A family business

We have been looking at some of the artefacts from the King family business, recently received by the museum. (See An outdoor lamp, A glass carrier, Decorating the Parish Room and Paying King’s painters and decorators.) These will form a major part of our 2023 Painting and Decorating display.

The business passed down through several generations but, somewhat confusingly, so did the names, so it is sometimes hard to work out which items were connected with each family member. For instance, we have headed paper for H King, but Henry King’s son was Henry, known as Harry. Both were Henry John King.

A new donation is this sheet.

The style of the letterhead would suggest that this was Henry’s page and this was Harry’s.

So let’s follow the King business through the generations with some helpful notes from a descendant.

A John King, plumber and glazier, who was married to Sarah, was on Chapel Lane in Market Lavington. We have a date of 1861 noted beside High Street, so maybe he moved then. However, the final site of the business, 78-80 High Street was purchased in 1902.

The business was in the hands of the next John King and his wife was Mary. Our notes beside his name say they were plumbers and painters and dealt with acetylene gas and general lighting works. They were engineers and fitters and apparatus makers.

The next two generations, Henry and Harry are mentioned above. It was Harry who closed the business when he retired in 1968.

And here we have photographs of some of the members of this long established Market Lavington firm..

The second John King,

Henry John King

and Harry King.

Advertisement