Sons, and the tobacco interests with Ogdensof Liverpool.
Finally, in May 1992, in order to streamline operations, the parent company moved all production to Bristol, and Churchman's closed with the loss of over four hundred jobs.
RSS Feed