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A beautiful pipe! Here's a bit more about the tobacconist for which Barling made it.
Skillington was a tradition in Leicester for more than a century, with three generations of the same family passing the business down from father to son. It began with Stephen Skillington, born in Wilbarston, Northamptonshire in 1823. By 1844 Stephen had migrated the 20 miles or so from Wilbarston to Leicester, where he married Harriet Warden and permanently settled. Together they had many children, but only one son who survived to maturity. His name was William, and he was born in 1847. By the time William came along his father, Stephen, had already established himself as a hairdresser at Humberstone Gate in Leicester. By 1854 Stephen began to be listed as both a hairdresser and tobacconist (not an uncommon combination in the 19th century). Business must have been good, for not more than seven years later Stephen expanded to a second location at 48 Granby Street, in addition to the original shop at 8 Humberstone Gate.
In 1871 Stephen's son, William, is listed as an assistant in his father's shops, and by 1876 the name of the business had been changed, presumably to reflect William’s growing role, to Skillington & Son. Although Stephen continued to live for quite a while, not dying until 1901, it must have been not too many years after this that William began to run the business. Certainly by this time William had married (to Jemima Leatherland in 1873) and started a family of his own. Unlike his own father, William had three sons who survived to maturity: Stephen Harry (presumably named after his grandfather; born in 1875, died 1951), and twin boys named Harold William (born 1883, died 1949) and Sydney John (born 1883, died ?). Of the three only the oldest, Stephen, went into the family business. Harold went on to become a solicitor, and his twin brother Sydney became a chartered accountant.
Between 1899 and 1903 the business was moved from 48 Granby to 60 Granby; at the same time the original location at Humberstone Gate was closed. It’s also around this time that Skillington & Son begins to be listed more commonly as cigar merchants. Your pipe, therefore, would have been ordered by William and/or his son Stephen Harry, and shipped to the shop at 60 Granby Street.
Stephen Harry is listed as a shop assistant as late as 1911, when his father would have been 64 years old. William finally passed away in 1936 at the ripe old age of 89. Stephen Harry married very late in life, at the age of 57; he either failed to have children, or had none interested in carrying on the family tradition. At any rate while Skillington & Son continued to be listed in Leicester phone books through 1948, from 1949 onward it disappeared for good. Three years after the shop was gone Stephen Harry was dead.
By the way, the business must have been extraordinarily successful. When Stephen died in the Autumn of 1901 he left an estate valued at £43,124; historical currency conversion is notoriously tricky, but Stephen’s estate would be worth the equivalent of perhaps $5 million in today’s money. When William died in the Summer of 1936 he left an even larger estate valued at £116,838 thousand pounds, the equivalent of maybe $8 million in today’s money. And when Stephen Harry died in 1951, his estate, while substantially smaller than his father’s, was still valued at £77,223, perhaps $2-3 million in today’s money.
Skillington was a tradition in Leicester for more than a century, with three generations of the same family passing the business down from father to son. It began with Stephen Skillington, born in Wilbarston, Northamptonshire in 1823. By 1844 Stephen had migrated the 20 miles or so from Wilbarston to Leicester, where he married Harriet Warden and permanently settled. Together they had many children, but only one son who survived to maturity. His name was William, and he was born in 1847. By the time William came along his father, Stephen, had already established himself as a hairdresser at Humberstone Gate in Leicester. By 1854 Stephen began to be listed as both a hairdresser and tobacconist (not an uncommon combination in the 19th century). Business must have been good, for not more than seven years later Stephen expanded to a second location at 48 Granby Street, in addition to the original shop at 8 Humberstone Gate.
In 1871 Stephen's son, William, is listed as an assistant in his father's shops, and by 1876 the name of the business had been changed, presumably to reflect William’s growing role, to Skillington & Son. Although Stephen continued to live for quite a while, not dying until 1901, it must have been not too many years after this that William began to run the business. Certainly by this time William had married (to Jemima Leatherland in 1873) and started a family of his own. Unlike his own father, William had three sons who survived to maturity: Stephen Harry (presumably named after his grandfather; born in 1875, died 1951), and twin boys named Harold William (born 1883, died 1949) and Sydney John (born 1883, died ?). Of the three only the oldest, Stephen, went into the family business. Harold went on to become a solicitor, and his twin brother Sydney became a chartered accountant.
Between 1899 and 1903 the business was moved from 48 Granby to 60 Granby; at the same time the original location at Humberstone Gate was closed. It’s also around this time that Skillington & Son begins to be listed more commonly as cigar merchants. Your pipe, therefore, would have been ordered by William and/or his son Stephen Harry, and shipped to the shop at 60 Granby Street.
Stephen Harry is listed as a shop assistant as late as 1911, when his father would have been 64 years old. William finally passed away in 1936 at the ripe old age of 89. Stephen Harry married very late in life, at the age of 57; he either failed to have children, or had none interested in carrying on the family tradition. At any rate while Skillington & Son continued to be listed in Leicester phone books through 1948, from 1949 onward it disappeared for good. Three years after the shop was gone Stephen Harry was dead.
By the way, the business must have been extraordinarily successful. When Stephen died in the Autumn of 1901 he left an estate valued at £43,124; historical currency conversion is notoriously tricky, but Stephen’s estate would be worth the equivalent of perhaps $5 million in today’s money. When William died in the Summer of 1936 he left an even larger estate valued at £116,838 thousand pounds, the equivalent of maybe $8 million in today’s money. And when Stephen Harry died in 1951, his estate, while substantially smaller than his father’s, was still valued at £77,223, perhaps $2-3 million in today’s money.
K
klause
Guest
JGuss, I'm stunned!!!
Not quite sure what to say....thank you. That is quite amazing, and, it adds yet another dimension to this pipe.
It feels more alive than ever......there's an immediacy to its existence now that is quite spine tingling.....I know the names and a little about 2 people, who is all probability, held this pipe before me.
Blimey!
Again, thank you - I'm staggered.
Not quite sure what to say....thank you. That is quite amazing, and, it adds yet another dimension to this pipe.
It feels more alive than ever......there's an immediacy to its existence now that is quite spine tingling.....I know the names and a little about 2 people, who is all probability, held this pipe before me.
Blimey!
Again, thank you - I'm staggered.
Jon, what a great history. The only shop marked pipe I have is from Hollingsworth. Jon and Jesse, It might be interesting to have an addendum article about the shops that had their names marked on Barling's pipes.
Klause, the pipe came out looking FANTASTIC, the condition belies it's age, enjoy that great old pipe!!!
Klause, the pipe came out looking FANTASTIC, the condition belies it's age, enjoy that great old pipe!!!
Epic thread here Jason!
EPIC
You've done a tremendous job on the resto and it's a dead gorgeous jawdropper of the highest order,
many congrats on such a great find!
Add in the comprehensive history by jguss and it's all so amazingly incredible.
I love threads like this!
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EPIC
You've done a tremendous job on the resto and it's a dead gorgeous jawdropper of the highest order,
many congrats on such a great find!
Add in the comprehensive history by jguss and it's all so amazingly incredible.
I love threads like this!
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