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LA TROBE HANDCUFFS LTD, OAKWOOD PARK, CONWY, GWYNEDD, WALES
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A company set up by Peter La Trobe, a descendant of the La Trobe family
who ran Hiatt, (q.v.) to manufacture handcuffs in the mid 1980s. |
They only ran for a short time and ceased production in 1990.
JOHN LAVENDER, WOLVERHAMPTON
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This is a miniature safe (note the Coke can for an
indication of its size). The brass plate reads "John
Lavender Wolverhampton". This name has not (yet) been
found in the category "Safe Makers" in the Wolverhampton
Red Books during the 20th century, so the firm may be older.
Nothing else is known of the company at present.
Thanks to Steve Cannon for the photo. |
J. LEGGE & CO LTD, MOAT STREET, WILLENHALL
Read the history of Legge &
Co. |
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A. LEWIS AND SONS (WILLENHALL) LTD, 47 CHURCH STREET,
WILLENHALL
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Manufacturers of lever, brass box, till cupboard hook
bolt and wardrobe locks. Founded in 1920 and still in existence in
2001, run by Terry Lewis, employing 2 people. |
RICHARD M LORD LTD, ALBERT WORKS, GOLDTHORN HILL,
WOLVERHAMPTON.
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Established in 1868 to make safe locks, flat key locks and brass safe
fittings, sold under the "Scorpion" trade mark. Existing in 1953.
Not existing in 1970. |
| This safe, in the Black Country Living Museum, has
"Richard M. Lord Wolverhampton" on the upper plate and
"fire resisting safe" on the lower plate.
Nothing further known about this maker.
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A Richard Lord safe installed in a wall in a shop (now an
antiques shop) in Much Wenlock. |
LIPS SLOTEN, MERWEDESTRAAT 48, 3313
CS, DORDRECHT, THE NETHERLANDS
(image from Trevor Dowson) |
Lips was founded in 1870 and remained a family business until 1973 when
they were taken over by Chubb and became Chubb Lips Nederland BV.
Along with the
rest of the Chubb Group they were bought by Racal in 1989 and became part of their
security division.
In 1997 Williams Holdings bought the Security Division from
Racal. |
Chubb Lips Nederland BV is split into three divisions.
Lock Division. T.O. Df 46 million p.a. with 235 employees. They make
mortice locks; Cylinder Locks and safe deposit Box Locks.
Safe division. T.O. Df 60 million p.a. with 200 employees
Electronics Division. T.O. Df 65 Million p.a. with 300 employees
(MHE report 17/5/99) (See "Lock and Keys through the Ages" by
Vincent Eras)
LISTON PRODUCTS (BRIDGTOWN) LTD, UNIT 4, UNION
STREET, CANNOCK
Manufacturers of the "HODGES" Range of locks, bag frames and
brief case fittings. Set up by Mr Lisle and partner (Mr Hinton?) to manufacture the
locks etc. that had been made by Hodges Locks (q.v.) / Samuel Wilkes (q.v.) after they
went into liquidation in 1979.
Mr Lisle was the grandson of the Mr Edward Lisle who made Star motorcycles
and cars in Wolverhampton.
On the 27th May 1998 they moved to 17 Conduit Road, Norton
Canes, Cannock, to give themselves larger premises. On the 1st June 2000
the company was acquired by C.W.Cheney & Sons Ltd of Birmingham.
FRANK LOWBRIDGE, 103 BLOXWICH ROAD NORTH, SHORT HEATH
Key maker who used to cut cabinet keys in a small factory opposite the
school gate. Probably finished in 1950s. Not existing in 1921 or 1970.
Nothing else known.
LOWE AND FLETCHER, CHURCH STREET, WILLENHALL
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Founded in 1889. Originally manufactured all types of locks.By the 1960s
there was still a family interest, the company being run by Phillip Trevor-Jones.
The company had become one of the major suppliers of locks to the motor industry, with
factories in Europe to serve the European car industry. |
They were the first people to manufacture a steering column
lock as original equipment for the Hillman Avenger.
| In the 1960s they suffered a major fire at their Church Street
premises. As a temporary measure they moved into a factory at Hatton Street,
Bilson,
while they re-built the Church Street premises and they also built a new factory at
Aldine, Halesfield, Telford for the manufacture of cam locks and locking devices for
filing cabinets etc.. They also had a division Fortress Interlocks Ltd, at
Birmingham New Road, Wolverhampton which manufactured key operated interlocking systems
for machinery. This was sold on in the 1980s. |
Ironmonger Guide, 1950 |
In 1976 they sold the car lock division to Chubb (qv), who formed L &
F Willenhall Ltd, who remained in the original Church Street premises. Lowe and
Fletcher Ltd moved into the premises they had retained at Hatton Street, Bilston, where
they made radial pin tumbler, padlocks, safe and a range of furniture locks. They
also retained the Telford factory. As demand increased, another factory was opened
at Clothier Road, Brislington, Bristol where they set up a new company Southern L&F
Ltd.
By 1996 the Lowe and Fletcher group of companies consisted of Lowe and
Fletcher Ltd, Telford and Bilston; Lowe and Fletcher Metal Finishing Ltd., Bloxwich;
Southern L & F, Bristol; Euro-locks sa nv, Bastogne, Belgium; Euro-locks sa,
Folschviller, France; Euro-locks gmbh, Sulzbach, Germany. They had a turnover of
£29,769,000 and employed 618 people. (Business West Midlands magazine August 1998)
On the 10th August 1998 moved their Bilston works to larger
premises at Moorecroft Drive, Wednesbury. This incorporated all the products that
had previously been made at Lowe and Fletcher, Bilston, plus some of the locking devices
that had been made at Telford. This allowed the Telford site to be developed for the
manufacture of window handles and locks.
L & F WILLENHALL LTD
Formed when Lowe and Fletcher (q.v.) sold its car lock division to
Chubb Group in 1976, they remained in the original Lowe and Fletcher works in Church
Street Willenhall.
They were later amalgamated with C E Marshall (qv) and eventually the
Willenhall works became known by that name.
G. LUCAS & CO, BILSTON
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Originally the only record we had of this company
was this name plate, provided by courtesy of Tony Beck. (photo by courtesy of Tony Beck) |
| Then Trevor Dowson provided the second name plate
(below) and the advert (right) which comes from Kelly's
Stafford Directory for 1884. |
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The advert gives their foundation date as 1862 and
says that they make safes, chests and bullion boxes and
that they will gives estimates for large safes, iron
doors and strong rooms. |
Trevor also notes the firm's appearance in the
directory for 1872, where their address is given as Staffordshire
Safe Works, Hall Fields, Bradley, Bilston. in the 1874
directory their address is given as Hall Fields, Daisy Bank, near
Bilston. In the 1884 advert shown above their address is given
as Daisy Bank, Bilston. As Daisy Bank can be seen as part of
Bradley, which itself is part of Bilston, it is safe to assume that
the site of the works was in fact the same all the way through.
Trevor finds the firm listed in the 1924 directory
but not thereafter. It is therefore likely that they closed at
about this time.
D. LYCETT AND SONS, LONG STREET, WALSALL
Run by the Lycett family, makers of locks and also suppliers and
fitters of security equipment. In the 1960s were at Pleck Road, Walsall. They
moved into new premises in the 1970/80s in Long Street. In existence in a trade
directory of 1987. Put up for sale in January 2000 for £175,000. |
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