The Companies

Abraham Orsini Anderson commenced business in the front room of his home in Leicester around 1916.

Originally A E Allen and Company Ltd, was founded by Albert Ernest Allen. Allen was a former director of R Rowley & Co of Leicester who resigned from that firm just after the First World War.

The origins of Atkins of Hinckley can be traced back to Robert Atkins, son of a yeoman farmer. Robert was baptised at Newbold-on-Avon, Rugby in 1702.

Donald Byford (who had an agricultural background) came to Leicester in 1914 from Clare, a small village in Suffolk. He worked for a local sock manufacturer named Myhill for five shillings (25p) per week.

Arthur Foister was the son of Charles, owner of a sock factory at Thurmaston, and the grandson of 'bag hosier' Thomas from the same area.

John Bolton was born in 1867. The son of a doctor, he left his school, The Royal Masonic Institution for Boys, in 1882 and returned to his home at 74 Melbourne Road, Leicester.

A worse start can hardly be imagined than that suffered by Nathaniel Corah and yet he went on to establish what eventually became one of the most prestigious firms in the UK hosiery and knitwear industry.

This famous Nottingham based firm was first established in Tewkesbury in 1815 by the founder, James Blount Lewis, who moved to Nottingham in 1830. In 1885 a branch factory was set up at Ilkeston Junction and in 1893 the firm became J B Lewis Limited.

In 1868 William Newby invited two men who like himself had been engaged in the hosiery trade since they were boys to enter into partnership as manufacturers and distributors of knitted goods. Their firm was set up as 'Newby, Brown & Humberstone' in Belvoir Street, Leicester.

The Nottingham Manufacturing Company (NMC) began in 1851 as Hine & Mundella. This was a partnership between three members of an old established family of merchant hosiers and A.J. Mundella, an outstanding young manager from Leicester.

John Pick, the founder of J Pick & Sons, was born in 1820 into a Barrow on Soar family of framework knitters. As a young man he foresaw the demise of the hand frame and went to Derby to learn the new 'factory' methods of production.

Robert Rowley was born in 1846 and commenced business as a home frame-knitter in Wigston Street, Leicester in the early 1860s.

William N Toller became redundant when his employers, Richard Harris & Co went into liquidation in 1886.

The history of Wolsey Ltd can be traced back over two hundred and fifty years. As early as 1744 Henry Wood was trading in Leicester as a hosier.