PLYMOUTH |
The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History |
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Messrs G S DILLEIGH & COMPANY Ltd
The Plymouth business house of Messrs G S Dilleigh & Company Ltd was located at 17 Old Town Street and 93 Mutley Plain, as well as three smaller branches, before the Second World War but only at 93/95 Mutley Plain and at the back of the Plymouth Pannier Market thereafter.
Dilleigh's store
on Mutley Plain, Plymouth, 1950. George Spriggins Dilley was born at Walkern, Hertfordshire, in 1855, the eldest son of grocer and victualler, Mr Philip Dilley and his wife Mary Ann [1] After first assisting his father in his shop he went off to London, where he became an assistant to a tea dealer. In 1881 he was lodging with solicitor's clerk, Mr C J Childs, at 26 Baker Street, Clerkenwell, Middlesex. [2] By 1890 he had become the manager at Messrs E Bonser & Son, at 17 Old Town Street, Plymouth. [3] and in 1891 was lodging at the home widow, Mrs Celia Craig, 1 Endsleigh Place, Plymouth. Between those two dates he changed the spelling of his surname from Dilley to Dilleigh. [4] On Tuesday July 7th 1891 Mr George Spriggins Dilleigh married Miss Lilian Elizabeth Craig at Charles Church, Plymouth [5]. In that same year of 1891 he took over ownership of the Bonser's business [6] and within a couple of years he had also taken premises at number 4 Connaught Terrace, Mutley Plain, which he called the Connaught Tea Warehouse. [7] His business had grown by 1900 to include branch shops at 15 Culme Terrace, 140 Beaumont Road and 21 Edgcumbe Place, Stoke, next to the Mill Bridge Inn, and at the time of the 1901 census he was living at in the parish of Buckland Monachorum. Quite why he declared himself as being born at Harford, Devon, is a mystery. [7 + 8] George and Lilian had only one son, Mr Leslie George Dilleigh, and on August 22nd 1918 he married Miss Dorothy Caroline Wilson at Yelverton. The Dilleighs were living at Collismor, Yelverton, at that time. [9] Messrs F W Woolworth & Company Ltd bought out his premises in Old Town Street around 1930 to extend their shop and he also gave up the other branches but extended the Mutley Plain shop to make the double-fronted premises that became so familiar both before and after the Second World War. There was also a branch at the back of the Plymouth Pannier Market in Radford Place. [10] Later in the 1930s other branches were opened in Union Street, King Street, Edgcumbe Street, East Stonehouse, and Marlborough Street, Devonport [7].] In December 1941 Dilleigh's would have undoubtedly sold Devon Pride Self-raising Flour manufactured by Messrs PT Products Ltd, of The Quay, Kingsbridge. A 3lbs bag cost 10d. And a good start on a cold morning required a bowl of Allinson Oats. 'the finest that Scotland grows', which was available in a 1¾ lbs packet for 8½d.. The packet contained 35 portions at one farthing per serving. A quarter pound packet of Brooke Bond Dividend Cocoa cost 5½d. [10a] Even as late as the 1950s a salesman would call at a home to take an order [7]. The business on Mutley Plain was still operating in 1955 [11]. Dilleighs were advertising Easter Eggs in April 1960: Rowntree's Dairy Box, filled, at two shillings; Nestle's filled eggs at four shillings; and Fuller's Sheerpack milk chocolate filled eggs at a whopping 7s 6d. Red Salmon was available in cans at three shillings and 4s 6d and KY Pears were 2s 9½d a can. Green Middle Bacon cost 2s 10d per pound while Smoked Middle Bacon was 3s 4d a pound. Also on offer was Crosbies Thick-cut and Sweet Nell Jelly Marmalade, only one shilling a pound jar. [12] Sources:
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