Reference
Z1471/1
Title
Davis Gas Stove Co. Ltd
Date free text
c.1895-1960
Production date
From: 1895 To: 1960
Creator
Admin/biog history
The following basic details are extracted from the very full history of the company written in 1950 (Z1471/1/4/1).
In 1868 Henry John Davis, originally from Herefordshire, set up in business in Camberwell as a wholesale ironmonger with his brother Charles William Davis trading as H & C Davis. In 1875 they added and Company to the name upon taking Henry Addis Price into partnership. The company started making gas stoves quite early on.
The company for making gas stoves was made into a limited liability company. By 1895 the directors decided to acquire a large interest in a foundry at Luton - The Langley Foundry Company Limited was registered as a private company. Henry's eldest son, Harold Newson Davis (b 1873), was the controlling brain at the foundry and later at the much larger Diamond foundry. Henry's younger son, Cyril George Davis (b 1874) entered the company in March 1896. Charles's son and Harry Price's son both showed a disinclination for the gas stove business.
The public company was formed in May 1900 and among its objects was the acquiring the business and assets of the Langley Foundry Co and the foundry and works known as the Springfield Foundry, Falkirk. The Springfield Foundry was renamed the Diamond Foundry. By 1904 the foundry requirements of the company were outgrowing their facilities and they acquired 15 acres of land in Dallow Lane, Luton to build a new foundry. The opening of the new works took place in January 1907. Some 300 men from the Falkirk foundry accepted the Company's general invitation to migrate to Luton.
Charles Davis died in 26 Sept 1908. In 1909 the Luton works were extended. The Camberwell works continued to flourish. Henry Davis died in September 1912. A booklet published in 1914 claimed that the Luton works then covered more than 12 acres and employed about 1500 men. Both the Langley and Falkirk works were vacated. It was hoped to bring all the works to Luton but this was still ongoing in 1916.
The company purchased the whole of the shares of the Nautilus Fire Co Ltd. The Luton and Camberwell works were declared 'controlled establishments' in 1915 and started making munitions. In 1916 a fire destroyed the Mills grenade shop, the enamelling, the fitting and other shops.
In 1919 the shareholders of the Davis Gas Stove Co Ltd were invited to approve a scheme for a union of interests between the company and two other companies - John Wright and Eagle Range Ltd and the Richmond Gas Stove & Meter Co Ltd. Fletcher Russell & Co Ltd and Wilsons & Mathiesons Ltd came in later. Radiation Limited was born with Harold and Cyril as managing directors and uncle Harry (Henry Addis Price) as a director.
In May 1921 a fire broke out at the Luton works and another happened the following year. In both cases the works fire brigade helped to put the fires out. The Camberwell premises were shut down in 1920. In 1922 the registered office was changed to 60 Oxford Street with all works activities concentrated at Luton. In November 1931 new offices opened at Luton to house the accounting and secretarial departments.
Harold became chairman of the company when Addis Price resigned from the board. Price died on 27 Oct 1936. Harold Davis died in July 1937. Harold's son Kenneth was appointed a managing director of the company on 20 June 1938 and in January 1939 a director of Radiation Ltd.
During World War Two the company again produced shells but also other work requiring the type of machinery it had. Harold's son Laurie N Davis joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and was called up on the outbreak of war. He was reported missing on Coastal Command Operations in 1940 and headed the company's roll of honour. The Davis Company was one of the first firms to come under the Essential Work Order 1942. By December 1942 there were 2,188 employees, 37% of which were women. Kenneth Davis joined the Royal Navy in 1943.
In 1942 the canteen was rebuilt and a surgery erected. Kenneth Davis returned in 1946. 1946 and 1947 were difficult years and 665 men and 106 women had to be stood off. Cyril Davis died on 2nd January 1948. Kenneth was elected chairman on 3rd Feb 1948. In about 1946 it was decided to erect a new moulding shop as the old moulding shop was in a bad condition.
Level of description
sub-fonds