Toye, Kenning and Spencer
Encyclopedia
Toye, Kenning & Spencer plc
is a British jewellery and clothing manufacturer base in the Jewellery Quarter
, Birmingham
, Covent Garden
, London
and Bedworth
England. Founded in 1685, the company remains family run by members of the Toye family.
The firm holds a Royal Warrant
to Queen Elizabeth II for Supply of Gold and Silver lace
s, insignia
and embroidery
. It supplies Honours badges and ribbons presented at investitures and is sole supplier of the buttonhole Honours emblem.
refugees after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes by Louis XIV. The Toyé family sailed into the Thames in 1685 disguised as cattle-dealers. They settled in Hope Town, now known as Bethnal Green
, close to Spitalfields
. Here they resumed the traditional family business of weaving, lace-making, embroidery and gold and silver wire making. In 1784 Guillaume Henry Toyé was engaged in this industry and living with his family in Hope Town. He had four sons and three daughters.
In 1835 William Toyé (Grandson of Guillaume) acquired larger premises at George Street, Bethnall Green. At first he applied himself to broad weaving but other forms of weaving soon appealed to him, particularly the making of ribbons, as there was then a far larger demand for this commodity. It was found necessary to open retail establishments further west in London in addition to the factories. A shop was opened in 1888 at 18, Little Britain and a short time later a further establishment was opened up at 17, Clerkenwell Road.
By 1890 the weaving of heavy, double-twilled silks, nine-feet wide, for trade-union and Friendly Societies became an important part of the business. The banner department used painting and embroidery to illuminate the designs. With increased and varied activities it became apparent that the old Ford Road factory was inadequate. The Masonic section was rapidly becoming more important, therefore it was essential to move the factory nearer to the headquarters of Freemasonry in Great Queen Street. Premises were acquired in 1898 at 57 Theobalds Road where show rooms were opened, the factory being placed at the rear and continuing right through the block into Red Lion Square.
In 1930 it was necessary to rebuild and enlarge the main factory in Red Lion Square, London. Then came a fresh crisis. Britain was hit by the Depression and three million people were thrown out of work. During these dismal days of dole queues and empty larders Toye maintained full employment, an accolade for the management.In 1937 the Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth gave the company another great trade boost and provided an outlet for the skilled crafts of their staff. They worked day and night for six months producing banners, emblems, robes and insignia for that historic occasion. The velvet cushions on which the Royal Crowns were carried into Westminster Abbey were made by women at Toye in conjunction with the Royal School of Needlework.
In 1949 Miss H.E Toye , who had completed thirty years service on the sales side, was elected to the Board. Few firms at that time had recognised the vital role that women could play at Board level.
and Davis
cups were made by Toye.
Public limited company
A public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
is a British jewellery and clothing manufacturer base in the Jewellery Quarter
Jewellery Quarter
The Jewellery Quarter is an area of Birmingham City Centre, England, situated in the south of the Hockley area. It is covered by the Ladywood district. There is a population of around 3,000 people in a area....
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, Covent Garden
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Bedworth
Bedworth
Bedworth is a market town in the Nuneaton and Bedworth district of Warwickshire, England. It lies northwest of London, east of Birmingham, and north northeast of the county town of Warwick. It is situated between Coventry, to the south, and Nuneaton, to the north.In the 2001 census the town...
England. Founded in 1685, the company remains family run by members of the Toye family.
The firm holds a Royal Warrant
Royal Warrant
Royal warrants of appointment have been issued for centuries to those who supply goods or services to a royal court or certain royal personages. The warrant enables the supplier to advertise the fact that they supply to the royal family, so lending prestige to the supplier...
to Queen Elizabeth II for Supply of Gold and Silver lace
Lace
Lace is an openwork fabric, patterned with open holes in the work, made by machine or by hand. The holes can be formed via removal of threads or cloth from a previously woven fabric, but more often open spaces are created as part of the lace fabric. Lace-making is an ancient craft. True lace was...
s, insignia
Insignia
Insignia or insigne pl -nia or -nias : a symbol or token of personal power, status or office, or of an official body of government or jurisdiction...
and embroidery
Embroidery
Embroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins....
. It supplies Honours badges and ribbons presented at investitures and is sole supplier of the buttonhole Honours emblem.
Early history
The Toyé family arrived in England in 1685 as HuguenotHuguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
refugees after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes by Louis XIV. The Toyé family sailed into the Thames in 1685 disguised as cattle-dealers. They settled in Hope Town, now known as Bethnal Green
Bethnal Green
Bethnal Green is a district of the East End of London, England and part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, with the far northern parts falling within the London Borough of Hackney. Located northeast of Charing Cross, it was historically an agrarian hamlet in the ancient parish of Stepney,...
, close to Spitalfields
Spitalfields
Spitalfields is a former parish in the borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London, near to Liverpool Street station and Brick Lane. The area straddles Commercial Street and is home to many markets, including the historic Old Spitalfields Market, founded in the 17th century, Sunday...
. Here they resumed the traditional family business of weaving, lace-making, embroidery and gold and silver wire making. In 1784 Guillaume Henry Toyé was engaged in this industry and living with his family in Hope Town. He had four sons and three daughters.
In 1835 William Toyé (Grandson of Guillaume) acquired larger premises at George Street, Bethnall Green. At first he applied himself to broad weaving but other forms of weaving soon appealed to him, particularly the making of ribbons, as there was then a far larger demand for this commodity. It was found necessary to open retail establishments further west in London in addition to the factories. A shop was opened in 1888 at 18, Little Britain and a short time later a further establishment was opened up at 17, Clerkenwell Road.
By 1890 the weaving of heavy, double-twilled silks, nine-feet wide, for trade-union and Friendly Societies became an important part of the business. The banner department used painting and embroidery to illuminate the designs. With increased and varied activities it became apparent that the old Ford Road factory was inadequate. The Masonic section was rapidly becoming more important, therefore it was essential to move the factory nearer to the headquarters of Freemasonry in Great Queen Street. Premises were acquired in 1898 at 57 Theobalds Road where show rooms were opened, the factory being placed at the rear and continuing right through the block into Red Lion Square.
1900 to present
In 1903 Herbert Toye joined the business, a step made necessary by the considerable expansions that had taken place. In 1909 it became necessary, in accordance with the Companies Act 1908, to register the firm as a Company. From then on all business was transacted as Toye & Co. In 1910 William Toye, Senior died and in the terms of his will his sons William, Frederick and Herbert and Timothy J Mister, all became partners in the business.In 1930 it was necessary to rebuild and enlarge the main factory in Red Lion Square, London. Then came a fresh crisis. Britain was hit by the Depression and three million people were thrown out of work. During these dismal days of dole queues and empty larders Toye maintained full employment, an accolade for the management.In 1937 the Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth gave the company another great trade boost and provided an outlet for the skilled crafts of their staff. They worked day and night for six months producing banners, emblems, robes and insignia for that historic occasion. The velvet cushions on which the Royal Crowns were carried into Westminster Abbey were made by women at Toye in conjunction with the Royal School of Needlework.
In 1949 Miss H.E Toye , who had completed thirty years service on the sales side, was elected to the Board. Few firms at that time had recognised the vital role that women could play at Board level.
Birmingham
Toye’s factory in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter is home to the group’s metal manufacturing. Every stage in the manufacture of a metal product takes place here. Products include medals, badges and buttons, chains of office and insignia for heads of state and dignitaries, jewellery and cufflinks, presentation cups for sporting organisations and commemorative plaques. The FAFA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
and Davis
Davis Cup
The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from competing countries in a knock-out format. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Britain and the United States. By...
cups were made by Toye.