Southern Branches H-O
Southern Branches H-O Then and Now scenes
A Lennards list of branches totalling 250 from 1931 has been incorporated onto the Southern A-Z of branches. Where Lennards ceased trading a note beside the entry ‘Not Listed in 1931′ has been added if no note exists the branch has been continuously trading for the company.Lennards also began trading extensively in what was once considered Northern Territories, competing against their old partners the Leeds based Public Benefit Boot Company. I have also entered ‘Listed in 1931′ against each branch mentioned on the list. This presents a good inventory of branches under the Lennard banner.
A major project has been to not only establish ‘Then and now’ views of where and when the company traded but also to try and capture as many branches as possible particularly the early branches. In this way we can get some idea of the thinking behind the company strategy. By doing this there have been many surprises both on the Southern side-Lennards, and the Northern Side in the finding of ‘gems’. Using three main sources to populate the website are:
My own photos, our own collection of postcard views, Google Inc. Street views and Geograph Uk.
Up to circa 1910 and in some cases beyond to 1919 the cross over from Public Benefit Boot company to Lennards Ltd had not been completely achieved regarding the Southern territory branches; originally trading under the common title of Public Benefit Boot Company.
Margin Images ‘Then and Now’ Scenes click on images for enlarged view
Fig 1 Leicester Cheapside by the Clock Tower Clifford Franklin collection
Fig. 2 Leicester Haymarket Clock Tower impressively lofty and ornate. Gothic with statues under canopies, granite columns, finials and crockets. By Joseph Goddard, 1868. Grade II listed. The black-and-white behind dates only from 1885, the work of Edward Burgess. Its oriels, gables and cupola make for a picturesque effect. Grade II listed. The Public Benefit Boot branch was in Cheapside to the right of this Clock Tower. Freeman Hardy and Willis also had a large branch in the same vicinity2011 Photo © Stephen Richards (cc-by-sa:2.0)
Fig.3 London Croydon High Street 1977 Photo © Dr Neil Clifton (cc-by-sa/2.0)
Fig.4 London Croydon High Street 2010 Photo © Dr Neil Clifton (cc-by-sa/2.0)
Fig.5 London High Road The omnibuses, cabs & rulleys reflect life in the new century with tall buildings with an elegance from a vanishing era as WW1 would soon be upon them. Typically working class areas where The Public Benefit Boot company carefully chose their sites. private collection
Fig 6 London Kilburn High road. 1900-1940 this branch served Public Benefit Boot co. followed by their old partners Lennards. google inc 2017
Fig 7 Manchester 118-120 Stretford Road The company occupied this branch from the beginning of the new century with a new monarch a king on the throne. private collection
Fig 8 Manchester A century later the Stretford Road with the addition of the Hulme arch bridge in the distance.2013 Photo © J Thomas (cc-by-sa:2.0)
Fig 9 Merthyr Tydfil Lower High St. A tram must be arriving as no one is daring to cross the street? Merthyr was a town Public Benefit and lennards were drawn -pit and steel towns heavy industries that required good cheap boots. Private collection
Fig 10 Merthyr Tydfil 56-57 Glebeland Street Grand building with a clock tower, on the corner of High Street and Glebeland Street. Ladybirds is a unisex hairdressing salon. The company in their last known address in Merthyr from c.1914 onwards occupied the ground floor section of Ladybirds at the end of the building on Glebeland Street and corner of Post office lane the Wyndham Arms occupies the opposite corner and had two large display windows on both the Street and two on the lane. The Public Benefit Section is further highlighted by the fancy stone pillars. Photo © Jaggery (cc-by-sa:2.0)
Fig 11 Newport Monmouthshire Newport bottom of Stow Hill private collection
Fig 12 Opened in 1899 this attractive building ‘Central Chambers’ at the bottom of Stow Hill very close to Commercial Road and the City Centre. Public Benefit occupied the full block of Coral Betting shop including the empty unit next door.
Fig 13 Newport I.O.W. High Street happily the present occupiers of this major branch ‘Cloud 9’ have retained the Lennards name. Lennards remained here starting out as the Public Benefit Boot company but quickly changed to Lennards this branch occupied this commanding position well into the 1960’s and possibly beyond. This view is almost certainly over a century apart from when the company first invested in the town.Photo © Robin Webster (cc-by-sa:2.0) 2016
Hailsham,
George Street, 1929 listed in 1931
Halesworth, not listed in 1931
19 Quay Street, 1907
Hanley Branch of Peoples’ Benefit Boot co. a trading name of Lennard Brothers Stafford Sentinel 27-10-1879 A depraved Woman –
Hanley 60 Piccadilly, 1880-1881
5 East gate Street Coventry telegraph 27 March 1958
Harrow,
3 College Parade, 1929 listed in 1931 & 1935
Hastings, not listed in 1931
24 Norman Road, 1916 (Hastings Library) 1918 mentioned up to 1922
Headington, Not listed in 1931
London Road, 1929
Hereford,
12 -13 St.Peters’ Street 1902 a Franchise under Sarah Hathaway a Boot & shoe seller
12 St Peters Street, 1905, 1912-1929 listed in 1931 still trading at this address in 1960 Herefordshire Council
High Shields Added from 1931 list
49 Green street listed in 1931
Hornsey See London
Huddersfield Added from 1931 list
13-15 King street Lennards corner listed in 1931
17 Cross Church street listed in 1931
Hull Added from 1931 list
13 & 15 King Edward Street Lennards Corner listed in 1931 & 1935
283 Holderness Road listed in 1931 & 1941
36 Market Place Lennards Corner listed in 1931 & 1935
12 Charles Street listed in 1931 & 1935
119 Newland Avenue listed in 1931 & 1935
Hulme, See Manchester
HYDE added from 1931 list
49 Market street listed in 1931
Ilfracombe,
Exeter & Plymouth Gazette Ilfracombe 1897 a 3 part account 19th January 1897 Colin Stewart manager Ilfracombe girl accused of theft
Ilfracombe 12a High Street, 1897 confirmed North Devon Journal 15th Dec. 1898
Ilfracombe, 12a High Street, 1902-1906, 1909
Ilfracombe, 16 High Street, 1911-1929 listed in 1931 & 1940
Inverness
11th March 1978
Ipswich
7th April 1886 Evening Star 12, St.Matthews’ Ipswich W.Closs
Journal 25th April 1888 P.B. in Ipswich, removal to opposite the existing Branch a franchise arrangement W. Closs
Ipswich Evening Star 10th July 1903 New branch bought 11, Carr Street, from International Boot Company all stock to be sold on the 11th July.
Ipswich, 11 Carr Street, (cnr Little Colman St). On the opposite Side of this Corner the East Anglian Times Print works were built in 1887 and demolished in 1966
Ipswich Evening Star 30th November 1908 reports trouble between two boot shop managers over a pair of boots at 11 Carr Street-Public Benefit and Cash & co.
Lennards Corner 11 Carr street listed in 1931
Islington, Not listed in 1931
145-146 Upper Street, 1901-1906
Islington, 30 Islington High Street, 1919
ISLE OF MAN Not listed in 1931
TIMES 22 Duke Street Douglas 28th July 1894
Isles of Scilly Not listed in 1931
Cornishman 31st march 1898 Spring sale Pub Ben. Boot stores
Isles of Scilly Cornishman 15th Sept & 8th Oct. 1898 Autumn sale Town Hall St. Mary’s
Jarrow Added from 1931 list
82 Ormonde Road ‘Elite Buildings’ listed in 1931 also 1934-38 Kellys
Jersey Not listed in 1931
Independent & Daily Telegraph 15 Jan 1898 Theft and assault on Proprietor of P.B. Boot stores (Franchise) Mr Bloemberg
Kettering added from 1931 list
56-57 high street listed in 1909, 1924 & 1931 Kellys
4 & 6 high street 1931 Kellys & 1939
Keynsham, See Bristol
Kilmersdon, Not listed in 1931
High Street, 1902
King’s Lynn,
137-138 Norfolk Street, 1883
King’s Lynn, 4 North Street, 1883 close to the Dock Hotel
Kings Lynn Norwich Mercury 4th July 1885 disturbance in High Street Thomas Foster of Pub Benefit Shop in the High Street assisted a policeman by blowing his whistle robustly summoning lots of help. The assailant was handcuffed and transported to the Police station in a wheel barrow
Kings Lynn Lincolnshire Echo shop thefts Kings Lynn 23 09 1895
Norfolk Street 28th Sept. 1895 Theft Norfolk News
King’s Lynn, 19-20 High Street, 1911-1920
20 High Street occupied by the company right up to 1974
76 high street still trading in 1990 Norfolk County Council
38 high Street 1937 Kellys
Kingstown, Galway IRE, Not listed in 1931
Kingswood, see Bristol
Landport, See Portsmouth
Launceston
1900 Corner of Westgate and Broad Street numbers 17& 19 Cornwall and Devon Post informs 17th March an application to erect 12 lamps 7 feet high was accepted. 7th April New frontage being installed. June 1900 there is evidence of the Branch trading.
7th June 1902 Albert William swain was fined for leaving his pony and trap unattended at Lewence he was fined 1 shilling and costs. He was the delivery driver
Broad Street, 1902-1929
Launceston 19 Broad Street, Lennards Corner listed in 1931 & 1935 & 1940. This branch continued trading as Lennards up to 1988 when it closed with the loss of many jobs
Leeds
Leeds Repair factory Lady Pit Lane Beeston 1947 & 1949
LEICESTER
Consult ‘The First Ten Years’ 1875 & 1885′ a ‘potted history’ of how the Northern and Southern territories began
Much of Lennards early history is in this document and we take the story of the development of the Southern territory beyond 1885 here.
Belgrave Gate
Leicester Chronicle 21st February 1885 Pub Ben at 15 Belgrave gate
Leicester, 11-13 Belgrave Gate, 1886-1888
Leicester Chronicle Lennards Brothers won 2nd Prize at the Melbourne Exhibition 1888.
Factories/Warehouses
Leicester, 3 Welford Place, (works), 1893- Leicester Chronicle Sale of 3 Welford Place 3-09-1899 owned by Lennard Brothers who removed to Bristol as Lennards Ltd
Leicester, 85 Asylum Street, 1903-1916
Other addresses
Leicester, 6 Church Gate, 1895-1906
Leicester, Lennards Corner, 2 Cheapside, 1906-1929 listed in 1931 & 1950
Leicester, 109 Belgrave Road, 1911-1914
Cold Newton (Leicester )
3 Belvoir Road Coalville 1928 Kellys
MUTUAL BOOT STORES WAS ESTABLISHED BY LENNARD TO COUNTER THE F.H.&WILLIS THREAT
LENNARD BROTHERS AND LENNARDS LTD ALSO TRADED UNDER THE NAME PUBLIC BENEFIT BOOT COMPANY.STRONG INDICATIONS ARE THAT THIS IS THE MARKED INFLUENCE OF HENRY LENNARD
Leicester 1898 Sam Lennard Talk on Boots and Shoes
Leicester Leicester House, Lee Circle, Leicester LE1 9EC in 1984
Leigh added from 1931 list
16 bradshawgate listed in 1931
Lennards Ltd Headquarters Bristol Queens Road/Park Place (The Triangle) opened 1896 and destroyed by incendiaries in May 1940/41
Leyton, Walthamstow see London
Leytonstone, London
Lincoln Added from 1931 list
303a high Street listed in 1931 & 1949
Liskeard Cornwall
Market Street, 1902-1919 Franchise Kellys
20 Fore Street, 1906-1929 listed in 1931
Liverpool
Bootle
441 Stanley Road, 1907 Kelly’s Lancashire
323 Stanley Road Bootle 1917 & 1929 & 1935 Liverpool Echo
226 Grange Road Birkenhead 1939
181- 183 London Road 1935 Copes directory & newspapers
Llanelli, Carmarthenshire,
19 Cowell Street, 1909, 1914-1920
11 Stepney street 1926 & listed in 1931
London, & Suburbs Peckham, Plumstead, Woolwich and so on.
London E C 25, Middlesex Street near Aldgate Station Lloyds Weekly 30th August 1896 ad. From P.B. selling their wares directly to the public from the factory gates continuing by this Adv. in Lloyds weekly 4th July 1897
Acton Added from 1931 List
31 Horn Lane listed in 1931
Beckenham Added from 1931 List
13, Cedars Parade High street listed in 1931 & 1935
Barking Added from 1931 List
44 Ripple Road listed in 1931
Barnet including Finchley
Finchley 113 Golders Green Road Hendon & Finchley times 9th February 1923
Temple Fortune: shoe warehouse as mentioned in Hendon & Finchley Times 9th February 1923. It is situated on the Finchley road between Golders green & Henley’s corner
Bromley
4 The Broadway, High Street 1911-1929 lIsted in 1931. The only branch the company had was 4 The Broadway which was in the High Street.
Bromley, 46-52 High Street, 1913- 1937
In 1934 the High street was renumbered and 46-52 became 67-69 after number 4 Broadway was absorbed into number 3.
Battersea Began as Public Benefit Boot
5 York Road, 1910-1929 Listed in 1931
Camberwell, Not listed in 1931
3 Church Street, 1910-1919
Camberwell, 331 Old Kent Road, 1915
Old Kent Road, 331, in 1911-1919
Catford (Forrest Hill)
9 St. Georges’ Parade Hendon & Finchley Times 9th February 1923
Chiswick, Not Listed in 1931
110 High Road, 1901-1919
Chiswick, 102 High Road,1901- 1907
Clapham Junction
Watford Herts 20-22 St Johns’ Wood Not listed in 1931
These premises were occupied from the 1880’s & the Watford Examiner 4th July 1891 leased 20 & 22 St. John’s Road only 3 minutes walk from Clapham Junction station, Lavender Hill and St.Johns Hill SW. St Johns’ wood begins at the corner of St John’s Hill and lavender Hill is close by
20 & 22 St. Johns ‘Road occupied by a chemist and PUB Ben. South London Press 25th July 1891 complaint of undercharging ground rents by owners
Junction, 3 Lavender Hill, 1901-1929 listed in 1931 & 1935
Croydon, some info supplied by Surrey history centre
17 High Street, 1901-1929, Listed in 1931 and continues up to WW2 Croydon Library
72 North End 1955 Croydon library
84 High Street 1967 Croydon Library
Hammersmith Began as Public Benefit Boot
Hammersmith, 37 1/2 King Street, 1896-1899
Hammersmith 121 Uxbridge Road, Shepherds Bush 1898-1911
Hammersmith 26 & 26a King Street, 1901-1924 continues to 1928 Hammersmith & Fulham Archives
Hammersmith 174 Uxbridge Road, 1901-1929 Listed in 1931 continues to 1940 Hammersmith & Fulham Archives
119 king Street 1939-40 Hammersmith & Fulham Archives
Hayes 2 Station Parade listed in 1935
Edgware Road Paddington Began as Public Benefit Boot
London, 360 Edgware Road, 1901-1929 Listed in 1931
London 125 Edgware Road, 1901-1929 Listed in 1931 & 1935
Kensington, Not listed in 1931 Began as Public Benefit Boot
102 High Street, Notting Hill Gate W, 1900-1911
Kentish Town,
4 Fortess Road, 1906-1919
Kilburn Began as Public Benefit Boot
106a High Road, 1901-1938 listed in 1931 & 1935
Fulham Not listed in 1931
Fulham 246 North End Road, 1901
Fulham 90 Parson’s Green Lane, 1911
Fulham 339 North End Road, 1924
Hackney
307 Mare Street, 1910-1938 listed in 1931 & 1935
Kingsland, Middlesex,
50 High Street, 1915-1929 listed in 1931 & 1935
Paddington, Not listed in 1931
407 Harrow Road, 1911-1924
Peckham, Surrey Not listed in 1931 Began as Public Benefit Boot
32 Rye Lane, 1901-1905, 1924
Penge, Surrey,
Penge, 90-92 High Street, 1911-1929-listed in 1931 & 1938 Maidstone Library & 1939 newspapers
Pimlico, Middlesex Not listed in 1931
45 Wilton Road, 1915-1924
Plumstead, Kent
67a High Street, 1901-1929 listed in 1931 & 1935
London Addresses Listed in 1931 and added
Staines
Staines 167 High Street listed in 1931 & 1935
Stoke Newington, Not listed in 1931
Stoke Newington 121 High Street, 1910-1919
Sutton, Surrey
101 High Street, 1901( Piles) -1928 In 1928 High Street was renumbered so 101 became 123 so it becomes the same branch
Sutton 123 High Street (cnr Church Street), 1928-1935 listed in 1931 & 1935
31 Upper Tooting Road listed in 1931 & 1935
London, 63 Tottenham Court Road, 1929-1938 Listed in 1931 & 1935 Lennards Corner
Leyton Walthamstow
405 Hoe Street, 1911-1917 & listed in 1931 & 1935
London, 1075 Finchley Road, 1929 Listed in 1931 & 1935 demolished and replaced by modern building ‘New Burlington house’
Wembley
Wembley 142 High road listed in 1931
Woolwich,
27 Powis Street, 1901-1923
Woolwich, 5 Powis Street, 1911-1929 Listed in 1931 & 1935
Lennards Building, 1919 Elephant and Castle
London, 342 Euston Road, 1919
London, 125 Shoreditch High Street (west side), 1921
London, 264 Regent Street, 1924-1929
London, 58 Trafalgar Road, 1937
London, 145 Oxford Street, 1938
London Devastating Fire at the Public Benefit premises of Mile End Road report in Morning Post 26th December 1901
Watford Observer 4th July 1891 22 St.Johns’ wood has a lease for 33 years at a fixed rent of £95 per annum
Leytonstone London Not listed in 1931
726-728 High Road, 1911-1920 Close to the Leytonstone Tube Station
Londonderry Not Listed in 1931
Foyle Street, under the city hall. 1897, 1901, 1915 derry Journal
Lowestoft, Suffolk Not listed in 1931
report Evening Star 7th Sept 1909 theft of shoes from the branch
Ludlow,
1-2 King Street, 1926, 1929, 1934 Shrewsbury Archives
Lydney,
30 Newerne Street, 1914-1919 listed in 1931 & 1949
Lynton, Devon not listed in 1931
Queen Street, 1910-1914
Maesteg,
23 Commercial Street, 1926 & 1929 listed in 1931
Maidenhead,
106 High Street, 1911-1929 listed in 1931
Maidstone Kent
29 & 29a Week Street, 1915-1938 listed in 1931 Maidstone Library
Malvern
Church street Doggerbank house, 1908 as Public Benefit Boot
1914 & 1916 same address but trading under Lennards Ltd
1929 listed in 1941 Kellys & 1942 newspapers
Manchester & Oldham
Oldham 3 Curzon Street 1935
Manchester 60 and 60B Oldham Street Manchester Courier & Lancashire general Advertiser 9th June 1894 ad for staff
Manchester, 60a & 60b Oldham Street, 1890-1929
Manchester 60a Oldham Street listed in 1931 & 1935
Manchester 166 Oldham Road, Miles Platting: Listed in 1931 & 1935
Manchester, 310 Stockport Road, 1903
Manchester, 118 & 120 Stretford Road, Hulme 1903-1911 listed in 1931 & 1942
Manchester, 407 Oxford Road, 1909, 1911-1929 Listed in 1931
Salford, 194 Regent Road, 1909-1929 Listed in 1931
Manchester, 152 Stockport Road, 1909-1929 Listed in 1931 & 1935
Moss Side 127 Alexandra Road, 1929 Listed in 1931
Sale 91-93 School Road listed in 1931 & 1935
Seedley 146 Langworthy Road 1911-1929 Listed in 1931 & 1935
Market Drayton,
17 Cheshire Street, 1926, 1929, 1934 Listed in 1931 Shrewsbury Archives
11 Cheshire Street 1941 Kellys directory
Market Harborough Added from 1931 list
St.Mary’s Road 1929
Matlock Added from 1931 list
Lennards Corner 69 Dale Road 1909, 1929 listed in 1931 confirmed 1932 kellys & 1935 from newspapers
Melksham
7 Bank Street February 1933
Melton Mowbray Added from 1931 list
Market Place 1909, 1929 Listed in 1931 & 1935
Merthyr Tydfil,
62 High Street, 1899
Merthyr Tydfil, 66 High Street, 1901-1911
Merthyr Tydfil, 679 High Street, 1907
Merthyr Tydfil, John Street, 1901
Merthyr Tydfil, 56 & 57 Glebeland Street, 1914-1929 Listed in 1931
Mevagissey,
Lennards Corner, 15 Fore Street, 1929(Mens) Listed in 1931
Mevagissey, River Street (ladies’ footwear), 1920’s?
Mevagissey, Cliff Street (children’s footwear), 1920’s?
Mevagissey 2 Fore Street, 1935
Minehead,
18a Park Street, 1923, 1929 Listed in 1931
Monmouth, Monmouthshire
8 & 12 Monnow Street, 1881-1929 Lennards Corner Listed in 1931
Mountain Ash, Glamorgan Not Listed in 1931
51a Oxford Street, 1898-1902, 1912 Glamorgan free Press 17th Dec 1898 & also 1900 26th July Western Daily Press Theft
51 Oxford Street Mountain Ash 1902-1920 BENNETT’S
2 Oxford Building Mountain Ash 1926
1 Oxford Buildings, 1929 listed in 1931
Morpeth Added from 1931 List
12 Newgate Street
Neath, Glamorgan
11-12 Green Street, 1891-1918
Neath, Corner 26 & 27 Green Street, 1920
28 Green Street 1926 Kellys
Neath, 27-28 Green Street, 1929 Listed in 1931
Neath, Lennards Corner, The Square, 1938
Newbury
145 Bartholomew Street, 1909, 1915-1929 Listed in 1931
Newcastle-On-Tyne Added from 1931 List
28- 34 Clayton Street East Listed in 1931 & 1934 Kellys continued up to 1968 Kellys Newcastle
Newcastle Chronicle 27th January 1973 ad. and several for 1974 for trainee managers at above address
Lennards Ltd., 50-52 Northumberland Street 1984
Byker
96 Shield Road Listed in 1931, 1934 & continued to 1968 Kellys Newcastle
94 Shields Road 1934
Newcastle Upon Tyne,Byker District 91 Shields Road, 1934
96-98 Grainger Street 1968 Kellys Newcastle. Ad for staff at this branch in 1974
Gateshead
115 Coatsworth Road 1931,(Lennards List) 1934 & 1938 Kelly’s
Newport Monmouthshire
Peoples Benefit Boot Co. Commercial Road, 17th November 1891
Western Daily Press (A trading company set up by Lennard Brothers)
Newport, Monmouth Stow Hill, 1899 Central Chambers close to city centre
79 St.Mary’s Street 1914
175 Commercial Street, 1909, 1914-1940 Listed in 1931 & 1935
8 St.Mary’s Street Kellys directory 1941
Newport, IOW,
48 High Street, Lennards Corner 1914, 1915 -1951 Listed in 1931
40 High Street a shoe shop in 1914-15 1920’s trading in both branches so number 40 possibly a Franchise. By 1951 the company traded only in number 48 but could have traded until the early 1960’s
Newquay,
Bank Street July 1900 Cornwall & Devon Post
Bank Street, 1902-1910
Newquay, 21 Bank Street, 1906-1935 Listed in 1931
Newquay, 34 Bank Street, 1914-1919
Newton Abbot
8 Queen Street: East & South Devon advertiser 9th Feb.1895 adv. For staff
Newton Abbot branch 8 Queen Street East & Totnes Weekly Times 23rd March 1895 argument of lamps being too low on the recommendation being they should be raised by four inches to 8 feet.
Newton Abbot South Devon Advertiser report from 25th May 1895 of P.B. complaining of exceptionally dusty streets causing clouds of dust and damaging trade.
Newton Abbott, 8 Queen Street, 1896-1938 Listed in 1931
Newton Abbott, 2 Queen Street, 1914
Northampton,
34b Gold Street, 1910-1956 Listed in 1931 & 1935
Northampton, Shakespeare Road, factory, 1920
Norwich,
8 Lower Goat Lane, 1890
Norwich, 60-62 London Street, 1916-1938 Listed in 1931 & 1935
Nottingham
14 Abingdon Street Coventry telegraph 27 March 1958
Okehampton,
Fore Street,Listed in 1931
Oldbury
Halesowen Street, 1894
34 Birmingham Street 1904- 1916
Oldham added from 1931 list
3 Curzon street listed in 1931
Oswestry,
31 Bailey Street, 1926, 1929, 1934 Listed in 1931 Shrewsbury Archives
Oswestry, 9 The Cross, 1926, 1929, 1934 Listed in 1931 Shrewsbury Archives
Oxford,
39 Queen Street, 1907-1911
Oxford, 6 High Street, 1927-1943 currently in 2017 Rymans the Stationers Listed in 1931 & 1935
Oxford, 141 High Street, Lennards 1925-1931 currently occupied 2017 by Edinburgh Woollen shop Listed in 1931