Industry Consumer goods Founded 1890 | ||
 | ||
Key people John Collard Vickery Arthur Thomas Hobbs William Griggs Founders John Collard Vickery, Arthur Thomas Hobbs | ||
Starting out
James Collard Vickery and his then partner, Arthur Thomas Hobbs, bought up the long established business of William Griggs, a stationer and bookseller at 183, Regent Street in c.1890. William Griggs had been at 183 Regent street as early as 1843 and 1854 When they took over they expanded the stock to include jewellery, dressing cases, gold and silver lines.
Contents
Store on Regent Street
183 Regent Street. Continuing alone after 1891, Vickery extended his premises in 1900 to 179, 181 and 183 Regent Street, with showrooms to the rear at 1 New Burlington Place, he is listed as a
Merchandise
Goldsmith, silversmith, jeweller, dressing case and fitted travelling bag manufacturer, watch and clock importer, etc.
Royal Warrants
JC Vickery obtain the royal warrants
HM the King HM the Queen HM Queen Alexandra TRH the Prince and Princess of Wales HM the King of Portugal HM the King of Spain TM the King and Queen of Denmark HM the Queen of Norway HM the King of Sweden Prince and Princess Christian of Schleswig Holstein.
Post 1930
The business was acquired by James Walker Ltd in the 1930s
John Culme in his 'Directory of Gold & Silversmiths' relates a nice story regarding Vickery: Shortly before his death, the late G. S. Saunders of James Walker Ltd., told me that J. C. Vickery's business reached the height of its success before the First World War. Vickery, who would travel each day from Streatham to Regent Street in his own carriage, stopped his coachman one day in order to examine a leaf on the drive outside his house. Stepping down from the vehicle he picked up the leaf to pin to it a note. As he continued his journey his gardeners were astonished to read ' Why has this leaf been here for two days?'