47 to 53 Bute Street Luton

47 to 53 Bute Street June 2011

47-53 Bute Street is a former factory building sandwiched between two longstanding public houses, the Cooper's Arms and the Engine. It was occupied by Vyse, Sons and Company Limited for much of its history. Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service has a partial series of plans dated 1903 [X843/1/55] for what was then called the 'Orb' factory, 47-53 Bute Street. There were two architects - Max J. Zimmerman of London and G. Aston & Son of Eagle Wharf Road, London. The builders were Luton firm T. & E. Neville.

The new buildings were immediately occupied by Vyse, Sons & Company Limited. This hat manufacturing company had come from London to Luton in 1826 and was at first based in Park Square. Its headquarters, continued to reside in London whilst the manufacture went on in Luton.

Ellen Charlotte Vyse married Luton’s principal brewer Thomas Sworder and the Vyse family helped out his ailing business financially for a while before a serious rift between the two families resulted in an action in Chancery. Vyse, Son & Company Limited disappears from Luton directories in the 1950s when its premises was taken over by a hosiery company and a savings bank.

The Rating and Valuation Act 1925 specified that every building and piece of land in the country was to be assessed to determine its rateable value. The valuer visiting 47-53 Bute Street [DV1/R12/1] found it both owned and occupied by Vyse, Sons and Company Limited. The basement contained four rooms used for packing and measuring 62 feet by 36 feet, 20 feet by 7 feet 6 inches, 37 feet by 25 feet and 21 feet by 30 feet respectively. The first floor comprised: a “lofty” showroom and two offices measuring a total of 52 feet 6 inches by 34 feet 6 inches. There were both stairs and a lift. There was also another office measuring 11 feet 6 inches by 10 feet, a rear boiler house measuring 14 feet 3 inches by 26 feet, a steaming room measuring 40 feet by 33 feet 6 inches and a blocking room in three sections measuring, respectively, 26 feet by 9 feet, 13 feet 6 inches by 22 feet and 9 feet by 10 feet 6 inches.

The first floor comprised: a showroom measuring 63 feet 6 inches by 34 feet 6 inches; a finishing room measuring 16 feet 6 inches by 30 feet; an office measuring 11 feet by 15 feet; a rear depot measuring 21 feet by 32 feet 6 inches; a stiffening room measuring 18 feet by 29 feet and a drying room measuring 21 feet by 10 feet. The second floor contained: a plait store measuring 28 feet by 25 feet; a giving out room measuring 20 feet 6 inches by 35 feet 6 inches; a millinery room measuring 18 feet 6 inches by 35 feet 6 inches; a machine room measuring 12 feet by 31 feet with a motor rated at two horsepower and twenty five feet of 1½ inch shafting; a machine room measuring 20 feet by 11 feet 6 inches with a one horsepower motor and 16 feet of 1½ inch shafting; a machine room measuring 30 feet 6 inches by 35 feet with a five horsepower motor and seventy feet of 1½ inch shafting and a refreshment room measuring 10 feet by 16 feet. The third floor comprised: a felt store, millinery room and machine room measuring 63 feet by 35 feet; a finishing room measuring 29 feet by 29 feet 6 inches; a polishing room measuring 22 feet 9 inches by 20 feet with a two horsepower motor and twenty feet of 2 inch shafting and a blocking room with three areas measuring 22 feet 9 inches by 14 feet 9 inches, 19 feet by 14 feet 9 inches and 18 feet 6 inches by 14 feet 6 inches. The valuer commented: “Recent, good, modern”.

A later visit, in 1928 [DV1/AP6/27], found the premises “50% modern”. The valuer commented: “Saw Mr. Barratt” and found that the premises connected with 59 Guildford Street, which was also owned by Vyse, Sons & Company.

Less than two years later these premises were destroyed by a disastrous fire in which eight employees, four men and four women, died. The building was the rebuilt in the form it is in today [2011]. Although now occupied by shops the metal cladding at the centre of the first and second floors still carries the letter V for Vyse.

Directories for Bedfordshire were published every few years from 1839; for example, the beginning of the 20th century has directories for 1903, 1906, 1910 and 1914. Countywide directories ceased to be published during the Second World War, the last for Bedfordshire being in 1940. Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service has directories just for Luton for 1939, 1950, 1960, 1965, 1968, 1972, 1974 and 1975. The first street numbers in Bute Street  begin to appear in directories in 1885.

• 1885: 51 – Joseph Cox and Son, coal merchants; 53 – Thomas Horley, baker;
• 1890: 51 – James John Langley, gun maker; 53 – Thomas Horley, baker;
• 1894: 51 – Venus & Norris, straw hat and bonnet manufacturers; 53 – Frank Ellard Percival, straw hat manufacturer;
• 1898: 47 – Stanley William Weatherhead, straw hat manufacturer; 49 – George Mercer & Samuel Johnson, grocers and provision merchants; 53 – George Newman, straw hat manufacturer;
• 1903: 47 – Thomas Burley, straw hat manufacturer; 51 – Wright & Giddings, straw hat manufacturer; 53 – George Neumann, straw hat manufacturer;
• 1906: Vyse, Sons & Company Limited, straw hat manufacturers and merchants;
• 1910: Vyse, Sons & Company Limited, straw hat manufacturers and merchants;
• 1914: Vyse. Sons & Company Limited, straw hat manufacturers and merchants;
• 1920: Vyse, Sons & Company Limited, straw hat manufacturers and merchants;
• 1924: Vyse, Sons & Company Limited, straw hat manufacturers and merchants;
• 1928: Vyse, Sons & Company Limited, straw hat manufacturers and merchants;
• 1931: Vyse, Sons & Company Limited, straw hat manufacturers and merchants;
• 1936: Vyse, Sons & Company Limited, straw hat manufacturers and merchants;
• 1939: Vyse, Sons & Company Limited, straw hat manufacturers and merchants
• 1940: Vyse, Sons & Company Limited, straw hat manufacturers and merchants;
• 1950: 47 – Luton & District Trustee Savings bank; 47-51 – Vyse, Sons & Company Limited;
• 1960: 47-51 – Ballito Hosiery Mills Limited; 47-53 – Luton & District Trustee Savings Bank (L. Cross, AIB, ASBI, manager);
• 1965: 47-51 – Ballito Hosiery Mills Limited; 47-53 – Luton & District Trustee Savings Bank (K. A. Howard, ASBI, manager);
• 1968: 47-51 – Ballito Hosiery Mills Limited; 47-53 – Luton & District Trustee Savings Bank (K. A. Howard, ASBI, manager);
• 1972: 47-53 – Charles Clay Limited hat material manufacturers; 47-53 – Luton & District Trustee Savings Bank (K. A. Howard, ASBI, manager);
• 1974: 47-53 – Charles Clay Limited hat material manufacturers; 47-53 – Luton & District Trustee Savings Bank (K. A. Howard, ASBI, manager);
• 1975: 47-53 – Charles Clay Limited hat material manufacturers; 47-53 – Luton & District Trustee Savings Bank (K. A. Howard, ASBI, manager);
• 2011: 47 – Ashcroft Premier; 49-53; Ashcroft Fried Chicken, Baps and Pizza.

A commercial catalogue for Bedfordshire of about 1890 gives information on Langley, the gunmaker: "The important and responsible trade of the gunmaker is well represented in the town of Luton and its neighbourhood by Mr. J. J. Langley, who manufactures all kinds of double and single hammer, hammerless and ejector breech-loading guns, sporting and match rifles, muzzle-loading guns, pistols, revolvers, central fire large bore guns for wild fowl shooting, trap guns with long chambers, cartridhe machines, fillers, turnovers, brass and paper cartridge cases, etc., etc. At this establishment also will be found all descriptions of leather gun-cases, covers, bags, belts, rods, cleaners, and cartridges and ammunition of every possible make or kind. The capital business over which Mr. Langley presides has been established about seven years, and has always been well patronised by the gentry of the district".