Albert Sharpe: History
The Company
The firm known as Albert Sharpe was
established sometime between 1865 and 1870 by Albert George Sharpe when he was
in his late twenties or early thirties. The business was not listed in the 1865 London
directory but was first listed in 1870 as a bag and dressing case maker at 85
Regent Street, a couple blocks west of Piccadilly Circus. Presumably Mr. Sharpe’s father contributed to
his ability to open a shop in this high-end area of London. Dressing cases were originally made primarily
for upper class men who traveled, however, by the Victorian period they became
quite popular with wealthy ladies who began to travel and needed someplace to
store their vast array of creams, lotions, perfumes, hair gels, soaps, nail
polishes, etc.[1] Also, at that time Regent Street was
considered the fashion center of London and many of the shops along this street
sold imported and exotic products that appealed to the upper class[2]. Albert Sharpe continued to be listed at this
address in 1875 and again in 1880 but was not listed in 1885. The business apparently ceased to exist
following the death of Albert George Sharpe in 1882.
To date the only Avery style needle case with the Alfred Sharpe name is
the Beatrice - Sharpe version. The
interior of this needle case is identical to the other Beatrice style needle
cases with six slots for needle packets, however, the exteriors, both front and
back, are totally different and very unique. Obviously, this needle case was made
specifically for Sharpe. Most likely Mr.
Sharpe had an agreement with James Lewis of Birmingham, the patentee and
manufacturer, to make this item for him.
Perhaps Sharpe had this made to include in the dressing cases he sold to
upper class woman, who possibly used it when they stitched. Or maybe it was another way for Sharpe to
advertise the other products the firm made which were surely popular items with
the wealthy class. The front (pictured
on the left) has a fancy patterned border surrounding an oval shaped center
with the Albert Sharpe 85 Regent St. name.
The back (pictured on the right) contains a list of items manufactured
by the Sharpe firm. These included
dressing cases, writing cases, jewel cases, card cases, glove boxes, work
boxes, fitted bags, ink stands, scent bottles, purses
and pencil cases.
The Sharpe Owners
Alfred George Sharpe’s father was John Sharpe
who was born in 1797 and baptized that year at St. Bride’s church on Fleet
Street in London, a few blocks west of St. Paul’s Cathedral. John married his first wife Susannah Fisher
at St. Pancras in 1827 and they had at least 1 daughter, Emilie Ann, a little
over a year later c1828. The family settled in the Islington area, a district
of London on the north east. Susannah passed away sometime between 1828
and 1838 and John married his second wife Helen Simpson in 1838 at St. Mary’s
church in Islington. At the time of
their marriage John was listed as cutler who resided at Brunswick Terrace in
Islington, whose father Richard Sharpe was a gentleman. “During the
Victorian era, when someone was called Victorian gentlemen, it meant that they
did not need to work in order to earn money or perform
any manual labour in order to live and survive. Also, this type of man was classified by
owning their own land and having a particularly generous income.”[3] Between 1839 and 1849 John and Helen had
seven children: Alfred George, Henry John, Louisa Rachel, Rose Ellen, Juliet
Frances, Isabel Any and Beatrice Ada, of which two, Juliet and Isabel, died in
infancy. By 1861 the Sharpe family was
living at Albion Villa on Thornhill Road in Islington where they spent the rest
of their lives. John was listed as a
hardware man, gentleman, cutler and retired cutler in
census records from 1841 to 1871. He was
first listed as a gentleman in his eldest son’s baptism in 1840 indicating the
family had reached a degree of wealth by that time. In 1861 three of his grandchildren, by his
eldest daughter Emilie, were staying with the Sharpe family. Helen died in 1873 of chronic bronchitis and
John passed away a couple months later of cerebral congestion. Both were buried at the cemetery in Camden,
London. John left an estate valued at £2,000 (£125,218
today[4])
to his son-in-law Thomas
John Pearson and his two sons, Alfred George and Henry
John Sharpe. A month after John’s death
his estate was sold as shown in the 1874[5]
newspaper transcription below which indicated the family home contained
numerous elaborate items.
“BARNSBURY. – FURNITURE and
EFFECTS
Mr. Evans is instructed by the Executors of the late John Sharpe, Esq.,
to SELL by AUCTION, on the Premises, Albion-villa, No. 8, Thornhill-road, Barnsbury, on TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10th, at 12, mahogany
sideboard, drawing-room suite, set dining tables; 100, card, and other tables;
mahogany frame chairs, grand pianoforte, Brussels carpets, chimney glasses,
reps and damask curtains, two mahogany wardrobes (marble tops), washstands,
bedsteads, feather beds, bedding, bedroom furniture, kitchen requisites, iron
garden roller, brougham, horse, harness, and numerous effects.
On view day preceding. Catalogues on Premises, and of the Auctioneer,
26, Thornhill-road, Barnsbury.
The desirable Villa Resident to be Let.”
The eldest son of John Sharpe and Helen
Simpson was Alfred George Sharpe who was born in Islington in 1839. He was baptized in 1840 at St. Mary’s Church
in Islington. Alfred lived with his
parents for the first twenty-one years of his life and became a cutler, most
likely learning the trade from his father.
Sometime between 1861 and 1864 he became a dressing case maker. In 1864 Alfred married Maria Batram at St. Philip Evangelist Church in Islington and by
1871 they settled at Maida Vale in Marylebone, just west of Regents Park,
presumably so he could be closer to his business at 85 Regent Street. Maria’s sister Alice was living with the
Sharpe family in 1871. Alfred and Maria
had no children. Fifteen years after
their marriage Maria filed a divorce petition against Alfred alleging cruelty
and adultery in 1879. A year later
Albert admitted the allegations were accurate, and the divorce as granted in
1880. After providing the court with
deals regarding his income, Alfred was required to pay an annual sum of £150 to Maria, payments to be made on a monthly basis. This may have been the reason why he was
living with his cousin Charles Simpson in 1881.
Details of the divorce are listed below and provide interesting
information regarding his business income.
Two years after the divorce, in 1882, Alfred died in Hackney at age 43
of morbus brightii which is now known as Bright’s
disease, a form of kidney disease. He
was buried at the Camden cemetery. His
estate valued at £1,242 passed to his brother Henry. Albert had no known children.
Maria Sharpe’s “Petition for Dissolution of
Marriage[6]
The twenty-fourth day of October in the year of our lord
1879.
The Petition of Maria Sharpe of No. 27 Cambridge Terrace,
Hyde Park in the county of Middlesex.
Showith.
1.
That your Petitioner then Maria Batram spinster was
on the 29th day of July 1864 lawfully married to Albert George
Sharpe at the Church of St. Philips the Evangelist in the Parish of Islington
in the county of Middlesex.
2.
That after her said marriage your Petitioner lived and cohabited with her said
husband at No. 12 Maida Vale in the County of Middlesex and that your Petitioner
and her said husband have had no issue of their said marriage.
3.
That on the 15th day of August 1879and on other days between that day and the
30th of August 1879 the said Albert George Sharpe at 4 Landport Terrace Southsea in the county of Hants and other
places to your Petitioner unknown committed adultery with Marie Goodwin.
4.
That the said Albert George Sharpe has from time to time during his said
marriage treated your Petitioner with great violence and has struck her and in
the presence of her servants and others used toward her foul and offensive
expressions and more particularly in the month of November 1878 in the presence
of your Petitioners sister Alice Batram he struck
your Petitioner violently in the face and
knocked her down and grasped her by the throat threatening to strangle
her.
5.
That since your Petitioner has been informed of the adultery of the said Albert
George Sharpe he had threatened to kill her and
himself.
6. That by reason of her husband’s ill treatment and
threats and the knowledge of his alleged adultery your Petitioner has been
obliged to leave her house and seek the protection of her friends and has not
returned to cohabit with her said husband.
Your Petitioner therefore humbly prays that the court
will be pleased to decree a dissolution of her said marriage and that your Petitioner
may have such further and other relief in the premise as to the court may seem
fir.
And your Petitioner will ever pray
Maria Sharpe”
Part of Alfred George Sharpe’s “Answer to
Petition for Permanent Maintenance Filed November 26, 1880[7]
I Albert George Sharpe of No. 85 Regent Street in the
county of Middlesex the above named Respondent in answer to the petition for
permanent maintenance filed herein make oath and say as follows .
. . . .
. . . I
have no property or income other than is herein set forth.
-----------------------------------------------Schedule-----------------------------------------
Gross takings for the year ending
December 1877 2700. 16. 8
December 1878 2709. 3. 6
December 1879 2959. 5. 9
For the ten months ending October 1880 2350. 8
The gross profit of my trading is as nearly as possible
33 per cent or say 1/3rd
The gross profit for the year
1877 was 900. 5. 6.
For the year 1878 903. 1. 2.
For the year 1879 986. 8. 7.
2789. 15. 3.
Showing average annual gross profit of 929. 18. 5.
From which must be deducted
Rent 250. 0. 0
Wages 230. 0. 0
Stationary 20. 0. 0
Gas & Coals 20. 0. 0
Bad debts 20. 0. 0
Repairs 10. 0. 0
Depreciation of Lease 20. 0. 0
Stock & Fixtures 100. 0. 0
Insurance 6. 0. 0
Interest on Loans 40. 0. 0
Sundries 30. 0. 0
Showing net annual income of 746. 0. 0.
For years 1877, 1878, 1878 of £183. 18. 5.
Gross profits for 10 months ending October 1880 783
Proportionate part of above deductions 621 13. 4.
Showing net income for the year 1880 £161.
6. 8.
Sworn at
No. 3 Crosley Square in the Albert
George Sharpe
City of London this 25th day
of November 1880”
Not much is known about Albert’s siblings
except a few facts about his half-sister Emilie and his younger brother
Henry. Emilie was born c1828 and lived
with her father, step-mother and half-siblings until
her marriage in 1849 to Thomas John Pearson a stationer. Emilie and Thomas had four children: Helen,
Gertrude, Constance and Charles. The Pearson family
lived in Islington and later in the Hornsey, a district of north London, until
at least 1881. Albert’s younger brother
Henry John Sharpe was born in 1841. He
lived with his parents until the early 1860’s when he moved temporarily to East
Hoathly, Sussex, a town about 48 miles south of
London, to study as a surgeon’s pupil. After
his father’s death in 1873, Henry moved in with his cousin Charles M. Simpson
who was also a surgeon and remained with the Simpson family until at least
1891. He spent his entire adult life
working as a surgeon general practitioner.
Henry died in 1901 in Islington at age 59 of pneumonia. His estate of £807 was
passed to his cousin, Charles M. Simpson.
Albert
Sharpe: Images
