Thomas Harper & Sons: History
The Company
Thomas
Harper & Sons was established in 1868 by Thomas Henry Harper[1]. The company was first listed in city and
trade directories in 1873[2] as having a needle factory
named Phoenix Works on Prospect 
Hill in Redditch. However, by 1876[3] the company was listed in
Headless Cross, Redditch, a village a couple miles south of Redditch, and by 1877[4] was listed there as
Phoenix 
Works. An 1884 map of the Headless Cross[5] area shows Phoenix Works
located on the south side of Birchfield Road approximately a mile west of the
intersection with Evesham Road. Today
the area where the factory was originally located is an apartment complex
called “The Beeches”[6]
located on the southwest side of the intersection of Birchfield Road and
Windmill Drive in front of the Brambles Residential Care Home. During the late Victorian Period
the area in which the factory was located changed jurisdictions and by 1892[7] was considered part of
Webheath. The business became a private
limited liability company in 1899[8] and the name became Thomas
Harper & Sons, Ltd.
The
owners built up quite a trade with the United States and Canada which included
many trips overseas to enhance their business[9]. In 1893 they were one of only three needle
manufacturers to participate in the World’s Columbian Exposition held in
Chicago. At that time, the British
Section listed them as having “needles and fancy needle cases, steel toilet pins;
surgeons needles of every description”[10]. The Harper company amalgamated with W. Hall
& Co and others in the area in the early 1920’s and formed a group of
needle makers known as Amalgamated Needles & Fish Hooks.[11]
The Owners[12]
Thomas Henry Harper was
born c1836 in Studley to Henry and Miriam Harper. Thomas’s father was listed in 1841 as a stone
mason. In 1851, when Thomas was 15 years
old, he was living with and working as an apprentice to a bodkin maker named
Thomas Cook in Studley. He married Mary
Ann Lilley who was three years younger in 1857.
The Harper family continued to live in Studley until at least 1861 when
Thomas was listed as a warehouseman.
According to his obituary he established the Harper needle business in 1868. Based on the birth place
of his children, the family was living in Redditch in 1867 and Webheath, a
small village southwest of Redditch in 1868.
During the second half of the 19th century the small villages
surrounding Redditch were often listed in different jurisdictions which were
considered part of Redditch. In 1871 the
family was living in neighboring Crabbs Cross settling in Headless Cross by
1881 and Webheath by 1891. In all three
of these censuses Thomas was listed as a needle manufacturer. Thomas and Mary had nine children: Mary, John
(1859-1915), Kate, Jane, Ada, Emley, Amy, James and Helen. His
wife passed away in 1885 and was buried at the Plymouth Road Cemetery in
Redditch. Sometime between 1885 and 1891
he married his second wife Maria and they lived at The Birches on Birchfield
Road across the street from their Phoenix Works needle factory where they
remained until at least 1901. Thomas
retired from the business in 1903 and he and Maria moved to Leamington Spa,
approximately 21 miles east of Redditch, two years later[13]. “In the 18th century the waters in Leamington
were reputed to have medicinal qualities, and in the 19th century the town
experienced one of the most rapid expansions in England. Many visitors expected cures by bathing in
pools of salty spa water. Leamington
became a popular spa resort attracting the wealthy and famous.”[14] It is most likely for this reason that the
Harpers moved here in order to assist Thomas with some
type of medical issue. He was listed there
in 1911 as a retired needle manufacturer.
Around 1912 Thomas became ill and he was confined to bed for about 16
months before he passed away in 1914[15]. Although Thomas was
buried at the Leamington Cemetery in Leamington Spa, there is a reference to
him on his first wife’s grave in Redditch. His obituary[16] reads as follows:
“DEATH OF MR. T. H. HARPER. – It is with
regret that we record the death of Mr. Thomas Henry Harper, at the advanced age
of 78 years. The death occurred in the
early hours of Thursday morning at his residence, Leamington, and was not
unexpected, as Mr. Harper had been confined to his bed for the past sixteen
months. The business which bears his
name was established in 1868, and was continued as such until 1899, when it was
converted into a private limited liability company. He displayed great activity in the business,
and in its interest made frequent journeys to the United States and Canada, and
as a result built up a valuable concern.
Mr. Harper was a native of Studley, and came to
reside at Redditch when a young man. He
was twice married, his first wife predeceasing him about twenty-five years
ago. Of the family by his first wife
there are living two sons and six daughters.
The eldest son, Mr. J. H. Harper, is unfortunately, at present in the
United States, on business.”
“By the death of
Mr. T. H. Harper, practically the last link connecting the old Redditch Local
Board with the Urban District Council is broken, and one of the pubic men of the seventies and eighties has passed
away. For some years Mr. Harper was on
the old Board, and some will be able to recall the events of those days. He was a commanding figure,
and appeared to have a splendid physique. He was a prominent member of the Wesleyan
Methodist Church, having held many offices, including that of circuit
steward. He displayed great concern with
the small church at Ham Green, and some years ago rendered notable service in
obtaining the land upon which the beautiful chapel is build. In private and public life Mr. Harper was a
generous man, but his generosity was unostentatious. During his long residence at Redditch, he was
a regular worshiper at the Bates Hill Wesleyan Church. He retired from business in 1903, and some
two years later took up his abode at Leamington, where the funeral takes place
to-day (Saturday).”
The
eldest son John Henry Harper was born in 1859 in Studley. As a youth he received his education in
Redditch followed by some time at Howard House in Thame,
Buckinghamshire, a town a few miles east of Oxford[17]. In his early teens he entered his father’s
business[18] and was listed in 1881 as
a needle manufacturer’s son. John gave
much of his attention to expanding the company’s trade which included numerous
trips overseas[19]. His first business trip to the United States
was in 1882[20]. It is highly likely that he represented the
company at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893[21]. John married Julia Ellen Eggleton
in Buckinghamshire in 1883 and the family resided on Birchfield Road in
Webheath in 1891 and in Headless Cross in 1901 and 1911. They 
had no children. John was missing from the 1901 and 1911
censuses, presumably because he was away on business when the census takers
came to his home.
John
returned to the United States on another business trip in 1915. In fact, he was on his way home from New York
when the unexcepted happened. Mr.
Harper was listed as a passenger in the first-class section of the Saloon Deck
in Cabin D-6[22]
of the ship known as the Lusitania during the voyage. He died at age 56 when the ship was torpedoed
by the Germans, his body was never recovered.
Years earlier in 1896, the Harpers were involved with the building of the
new Wesleyan Methodist Church in Headless Cross, the original church having
been destroyed by a gale in 1895. Mrs.
J. H. Harper laid one of four memorial stones during the ceremony when the new
church was being constructed[23]. After John’s death in 1915, Mrs. Harper had a
special plaque placed in the Headless Cross Methodist church in his memory[24]. His obituary[25] reads as follows:
“THE
LATE MR. J. H. HARPER. – We record with deep regret – a regret shared
throughout Redditch and the adjoining district – the death of Mr. J. H. Harper,
managing director of the firm of Messrs. Thomas Harper and Sons, Phoenix Works,
Birchfield Road, Redditch. Mr. Harper,
as our readers know, was a passenger on the homeward bound liner, the
Lusitania, which was torpedoed off the coast of 
Ireland on Friday in last
week. The deceased gentleman had been on
a trip for the firm in the interests of which he had for so many years worked
so actively. It was not only known by
the immediate members of his family that he was expected home on Saturday; a very
much wider circle was acquainted with the fact.
The news that the vessel had been torpedoed gave rise to many inquiries
locally, and occasioned profound anxiety to Mrs. Harper, Mr. V. Sharp, the
members of Mr. Harper’s family, and many friends. Late on Friday night residents were asking if
late editions of the paper could be obtained, anxious to glean tidings, if any,
of Mr. Harper. The lists of passengers,
published on Saturday (mid-day) were eagerly scanned and when the name of Mr.
Harper was given amongst those unaccounted for the opinion became general that
there was little, if any, hope of his having been saved. Mrs. Harper, accompanied by Mr. G. H.
Rollins, proceeded to Liverpool on Saturday, but their enquires brought no
better news. Every effort made to obtain
definite information met with disappointment, and all hope of gaining tidings
was reluctantly and sorrowfully abandoned.
Sympathy with Mrs. Harper and the family in their deep sorrow and
irreparable loss is deep and widespread.”
“Mr. Harper was
born in Studley nearly fifty-six years ago.
As a youth he received scholastic training at Redditch, subsequently
going to Howard House, Thame. Very early in his
teens he entered the business established by his father, always evincing a keen
interest in the same. His training for a
business career was obtained at home, and during later years he rendered
conspicuous service in developing and extending the trade. He succeeded his father in his travels in the
United States, and his first trip for business purposes was made in 1882 – thirty-three
years ago. During this extended period
there have been one or two breaks in his journeys, but Mr. Harper had gone to
and from to America for about 20 years without a break. It may be mentioned here that owing to his
absence from home so often during the months of May the authorities of the
Headless Cross Wesleyan Sunday school altered the date of their anniversary
services to allow of Mr. Harper attending them.”
“In politics, Mr.
Harper was a Liberal, and in his earlier years often attended and spoke at
Liberal meetings. But of late years –
mainly owing to his increasing responsibilities in business – he had almost
ceased to be heard, and was infrequently seen, on a political platform. He gave keen attentions
to local affairs, although he never sought position on any one of the local
authorities.”
“It is safe to say
that, outside his business, Wesleyan Methodism claimed the greater part of his
attention. He was a loyal and devoted member of the Wesleyan Church. Its polity, its doctrines and its services
appealed deeply to him. At the time of his death he
was superintendent of the Wesleyan Sunday school at Headless Cross, a position
he had held for a number of years. No
man regarded the importance and value of Sunday school teaching more highly
than Mr. Harper. He himself was a fine
teacher, and many will recall with pleasure the addresses he gave to the Men’s
Bible Class both in the old and the present Wesleyan Chapels. He had served his church in many
capacities. He held the office of
circuit steward; his name is on the plan as a lay preacher; he was president of
the Lay Preachers’ Missionary movement, and was a
trustee of the Headless Cross Church. In
all these positions and in other directions he rendered valuable and unstinted
service in the Wesleyan Church. He took
an unceasing interest in the Redditch and District Free Church Council, and in
the days of its activity in the district he was for some years its
president. He was extremely generous and
kindly disposed. No appeal was made to
him but received his consideration and in practically every case his support.
The financial assistance he gave to his church will probably never be fully
known. A short time ago he placed £100 in the bank as
a nucleus of a fund for the erection of a primary department to the school he
loved and served so well. To the
churches in the Redditch circuit he gladly and readily
gave help, not to mention his generosity and the encouragement he gave to the
churches and Sunday schools of other denominations. Other local institutions also received his
hearty sympathy and support, and by many of these his loss will be deeply
felt. In his church and in his business,
he will be greatly missed and mourned. His townspeople have cause to regret the
close of a life which gave the promise of much beneficent service, while many
will mourn the loss of a personal and devoted friend.”
