PLYMOUTH |
The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History |
||
 |
|||
|
Messrs HIORNS AND MILLER
The Plymouth business house of Messrs Hiorns and Miller Ltd, stationers, printers and die stampers, was situated in Fore Street and Granby Street, Devonport, before the Second World War and at number 40 Marlborough Street and 66 Mutley Plain afterwards. Thomas Frederick Hiorns was born at Crewkerne, in Somerset, in 1850, and Frederick James Miller was born at Portsea Island, Portsmouth, Hampshire, in 1871. [1] Mr Thomas Frederick Hiorns married Miss Ann Elizabeth Weeks at Bristol in 1874 and their first two children were born there in 1875 and 1876 [1]. Their first daughter, Miss Lilian Edith Nurton Hiorns was born in 1880 at Chorlton, Lancashire [1] but when the census was taken in 1881 the family were living at number 12 Martin Terrace, Morice Town, Devonport [2]. Mr Hiorns had in fact become manager of the bookshop and stationery shop owned by Mr Alfred Henry Swiss in Fore Street [3]. At the time of the 1891 census, the Hiorns family were living at number 16 Pasley Street. The eldest son, Albert Edwin Hiorns, was only 15 years of age but was already earning money as a teacher of music. His younger brother Frederick Robert Hiorns was a laboratory assistant. Their two sisters were both still at school. [4] The same census reveals that 19-years-old Mr Frederick James Miller was employed as a printer's apprentice in 1891 and was living at number 3 Hilary Terrace with his parents, his father being a messman in the Royal Navy. This suggests he was doing his apprenticeship with Mr Swiss. [5] It was through that job that he built up a large connection with local Army regiments and Royal Naval ships. Mr Swiss was declared bankrupt in 1896 or early 1897 [6]. That coincided with the appearance of Messrs Hiorns & Miller in a local street and trade directory, which shows Mr Miller as an art printer at Caxton Ope, Old Town Street, in Plymouth ('Careful Work, Moderate Charges'), while also listing Messrs Hiorns & Miller, as stationers, at 107 Fore Street, Devonport. [7] Mr Frederick James Miller married Miss Agnes Beatrice Martyn at Stoke Damerell Parish Church on August 13th 1900. [8] At the time of the 1901 census Mr & Mrs Hiorns, bookseller and stationer, were still living at 16 Pasley Street but Mr & Mrs Miller, stationer and printer, were now living at number 5 Haddington Road. [9] It was at this point that one of Thomas's daughters made a bit of a coup. On August 7th 1906 Miss Lilian Edith Nurton Hiorns, photographer's assistant, married Mr Harry Whitfeld, owner and editor of the Western Independent newspaper, at the Princes Street Congregational Chapel, Devonport. [10] Mr Thomas Frederick Hiorns died suddenly at his home, number 15 Garfield Terrace, Stoke, on Tuesday March 9th 1926. He was 75 years old. [3] The funeral service was held at Saint Michael's Church in Albert Road on Saturday March 13th 1926 and his body was interred at Weston ill Cemetery. The printers acted as coffin bearers. His three sons attended the service along with Mr & Mrs J H Pryor representing Messrs Swiss and Company, successors to Mr A H Swiss. [11] A similar fate to that of Mr Swiss seems to have befallen Mr Miller because he was likewise declared bankrupt in 1936. [12] The business continued, reformed as a Limited Liability Company, but items printed after 1937 carried the imprint 'Hiorns and Millers (Successors)'. Mr Frederick James Miller died in the Tavistock district in 1947 at the age of 75. [1] Following the destruction of their shop in Fore Street and their printing works in Granby Street during the Second World War, they moved to 40 Marlborough Street and also opened a shop at number 66 Mutley Plain in Plymouth. [13] The shop was still in
Marlborough Street in the 1960s but did not survive very long. [A] Sources:
|
|||