H Perkins & Son Meerschaum Pipes

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condorlover1

Lifer
Dec 22, 2013
8,108
27,730
New York
I have owned over the years several H Perkins & Sons of 179 Tottenham Court Road, London WC1 cased meerschaum 'cutty' pipes. I have read the entry in Pipedia on the company but I am curious of the year this business traded from this address. I know that Perkins were famous for lighters and were also silver smiths of some renown and by the 1950s had been acquired by Beney Ltd. Does anyone know anything else about this pipe maker?

 

jguss

Lifer
Jul 7, 2013
2,484
6,491
The company moved to Tottenham Court sometime between 1884 (when it was still at the 59 High Street address) and 1891 (by which time it's listed at 179 Tottenham Court in the London PO Directory). Perkins stayed at Tottenham until late 1908, when it moved to 33 Compton. There it remained for decades.
As for the Beney link, I'm a bit skeptical; I'd like to know where Pipedia (presumably your source?) got its information. What I know for sure is that by 1917 Perkins was controlled by the Adler family, and it was one of the various entities thrown into the communal pot during the merger about a decade later. I have files on this somewhere at my office and I'll see if I can find time to dig up more. I had thought Perkins remained in Cadogan, and can't think of why it alone would have been spun out.
Perkins, by the way, in addition to meerschaums and briars did silver work and made walking sticks. The business was allegedly founded in the 1850s although that sounds too early to me.

 

jguss

Lifer
Jul 7, 2013
2,484
6,491
Just got into work and had a chance to confirm: H. Perkins remained a Cadogan entity (more precisely, its ultimate parent remained A. Oppenheimer & Co. Ltd) from 1917 until it was dissolved in July of 1996
Not sure how the Beney rumor began, but would be interested to find out. If you google around all you basically see are regurgitations of the Pipedia entry, suggesting that that's where it originated.
But that's just trivia. I have a lot of info on Perkins, but it's unorganized and scattered between several locations. Besides the tenancy at Tottenham Court, is there anything in particular you were looking for?

 

condorlover1

Lifer
Dec 22, 2013
8,108
27,730
New York
I was just curious regarding the address since it is very helpful in dating a cased meerschaum that has the 179 Tottenham Court Road address. From what I have seen it would tend to lend itself to the general assumption that anything bearing that address was made before 1910.

 

jguss

Lifer
Jul 7, 2013
2,484
6,491
Close enough. Actually based on additional info I'd put it between the end of 1886 the end of 1908.

 
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