Bolingbroke & Jones

Bolingbroke and Jones were weavers in Norwich (England) around 1870,  a city that appeared to be quite a centre for the weaving of tartan. On 11th August 2003, Brian Wilton of the STA spoke with John Renton of Norwich Museum (01603 615 975) who explained that they didn't have any tartan collection known as the Norwich Collection but did have 25 pattern books from Bolingbroke & Jones with a few tartans dispersed throughout.

They also had a series of silk tartans from Willet Nephew & Co - weavers of Norwich circa 1860 - and a scrap book entitled 'Tartans' with woven samples stuck down accompanied by descriptions. Previous viewers have apparently got quite excited about this one. No clues as to source. Jamie Scarlett wrote in August 2003:-

"I photographed forty-one sheets of brown paper with scraps of tartan or strips attached at the Strangers' Hall Museum in 1972 or thereabouts, a good source for a Norfolk tartan since Norwich designed, wove and exported tartan in competition with Bannockburn; on those grounds, Norfolk has as good a right to have a tartan as any southern English county. Some of the photos show proper tartan patterns, others only colour strips which could be made into tartans."

The National Register of Archives ( http://www.hmc.gov.uk/NRA/searches/) has a document or documents on the company and the entry reads:

Bolingbroke, Jones & Co, poplin manufacturers, Norwich, Norfolk. c1850-86 : account, costings and pattern books
Bridewell Museum of Norwich NRA 30575 Bridewell Museum
see HMC Records of British business and industry 1760-1914 textiles and leather, 1990.

Contact details for the Bridewell are given as:Bridewell Museum of Norwich, Bridewell Alley, Norwich NR2 1AQ, England. Tel 01603 667228. Fax 01603 765651.

Another reference documents that Bolingbroke & Jones first appeared as Reeve-Bollingbroke, Jones & Company at Colegate in Norwich. They also owned a steam-powered mill in their Calvert Street mill and occupied a steam-powered weaving shed at their St. James factory in Norwich.
C.F. Bolingbroke & Jones received a medal at the 1851 Exhibition and at the 1862 International Exhibition.
Willet & Nephew & Co. first appeared in an 1850 trade directory for Norwich although the firm of Willets was established in 1767. By 1839, Henry & Edward Willet had a large-scale business with at times, as many as 800 to 900 looms in operation. The company ceased trading in 1904. A unique collection of their pattern books dating from the establishment of the firm was sold to a Mr Galey of Aberfoyle Mills, Chester, Pennsylvania USA.