Information Regarding George Kenning/George Kenning & Son

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George Kenning & Son - London - 1922

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George Kenning & Son - London - 1931

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George Kenning - London - 1881

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SILVER TROPHY SHIELD PRESENTED TO H.M. BATTLESHIP LONDON - 1905




The second gift took the form of a very finely designed and chased silver challenge-shield, to be competed for at big-gun practice annually, the names of the best shooting crew on board to be inscribed on it each year — the highest form of encouragement possible. The presentation of plate and the shield were both, by royal command, taken to Buckingham Palace and inspected by the King before going to the ship, and His Majesty expressed his warm approval of both the intention of the gifts and the workmanship.

Source: The Londons of the British Fleet - Edward Fraser - 1908

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[Essexboy Fisher]

Spencer & Co

The business of George Kenning was established in 1860 and around 1862 became Kenning & McKiernan before reverting to their original name. They were restyled to George Kenning & Son c.1895, and they acquired Spencer & Co in 1947, becoming George Kenning & Spencer Ltd. They were in turn acquired by Toye & Co. in 1956, and the business was restyled to that of Toye, Kenning and Spencer in 1962.

Hello, "Spencer" seems an estranged member of this masonic family. Where were they before 1947? For some of their history at least, they were not very far away from "George Kenning".



In the upper image we see "Spencers" were apparently established in 1801 and this was well before the establishment of "Kennings" (circa 1860), but not earlier than "Toye". A “William Toye” formally established Toye and Company as the registered trading name for the business in 1835, but the Toye family had been doing specialist weaving in London during the last 2 decades of the 18th Century. This was first at Bethnal Green and then Camden town (source http://www.toye.com).

This next image shows some information from the "Post Office London Directory 1882"



"Spencer & Co" are at "23A Great Queen Street WC" as "Masonic Depot" and "George Kenning" is at "16 & 16A Great Queen Street WC" and also with a "Masonic" business.
I do not know who were the "personnel" of "Spencer & Co" but I did find a "Post Office London Directory (Small Edition), 1852" entry for a "Richard Spencer as 314 High Holborn as a "Masonic bookseller publisher stationer & librarian". I did not have an extensive number of directories at my disposal though, but if correct it would be a further 30 years back towards 1801. Some confirmation of this is offered on line by a University College London “paper”. It is titled "Crew's Circulating Library - UCL Bloomsbury Project"

This information was taken from that article

Spencers origins go back at least to 1800. Richard Spencer’s original publishing business was in Gt Ormond Street, opposite the Lord Chancellor’s residence. In 1826 Spencer’s, booksellers and stationers merged with a similar concern to be Crew & Spencer but the partnership only lasted until 1832. Richard Spencer senior had combined his publishing business with the sale of Masonic regalia, a trade which his son, Richard Spencer Jr, a prominent Mason, continued. There was a grandson “Walter Spencer”. The successor institution is Toye Kenning and Spencer.

Going forward in time now the address on the coloured jewel box in the first image is "15 Great Queen Street WC" and this address is given in the 1899 Post Office London Directory “Streets” as the premises of “Spencer & Co. masonic depot”.
The "Post Office London Directory, 1914. [Part 4: Trades & Professional Directory]" has "Spencer & Co" as "Masonic Jewellers" at 19, 20 & 21 Great Queen Street WC and that is the address on the brown box in my first image. "George Kenning & Son" are still at 16 & 16A Great Queen Street.

I did note an additional interesting name in the 1882 “Masonic Jewellers” list show in my 2nd image. That name is “Mrs Elizabth McKierman, 181 Blackfriars Rd SE”. I wonder if this was the continuation of the business of James McKierman (McKiernan) who was partner with “George Kenning” for part of the 1860’s.

Fishless

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George Kenning - London - 1880

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Noted as the business of Frank R. Kenning (sole proprietor) in 1935.

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Casket for Freedom of the City Presented to Viscount Peel

Manufactured by George Kenning & Son:



Source: The Illustrated London News - 13th July 1895

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