Kendall & Sons Ltd
Encyclopedia
Umbrella
An umbrella or parasol is a canopy designed to protect against rain or sunlight. The term parasol usually refers to an item designed to protect from the sun; umbrella refers to a device more suited to protect from rain...
, rainwear and ladies wear company founded in 1870, it was bought by Combined English Stores in 1977, and subsequently by Hepworths, a Leeds based menswear company. It was then converted into the Next
Next (retailer)
Next plc is a British retailer marketing clothing, footwear, accessories and home products with its headquarters in Enderby, Leicestershire, England. The company has over 550 stores throughout the UK and the Republic of Ireland, and 50 franchise branches in Europe, Asia and the Middle East...
ladieswear chain.
History
Kendall and Sons was founded by William Wheeler Kendall in 1870. Born 1849, he came from a farming family near Market HarboroughMarket Harborough
Market Harborough is a market town within the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England.It has a population of 20,785 and is the administrative headquarters of Harborough District Council. It sits on the Northamptonshire-Leicestershire border...
in Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
who decided to travel to Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
to find his fortune. He started selling umbrellas from a barber's shop in Northampton Street, and then manufactured them using Fox frames. The company expanded to over 100 stores by the 1960s and its umbrellas were sold the world over. On many occasions it supplied umbrellas to particular specifications to protect members of the Royal Family, and even supplied 5 umbrellas to the 1952 expedition which successfully conquered Everest.
In 1932 the company moved into purpose built factory on Charles Street, Leicester specifically designed with an eye to greater efficiency and staff comfort. Indeed special care was always given to the welfare of the staff. The company was one of the first to institute the tea-break with the tea provided free (15 minutes or 20 minutes during overtime) and a staff canteen. Between the wars one and a half hours was allowed for lunch after a poll of the staff to see whether they preferred working later and enjoying a longer dinner 'hour'. Regular staff trips took place with Kendall's taking the entire factory staff to destinations such as Cleethorpes
Cleethorpes
Cleethorpes is a town and unparished area in North East Lincolnshire, England, situated on the estuary of the Humber. It has a population of 31,853 and is a seaside resort.- History :...
, Skegness
Skegness
Skegness is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. Located on the Lincolnshire coast of the North Sea, east of the city of Lincoln it has a total resident population of 18,910....
and Kenilworth
Kenilworth
Kenilworth is a town in central Warwickshire, England. In 2001 the town had a population of 22,582 . It is situated south of Coventry, north of Warwick and northwest of London....
.
During the twentieth century Kendall's continued to manufacture umbrellas, but also developed rainwear and ladies clothing retail lines. During the 2nd world war it manufactured machintoshes for the army as well as using the skills in handling silk built up over 70 years of the umbrella manufacturing to produce parachutes.
The main emphasis of the Kendall's sales and marketing throughout its history was quality and high standards, and as such advertised in quality publications like Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
, and it used the model Twiggy
Twiggy
Lesley Lawson née Hornby known as Twiggy is an English model, actress, and singer. In the early-1960s she became a prominent British teenage model of swinging sixties London with others such as Penelope Tree....
for photo shoots of its clothing ranges in the 1960s. It also regularly bought the entire front page of The Daily Mail. This was usually around St Swithin's day when it was said that if it rained then it would rain for the next 40 days. One such page was on 14 July 1927 where readers were urged to buy a Kendall's umbrella in exchange for a 'free' Kendella Weather House.
The company remained in family ownership until 1977 when it was bought by Combined English Stores. In 1981 it was sold to Hepworth and Sons a tailors company from Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, who embarked on converting all the Kendall stores to the Next
Next (retailer)
Next plc is a British retailer marketing clothing, footwear, accessories and home products with its headquarters in Enderby, Leicestershire, England. The company has over 550 stores throughout the UK and the Republic of Ireland, and 50 franchise branches in Europe, Asia and the Middle East...
brand. This was completed by 1984.