History of Rose Morris Manufacturing
Rose Morris outsourced their drum production until buying the John Grey & Sons brand in 1933, so placing the manufacturing origins back to Barnet Samuel in 1861.
- 1832 Henry Solomon begins selling fancy goods, imported from Germany and later adding musical instruments to his catalogue.
- 1861 Solomon's Son-in-Law, Barnett Samuel buys the Solomon's musical division and warehouses at 31 Houndsditch and 27a Duke Street and begin manufacturing instruments.
- 1878 Premises move to 32 Worship Street.
- 1905 Grey & Sons brand launched.
- 1911 John Grey & Sons brand launched inc. 'Dulcet' snare.
1920's - Rose Morris at 16 Rosoman Street
The picture in 1923, was of a flourishing wholesale business in musical instruments, with a small outdoor manufacture of drums carried out for the company by one James Amos Cowlin and his father.
In 1926 there was a small producer of drums who manufactured for the Trade on a small scale. Known then as Furzer & Cutts, it was absorbed by RM and set up in Torrens Street, Islington, under the name of British Music Smiths to manufacture solely for the company. In 1928 a disastrous fire gutted the premises: Cutts went his separate way, and William Henry Furzer came to join the Rose, Morris staff. Engaged mainly in manufactures, (some of them highly ingenious!) though associated with many other branches of the firm's activities, he retired at the end of 1969.
Now at the turn of the century, there was a well established musical instrument house called Barnett, Samuel & Sons, and an offshoot of this organisation was the company of John Grey & Sons (London) Limited, established in Westminster in 1832, renowned for its fine banjos and by 1932 trading in the full range of musical merchandise in Worship Street, not far from the premises of Rose, Morris & Co. Ltd.
In 1932 after delicate negotiation, the John Grey stock and business were acquired from Barnett, Samuel & Sons. With John Grey came its factory, consisting of the Beddards, father and son, one polisher and a lad. They were to provide the nucleus of the company's future manufacturing organisation - and it is noteworthy that the R.M. factory is managed to this day by the son, Francis Robert Beddard. Throughout its early history the factory was always the special responsibility of Stanley Rose, who adopted it as his 'baby' and guided its many ventures until his retirement.
In 1926 there was a small producer of drums who manufactured for the Trade on a small scale. Known then as Furzer & Cutts, it was absorbed by RM and set up in Torrens Street, Islington, under the name of British Music Smiths to manufacture solely for the company. In 1928 a disastrous fire gutted the premises: Cutts went his separate way, and William Henry Furzer came to join the Rose, Morris staff. Engaged mainly in manufactures, (some of them highly ingenious!) though associated with many other branches of the firm's activities, he retired at the end of 1969.
Now at the turn of the century, there was a well established musical instrument house called Barnett, Samuel & Sons, and an offshoot of this organisation was the company of John Grey & Sons (London) Limited, established in Westminster in 1832, renowned for its fine banjos and by 1932 trading in the full range of musical merchandise in Worship Street, not far from the premises of Rose, Morris & Co. Ltd.
In 1932 after delicate negotiation, the John Grey stock and business were acquired from Barnett, Samuel & Sons. With John Grey came its factory, consisting of the Beddards, father and son, one polisher and a lad. They were to provide the nucleus of the company's future manufacturing organisation - and it is noteworthy that the R.M. factory is managed to this day by the son, Francis Robert Beddard. Throughout its early history the factory was always the special responsibility of Stanley Rose, who adopted it as his 'baby' and guided its many ventures until his retirement.
- 1919 In March, when it seemed likely that their brother Leslie would soon be discharged from military service, Stanley Rose and Charles Rose formed a partnership which they called Rose Brothers. Later that year, Leslie Rose joined them, and a small establishment was set up in tiny premises at 16 Rosoman Street, in London's Clerkenwell district. The brothers began to trade as merchants, mainly dealing in toys and similar merchandise. Their sister, Clara, opened the partnership's first set of books, though at that time she was employed elsewhere. She then became the first office staff of Rose Brothers. Progress was slow - too slow for Charles, who left the partnership and went abroad.
- Prior to the war, the mouth-organ had been popular, particularly with London's Cockneys: being made exclusively in Germany, mouth-organs had all but disappeared. Their reappearance after the war was an opportunity for the Rose Brothers. Severely hampered by lack of funds, the company nevertheless went on to become one of the largest stockists of mouth-organs by the 1930s.
- 1920 Progress was slow as it was hard to obtain supplies of merchandise and there was strong opposition from many established manufacturers and suppliers. Years before, Stanley Rose had worked for a wholesaler of musical small-goods, where he met Alfred Victor Morris. Both had acquired an excellent knowledge of the small goods trade, and had remained in touch. In October, A. V. Morris joined the Rose brothers and the name of the company was changed to Rose, Morris and Co. Adjoining premises at were taken and a travelling representative was employed. Leslie Rose and Victor Morris also travelled while Stanley Rose organised the operation of the warehouse.
- 1922 Rose Morris and Co (RM) absorbed Sellinghouse, an active importer specialising in toys called Adolf A. Juviler. With him, the directors of Rose, Morris and Co formed a separate company nearby, calling it Sellinghouse Ltd.
- By 1923, better premises were needed. The range of merchandise continued to expand and embraced the whole scope of the 'small goods' field together with some smaller instruments.
- 1926 There was a small producer of drums who manufactured for the Trade on a small scale. Known as Furzer and Cutts, it was absorbed by RM and set up in Torrens Street, Islington, under the name of British Music Smiths to manufacture solely for the company
- 1928 A disastrous fire gutted the premises: Cutts went his separate way, and William Henry Furzer came to join the RM staff.
- 1929, larger premises were found at 58 City Road, EC1, where the company obtained the lease of a good warehouse with an imposing shopfront, a huge basement for storage, ample space for offices and showroom and a hydraulic lift serving a loading bank capable of accepting a (horse-drawn) railway van.
- There was an enormous demand for portable gramophones: the Decca portable had been used widely by the troops during the war. Rose, Morris set up a gramophone factory at the City Road premises. 'Portables' were produced in their thousands, under the company's trade marks Savana, Diana and Broadway.
- 1930s During the early '30s, mouth-organs sold by hundreds of dozens and the ukulele and the ukulele-banjo enjoyed huge sales. There also came the newly-invented chromatic mouth-organ, and the piano-accordion. With the success of the gramophone industry, the company directed its gaze towards gramophone records. Home entertainment was mostly home-made. A flourishing trade counter was set up, for the supply not only of records but also of their musical instrument range. The 'counter' soon became a focal point for dealers in London and the Home Counties.
- The company's ventures were not always successful: there was an abortive attempt to embark on the manufacture of portable radios under the name 'Langham', and to market a revolutionary, but unreliable, electric turntable for gramophones. However, there were steady sales of dry batteries for radios and bulbs for electric torches
- 1932 Rose, Morris acquired the stock and business of John Grey and Sons, established in Westminster in 1832, renowned for its fine banjos and an offshoot of Barnett Samuel and Sons. As a direct result, came the wholesale agency for Decca records which raised the status of the record department considerably. With John Grey came its factory.
- RM commenced a small scale manufacture of uke-banjos and banjos and the factory was kept hard at work. A small quantity of guitars was produced later - large bodied acoustic models with the name 'Kruna'. These were sprayed in the Gramophone shop downstairs, using, a motor car tyre pump to produce the necessary air pressure. Soon, more space was needed for the activities of the warehouse, and it was decided to establish a factory outside the existing premises.
1933 - Rose Morris makes John Grey at 14 Sun Street
In 1933 a small building, at 14 Sun Street, Finsbury Square, was thought suitable for manufacturing, though its inconvenience was to be found later on. Here, on five small floors, with a twisted wooden staircase and a microscopic hand-operated lift, the Rose, Morris factory was born. Absorbed into it were the Cowlins, father and son, who had been making drums for R.M. for several years: with them came two workmen, and together they began the first R.M. manufacture of drums. The following five or six years were years of steady growth, the factory produced a growing range of merchandise, now including ukuleles, drums of many kinds and numerous accessories - all of which were trundled round to the warehouse in City Road on a handbarrow.
After the war 1945 saw the company with two factories - the original, at Sun Street and the top two floors at Ironmonger Row, now freed from wartime manufacture. A few at a time, the staff began to return: there was a backlog of demand for musical merchandise, but raw materials were hard to come by and equipment destroyed or dismantled during the war had to be replaced or reassembled. The Sun Street factory resumed manufacture of most of its pre-war products, notably Autocrat drums.
After the war 1945 saw the company with two factories - the original, at Sun Street and the top two floors at Ironmonger Row, now freed from wartime manufacture. A few at a time, the staff began to return: there was a backlog of demand for musical merchandise, but raw materials were hard to come by and equipment destroyed or dismantled during the war had to be replaced or reassembled. The Sun Street factory resumed manufacture of most of its pre-war products, notably Autocrat drums.
- A small building, at 14 Sun Street, Finsbury Square, was thought suitable. Here, on five small floors, with a twisted wooden staircase and a microscopic hand-operated lift, the Rose, Morris factory was born. Absorbed into it were the Cowlins, father and son, who had been making drums for RM. There then came several years of steady growth, both in the warehouse and in the factory. The factory produced a growing range of merchandise, now including ukuleles, drums of many kinds and numerous accessories. Enormous business continued to be done in the gramophone record department, and mouth-organs and accordions remained best sellers.
- 1937, the company was joined by Roy B. Morris, elder son of Victor Morris.
- 1939 The outbreak of war saw the gradual whittling away of staff as they took their posts in the services. Even so, the volume of trade was insufficient to enable those left to be retained by the company and it was necessary to dispense with the services of some. The Sun Street factory was an early casualty, the top floor falling victim to an incendiary bomb.
- 1940 The great fire raid on the City of London in December was the finish of the City Road building, which was destroyed completely. Premises were then found at Ironmonger Row. In association with Boosey and Hawkes, the company engaged in war work and produced pull switches for explosive devices and limpet mines.
- 1945 The company had two factories - the original, at Sun Street and the top two floors at Ironmonger Row, now freed from wartime manufacture. Sun Street resumed manufacture of most of its pre-war products.
- 1947 British Industries Fair Advert for Musical Merchandise. Manufacturers and Exporters of: Musical Instruments, Parts and Accessories; Flutinas, Recorders, Ocarinas, Flageolets and other Musical Novelties; Drums, Parts and Accessories; Banjos, Mandoline-Banjos and Ukuleles. (Music and Radio Section - Olympia, Ground Floor, Stand No. C.1552)
- 1947, Victor Morris' younger son, Derek joined Rose, Morris as a member of the sales staff. Meantime, the potential growth of the Australian market became interesting to the directors.
- 1948 Leslie Rose travelled to Australia in February, to set up a new company - Rose, Morris and Co. (Australia) Pty. Ltd, afterwards returning to London. The Australian company, now under the title of Rose Music Ltd, eventually went its separate way, and is now an independent establishment, though retaining close ties with the London company.
1953 - Move to 79-85 Paul Street, EC2
The next few years were to prove the inconvenience of the company's premises and the disadvantages of being in two buildings. Larger premises were sought where all departments might be together under one roof. Eventually a building of some 11,000 square feet (this time on six floors - but with a hydraulic lift!) was found at 83-85 Paul Street, EC2.
In 1953, for the first time in nearly twenty years, Rose, Morris & Co., Ltd. operated from a single address. For its day, the factory was modern and a great deal of new machinery was installed. The warehouse was spacious, offices adequate and there was a good packing department with a loading bay and crane. The integration of the two factories led to a greater concentration on metalwork complementary to the growing production of drums: stands, pedals, hoops, fittings and accessories of many kinds. By good fortune the building next door became available and a prompt move secured it for R.M. The twin of the existing building, 79-81 added a further 11,000 square feet (and another lift), and it proved practicable to connect the two at every level so as to operate as one unit. The factory now had the top two double floors and the warehouse had the remainder. A separate office was provided for the export department and a trade counter set up on the ground floor.
In collaboration with the Forest Products Research Establishment the factory developed a novel method of wood-bending, designing and installing new equipment for the purpose. The results of this installation were made available to the Research Establishment for general use.
In 1953, for the first time in nearly twenty years, Rose, Morris & Co., Ltd. operated from a single address. For its day, the factory was modern and a great deal of new machinery was installed. The warehouse was spacious, offices adequate and there was a good packing department with a loading bay and crane. The integration of the two factories led to a greater concentration on metalwork complementary to the growing production of drums: stands, pedals, hoops, fittings and accessories of many kinds. By good fortune the building next door became available and a prompt move secured it for R.M. The twin of the existing building, 79-81 added a further 11,000 square feet (and another lift), and it proved practicable to connect the two at every level so as to operate as one unit. The factory now had the top two double floors and the warehouse had the remainder. A separate office was provided for the export department and a trade counter set up on the ground floor.
In collaboration with the Forest Products Research Establishment the factory developed a novel method of wood-bending, designing and installing new equipment for the purpose. The results of this installation were made available to the Research Establishment for general use.
- 1953 Larger premises were needed where all departments might be together under one roof. Eventually a building of some 11,000 square feet was found at 83-85 Paul Street, EC2, and for the first time in nearly twenty years, Rose, Morris and Co operated from a single address. Soon, the building next door became available and, as a twin of the existing building, 79-81 added a further 11,000 square feet. The two buildings were connected at every level so as to operate as one unit.
- 1956 Victor Morris died.
- 1957 The year saw the escalation of demand for guitars and drums. Rock and-Roll, Skiffle and associated new musical trends were performed by small groups of players, combining drums with guitars - new groups mushroomed overnight. Drums and guitars, choked the enlarged warehouse and the factory worked all hours to keep production in step with demand.
- 1960 In August, the shares of Rose, Morris and Co were acquired by Grampian Holdings Limited, a Scottish based holding company with interests in a wide range of commercial and industrial activities.
- 1964 New premises were acquired in July, and 32-34 Gordon House Road, London, NW5, became the new home of Rose, Morris and Co., Ltd. It was decided that the full title of the company would be abbreviated for other than formal purposes to the more simple form of Rose-Morris.
- The end of 1967 brought the decision to cater for the specialised needs of military and similar bands. From early days the company had made and supplied Military drums and other instruments for service and pre-service organisations. Now it was intended to enter the field in strength including a heraldic studio, with resident artists to produce the decorative emblazonment - a feature of so much pageantry.