Yeovil People
WH Hallett & Son
from Glove Knife Manufacturers to Precision Engineers
William Henry Hallett was born in Yeovil in January 1867, third of the four children of tailor Joseph Richard Hallett (1791-1880) and Jane Ann née Blake (b1838). William's siblings were Albert Edward (1861-1936), Mary Jane (b1864), William and Bessie Priscilla (1872-1951).
The 1871 census listed the family living in Back Kingston (today's Higher Kingston) together with Jane's mother Elizabeth Blake and a lodger. In the following census the family (less mother and lodger) were listed living in a cottage in Mudford Road. By the time of the 1891 census, Joseph and Jane, together with William, Mary and Bessie, were living in Lansdowne Terrace in Vincent Place. Joseph still gave his occupation as a tailor, while William gave his as a glover's engineer and Mary and Bessie were both employed as glove pointers.
In June 1891, 24-year-old William was to marry 23-year-old Clara Fox, at Yeovil. They were to have two children; William Henry Ewart (18 February 1893-1961) and Ida Kathleen C A (1897-1968).
The 1901 census recorded that, while Joseph and Jane were at 12 Vincent Street, all the children had left home. William and his family were living above William's shop premises at 39 Middle Street. These premises were in Commercial Buildings (see Gallery), between the Triangle and Central Road. The factory premises were behind the shop premises with "Road Access to Central Road". 34-year-old William gave his occupation as a "Glove Knife Maker and Cycle Agent".
By 1910, according to the many advertisements placed in various newspapers, 17-year-old William Jnr was made a partner in the company of WH Hallett & Son (although the 1910 postcard below only shows the name "W H Hallett" on the premises). The 1911 census recorded the family still at 39 Middle Street, where William Snr gave his occupations as a "Glove-Knife Manufacturer" and William Jnr gave his as "Assisting in Business".
In April 1915, at Yeovil, William Jnr married Frances Hannah Havergal Bugby (b1890). They were to have a son, Howard Ewart (1916-2002). They also probably had a daughter, Claudia Frances.
In the summer of 1921, William Henry Hallett died in Yeovil, aged 47. His son, William Jnr, took over the company but retained the name 'WH Hallett & Son'.
The 1939 England and Wales Register (effectively the pre-war census) listed William, Frances and Howard living at 'Ashmuruh', Combe Street Lane. Both William and 23-year-old Howard gave their occupations as " Glove Knife and Edge Tool Manufacturers".
In January 1947, William sold off his small Middle Street factory (see Gallery for a full description of the factory), moving his operations to the new Halson Works in Sherborne Road, where the firm was to remain until the 1960s.
William Henry Ewart Hallett, of 26 Home Drive, died in Yeovil General Hospital on 18 December 1961. He was 68 years old. His will was proved at Bristol in the July and his effects were valued at £14,154 3s (around £400,000 at today's value).
Following William's death, Howard took over the running of the firm, again keeping the name 'WH Hallett & Son'. During the 1960s, Howard moved the Halson Works to the Pen Mill Trading Estate. He also began a marketing subsidiary of WH Hallett & Son, called Halspen Engineering Ltd. This latter firm was certainly operating in 1973, when it won a contract to supply ten pneumatically operated glove turning machines to Japan and an order for four machines, together with glove-finishing equipment, to Brazil. The last item I found for WH Hallett & Son was in 1975
gallery
From my collection
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At left is a detail view of the inscription. "Everything for the Glover". |
This
photograph
features in
my book Yeovil
-
The Postcard
Collection'.
A postcard of 1911 of Lower Middle Street looking towards the Triangle with the new Co-operative Society building built in 1910. The building at right was Commercial Buildings. William Hallett's premises at the left end of Commercial Buildings, are shown enlarged below. All the buildings at right were demolished for the Glovers Walk shopping precinct project of the 1960s.
An enlarged detail of the previous image shows WH Hallett's shop premises. William and Clara lived above the shop with their two children. The factory workshop was behind the shop. The area to the left of the shop fronted by railings, gave access to the factory at the rear. From 1913, when Central Road was built, Hallett's premises also had road access to Central Road (see map below).
An extract from the 1927 Ordnance Survey map showing Hallett's shop premises in pink, together with the small factory in the rear garden abutting the access road leading to Central Road.
An advertisement from the 15 July 1910 edition of the Western Chronicle indicating that William believed in the future of the bicycle, naming his premises as "Cycle Works". Note also that "& Son" indicates that 15-year-old William junior was now a partner in the business.
In this advertisement from the 11 November 1921 edition of the Western Chronicle, repeated weekly for many weeks, Hallett & Son remained as glove knife manufacturers and knife specialists. Indeed, in the 1939 England and Wales Register (essentially a pre-war census), William Jnr still gave his occupation as a "Glove Knife and Edge Tool Manufacturer".
Courtesy of Sean
Busby
WH Hallett & Son started in 1911 and these shears were the traditional method used to cut leather for gloves. Within a very short time however, most gloves were cut by metal dies that mechanically stamped out glove blanks - the advantage being uniformity of the blanks and the speed with which they could be produced. Although it is difficult to put an end date on their use (Hallett was still producing them into the 1920s), I would think that the period of highest use would be between 1911 and the start of the war in 1914.
By the time of this advertisement from the 28 March 1924 edition of the Western Chronicle, Hallett & Son had moved on to motorised cycles.
This advertisement for the sale of WH Hallett & Son's factory premises behind 39 Middle Street is from the 24 January 1947 edition of the Western Gazette. It gives a very good description of Hallett's small factory.
This advertisement from the 27 June 1947 edition of the Western Gazette shows that William Jnr had relocated the factory to their new 'Halson Works' on Sherborne Road.
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Above, is a brass heated glove hand, dating to around 1950, manufactured by WH Hallett & Son of the Halson Works, Sherborne Road, and a similar glove hand seen below attached to the heating element. |
An industrial glove heater, 55cm high, with a brass heated hand (as previous photograph), made by WH Hallett & Sons and probably dating to the 1950s. The main dial is by Ashley Brothers of Yeovil. The inset is a close-up view of the hand base.
