Abbotts Grocery Stores 1881-1971

by Judith Fitzhugh on Monday 10 February 2020

ESTABLISHMENT
GROWTH & PROSPERITY OF THE BUSINESS
RETIREMENT AND NEW COMPANY
CLOSURE

1. ESTABLISHMENT

J. Abbott and Company was a prominent grocery business in Somercotes and the surrounding districts for at least ninety years from its establishment in Somercotes before 1881 until its closure in 1971. The business was established in Coupland Place by Luke Abbott (1832-1921) and his family. Luke was the son of John and Mary Abbott and was born in Holloway, Derbyshire where his father was a Framework Knitter in the Cotton Industry. Like many working-class families in the mid nineteenth century all the family were employed in the textile mills and Luke served his apprenticeship in the mills of John Smedley at Lea. By 1861 Luke Abbott (29) had married a local Holloway girl, Sarah Flint, and was living with his two oldest children, John, aged 3 and William Henry Abbott, aged 11 months. His wife’s mother and uncle, Mary (56) and James Flint (51) also lived with them in Holloway. Luke and Sarah Abbott had married at Holloway Chapel on December 22nd 1855 and were given a Bible by John Smedley to mark the occasion. They subsequently recorded the births and deaths of their children in the family Bible, which was customary then.

Their children were as follows:

John Abbott 1857-1884

William Henry Abbott 1860-1947

Mary Elizabeth Abbott 1862-1877

George Abbott Jan 28th 1867 (Died that day)

Oswald Abbott June 17th 17th-June 21st 1870

In 1871 the Abbott family still resided in Holloway where Luke (39) had progressed to being a Machine Fitter and he introduced the first Singer Sewing Machine into the county at Lea Mills. However, by 1881, having suffered the deaths of three children, they had moved to Somercotes and established the grocery business in Coupland Place, which was very near to the original Market Place. Both Luke and his older son John were listed as grocers in the 1881 Census while William Henry Abbott was listed as a painter. Also living with them at this time were Mary Flint (77) mother-in-law and Lucy Bacon (16) a servant, who was born in Somercotes. The family lived at the shop. After John Abbott died in 1884 William Henry Abbott, as the only surviving child, joined the business. In 1891 William Henry Abbott (30) was listed as the householder in the Census with his father Luke (59) as Grocery Assistant. His mother, Sarah (56) and Lucy Bacon (26) the servant also lived there. Later in 1891 William H. Abbott married Maria Merriman (1865-1944) who was a member of another prominent Somercotes family.

PHOTO: William Henry Abbott

PHOTO: Maria Merriman Abbott

2. GROWTH AND PROSPERITY OF THE BUSINESS

From 1884 until 1920 Abbotts Grocery business thrived and expanded. After their marriage William H. Abbott, his wife, Maria, and their children lived at 71 Sleetmoor Lane while Luke and Sarah Abbott continued to live at the shop in Coupland Place. William Henry Abbott was a good businessman and a second branch of J. Abbott and Co. was positioned on Nottingham Road, Somercotes by 1908. After his wife died in 1907, Luke Abbott lived at 14, Langley Avenue with the Robinson family until his death in 1921. William H. Abbott continued to expand the grocery business and by 1920 when he retired Abbotts owned the following:

Coupland Place Warehouse and shop.
Nottingham Road shop in Somercotes
Pinxton Shop on Wharf Road
Swanwick Shop on School Street
South Wingfield shop on Market Place
Wessington Shop on Matlock Road
Huthwaite shop on Main Street
Crich Shop at The Cross.

3. RETIREMENT AND NEW COMPANY

In 1920 William Henry Abbott was a prominent member of the local community and, on reaching the age of sixty, he decided to retire. A new company, “ J. Abbott and Co.” was formed and the following details appeared in “The Derbyshire Advertiser” in April 1920:

“New Co. J. Abbott and Co. Ltd. Private Co. Registered April 12th.

To take over the business of grocer / provisions merchant and dealer carried out by W.H. Abbott of Somercotes as J. Abbott

The first directors are Tom Hulbert (Pinxton), Walter Poyser ( Langley Avenue, Somercotes ) and Edward Jepson ( Bank Street, Somercotes).

Registered Office: Coupland Place Somercotes

Chairman: W. Poyser

Secretary: E. Jepson.”

It was noted that 24 employees were share-holders and a group photograph was taken to mark the occasion.

William Henry Abbott continued to work in an advisory capacity to the company for a while after his retirement along with his other local interests. He was a staunch church member of Somercotes St. Thomas Church where he sang in in the choir for fifty years. The school building of the Infants School had been condemned in 1915 and, thanks do his patronage, the building on Sleetmoor Lane was converted into a new church hall He personally donated £1000. It was reported in “The Ripley and Heanor News” on June 11th 1937 that a bronze tablet was unveiled there which was inscribed as follows:

“The tablet was erected as a token of gratitude to commemorate the opening of the hall on October 14th 1936 by Mr William Henry Abbott whose zeal and generosity enabled the scheme to be carried out.”

He was one of the founders of “The Somercotes Land Society” and was a member for sixty years. Like many people involved in trade, he was a freemason and was largely responsible for the inauguration of the Somercotes and District Nursing Association where he was secretary for many years. He died at the age of 86 in 1947.

4. CLOSURE

J. Abbott continued to thrive as a grocery business until after the Second World War. It was run by the Jepson family and began to decline in the early 1960’s. It eventually closed in 1971.

PHOTO: Abbotts Grocery Store and Warehouse on Coupland Place, shortly before demolition.