Grace's Guide

Wall paper manufacturers, of Leeds

Previously Trumble and Cooke

1856 John Trumble continued the business in the old premises at York Street with his sons, having split from the partnership with William Cooke. The business was called J. Trumble and Sons

They abandoned blockprinting altogether in favour of machine printing

Eight years later the business was sold to John Barran (afterwards Sir John Barran, Bart., presumably of John Barran and Sons), who carried it on in partnership with his son, Alfred Barran.

One of the appointments made by the Barrans was that of Edgar Smith to the designing staff. Another employee of "Trumbles" was T. T. Butler, who had risen from foreman to manager.

1885 Partnership dissolved. '...the Co-partnership heretofore subsisting between us the undersigned, John Trumble and Frederick Trumble, carrying on business as Paper Hanging Manufacturers, in York-street, in Leeds, in the county of York, under the firm of John Trumble and Sons, has been dissolved, by mutual consent, as from the 1st day of December, 1885; and that all debts due and owing to or by the firm will be received and paid by the said Frederick Trumble, by whom the said business will be continued on his own account, under the said firm of John Trumble and Sons...'

1899 Alfred Barran sold the business to Wall Paper Manufacturers Ltd and accepted a seat on the Board.

In the reorganisation which followed during the next few years a factory on the most up-to-date lines was established at Harehills.

1907 E. Smith and T. T. Butler left to start on their own in Cardigan Fields Leeds - Smith and Butler

See Also

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Sources of Information

• 1899-1949 The Pattern of a Great Organisation - The Wall Paper Manufacturers Limited.