Lamson Store Service Co
1881 American, William Stickney Lamson, filed a patent for a system with inclined rails for moving cash in a wooden ball from counter to cashier in shops.
1882 The Lamson Cash Carrier Company was incorporated.
1884 The British company was founded. John Magrath Kelly became an agent for the Lamson Cash Ball system in London, operating from a small private hotel in Craven Street.
By 1886, John Kelly had premises in Guilford Street, Bloomsbury with the cellar as a shop, the ground floor as factory, and the first floor as accommodation for his family.
1888 Business flourished; on 9 August, the Lamson Store Service Co Ltd was established at 1 Charlotte Street, Bedford Square, London, WC. The capital was £85,000 divided into shares of £10 each. The company had rights to the ball system for the "Eastern Hemisphere", i.e. Europe, Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East. UK Patent 18566 was granted to it. This comprised a wire-rail system for moving cash and receipts between shop counter and cashier.
1889 The Lamson Paragon Supply Co was established in London, by amalgamation of the Paragon Check Book Co (established 1886 in the City of London) and the Lamson Store Service Co, with rights to salesbook patents and manufacturing know-how throughout Europe and Australia.
The Lamson Store Service Co, the Lamson Pneumatic Tube Co and Lamson Paragon Supply Co were operated separately although the chairman was the same (Sir Alan McLean M.P., from 1912).