Franklin and Sons
1886 The three Franklin brothers, started to make and distribute soft drinks from a confectionery shop at 171 High Street, Rickmansworth. The trade mark Franklin Brothers was applied for on 1st April 1886 and granted on 3rd November 1886.
1891 Frederick and Albert (the two younger brothers) bought the old silk mill (built in 1806) at 195 High Street and the steam engine within it.
George, their elder brother, was a partner between 1886-91.
Circa 1898 Frederick junior discontinued the name Franklin Bros. Henceforth the business was called Franklin & Sons.
A testimonial from Franklin Brothers in the 1898 Barnett and Foster catalogue (page 5) combined with one of their eclipse bottles with Franklin Brothers on it indicated they had played an important part in helping the business start.
Read more about the founding of the business here.
Read more about the company's soft drinks here.
View product labels here.
Franklin & Sons suppliers from 1897 onwards:
- Riley MNFG Co. Ltd. London SW
- P. Waddington & Sons.
- Alexander & Co, Leeds & London.
- Kilner & Sons.
- Redfearn Bros.
- Dan Rylands, Barnsley.
- Fosters Glass Co., St Helens (1907).
- Dale Brown & Co., Swinton (1913).
- British Syphons Manufacturing, London.
- Mayo Syphons Ltd.
In 1901 Frederick had given the business to his sons Frederick, William, James and his eldest daughter Elizabeth, whose husband William Harvey worked in the business. The three brothers worked as driver-salesmen up to 1914.
During the First World War the eldest son Frederick ran the business with William Harvey. Brothers William and James fought in the war. Sadly William Franklin was killed and so was Frederick’s elder son. James returned from the war and ran the business with his brother Frederick until 1955.
The company prospered and outlasted Wild’s and Springwell’s, their local competitors. Their horses were used to power the local fire brigade and members of the family were firemen. The drays were replaced by lorries in 1915 at the end of the First World War.
In the 1930s the company had started to extend their range of products by wholesaling cider from Taunton, Whiteways, Bulmers and Gayners, and Coca Cola.
In the mid-1950s to late 1960s national and local brewers were trying to dictate who supplied their pubs with soft drinks: this made trading conditions very difficult.
In the 1950s the wholesale business was expanded to include Schweppes products to compensate for lost trade.
See Also
- Read about the history of the Rickmansworth Mill by R. J. Franklin.
Sources of Information
- Information on this page has been generously supplied to us by R. J. Franklin, the great-grandson of the founder of Franklin & Sons. We have been kindly granted permission by him to publish his work on Grace's Guide. The Copyright remains his.