Perry & Co.

Perry & Co. was a British manufacturing company whose principal business was the production of steel pen nibs and related writing supplies. It originated in Manchester in 1824, when schoolmaster James Perry began making steel pens by hand because he considered the available products unsatisfactory. The enterprise initially operated as James Perry and Co. and later moved to London, where it expanded beyond nibs into pen holders, pencils, elastic bands, ink, and general stationery supplies. A major stage in the company’s development came in 1829, when production of Perry’s pens was undertaken by Josiah Mason. Mason was regarded as one of the leading steel-pen manufacturers of the period, and the combination of Perry’s product designs and Mason’s manufacturing capability helped the business become a prominent participant in the rapidly expanding nineteenth-century writing-instrument industry. Perry products were exported internationally, and the firm became associated with the industrial growth of Birmingham’s pen trade as well as with London-based commercial activity. The name Perry & Co. was in use by the mid-nineteenth century. In 1876, the business was reorganized as Perry & Co. Ltd. through the combination of James Perry & Co. with Josiah Mason’s steel-pen interests and Wiley & Son, a maker of pen and pencil cases. The enlarged company acquired or operated from the Lancaster Street Works in Birmingham and became one of the world’s leading pen-nib manufacturers. By that period it was considered comparable in scale with Esterbrook, another major international producer of steel pen points. The company broadened its manufacturing portfolio during the bicycle era. Alongside steel pens and pen holders, it produced steel chains, freewheels, hubs, bells, and other cycle accessories. By 1914 its range also included gold pens, stationers’ sundries, and various small metal and personal-accessory goods, including solitaires, studs, sleeve links, and items supplied to tobacconists and drapers. The company reportedly employed approximately 2,000 people at that time, illustrating the scale of its industrial operation. Perry & Co. experienced financial difficulties in the late nineteenth century and was acquired by James William Bayliss, who was also associated with the Bayliss-Thomas automobile business. Its later corporate structure separated parts of the operation. In 1945, chain manufacturing and cycle coaster-hub production were transferred to Perry Chain Co. Ltd.; the pen activity continued through Perry and Co. (Pens Division) Ltd., while Perry and Co. (Holdings) Ltd. served as the group’s principal holding entity. The pen business ultimately became part of the consolidation of British writing-instrument manufacturers. In 1961, British Pens acquired the pen businesses of Perry & Co. and several other established makers, including John Mitchell and Joseph Gillott’s. British Pens later became part of the Twinlock Group and was renamed Cumberland Graphics in 1975. In 1982, Byron Head acquired the relevant businesses from Twinlock. Pen production continued in the West Midlands under successor ownership, but Perry & Co. no longer operated as an independent company. The brand remains historically associated with the British steel-pen and Birmingham manufacturing traditions.

James Perry founded the business in Manchester in 1824. A schoolmaster dissatisfied with the quality of available steel pens, he began producing nibs by hand and established James Perry and Co. The company later moved to London and sold pens, pen holders, pencils, ink, elastic bands, and other stationery goods. From 1829, production was carried out by Josiah Mason, whose manufacturing expertise helped Perry products gain a strong reputation and reach export markets. The company’s name evolved into Perry and Co. during the mid-nineteenth century. In 1876, the enterprise became Perry & Co. Ltd. through the combination of James Perry & Co., Josiah Mason’s steel-pen business, and Wiley & Son, a maker of pen and pencil cases. The resulting company operated in the Birmingham pen-manufacturing environment and became one of the largest makers of steel pen nibs in the world. Its scale was comparable with that of Esterbrook, another prominent nib producer. Perry & Co. expanded into bicycle-related manufacturing, producing steel chains and a range of cycle components and accessories. By 1914, its catalogue included pen holders, steel and gold pens, stationers’ supplies, cycle chains, freewheels, hubs, bells, and miscellaneous metal accessories. The company reportedly employed about 2,000 people. Despite this industrial scale, it encountered financial problems in the late nineteenth century and was acquired by James William Bayliss, who was connected with the Bayliss-Thomas car-making business. After the Second World War, the corporate structure was divided among specialist entities. In 1945, chain and cycle coaster-hub activities were transferred to Perry Chain Co. Ltd. The pen operation continued through Perry and Co. (Pens Division) Ltd., while Perry and Co. (Holdings) Ltd. provided group-level financial control. The pen business was absorbed into a wider consolidation of British manufacturers. British Pens, formed in 1920 through the combination of Hinks Wells & Co. and William Mitchell, had expanded by acquiring Cumberland Pencils in 1921 and later developing ballpoint pens. In 1961, British Pens acquired Perry & Co.’s pen activities along with those of John Mitchell and Joseph Gillott’s. The business later became part of the Twinlock Group, which changed its name to Cumberland Graphics in 1975. Byron Head acquired the two businesses from Twinlock in 1982, and successor operations continued making pens in the West Midlands. Perry & Co. therefore ceased to function as an independent manufacturer, although its nib models remain part of the historical record of British stationery and Birmingham pen production.

• 1982

  Successor businesses acquired from Twinlock

  [1]Perry & Co.en.wikipedia.org

  Byron Head acquired the relevant pen businesses from Twinlock, with pen production continuing in the West Midlands.

• 1975

  British Pens becomes Cumberland Graphics

  [1]Perry & Co.en.wikipedia.org

  Following its integration into the Twinlock Group, British Pens changed its name to Cumberland Graphics.

• 1961

  Pen business acquired by British Pens

  [1]Perry & Co.en.wikipedia.org

  British Pens absorbed Perry & Co.’s pen operations as part of a broader consolidation of British pen manufacturers.

• 1945

  Chain and pen activities are separated

  [1]Perry & Co.en.wikipedia.org

  Cycle-chain and coaster-hub production moved to Perry Chain Co. Ltd., while pen manufacturing continued in a dedicated subsidiary.

• 1914

  Broad industrial product range documented

  [1]Perry & Co.en.wikipedia.org

  The company’s catalogue covered pens, stationery, bicycle components, and several small metal accessory categories, with approximately 2,000 employees reported.

• 1876

  Perry & Co. Ltd. is established

  [1]Perry & Co.en.wikipedia.org

  The Perry, Josiah Mason, and Wiley & Son interests were consolidated under the Perry & Co. Ltd. name.

• 1829

  Josiah Mason begins manufacturing Perry pens

  [1]Perry & Co.en.wikipedia.org

  Production was assigned to Josiah Mason, strengthening the firm’s manufacturing capacity and reputation.

• 1824

  Business founded in Manchester

  [1]Perry & Co.en.wikipedia.org

  James Perry established James Perry and Co. after beginning to manufacture steel pens by hand.

A mass-market and industrial British writing-instrument manufacturer known for a broad selection of steel dip-pen nibs, with additional manufacturing activity in bicycle chains, hubs, and accessories.

• Writing instruments

  Steel dip-pen nibs

  Perry & Co.’s core products were interchangeable steel pen points designed for dip pens. The company produced a very large range of models for different writing purposes, particularly fine-line work. The No. 25 and No. 341 models are associated with the company’s enduring nib range, while various other models were marketed under distinctive names.

• Writing instruments

  Queen Mary nib

  The Queen Mary was one of Perry & Co.’s named steel-pen models. It formed part of the company’s extensive catalogue of specialized nibs and was marketed as a recognizable model rather than only by a numerical specification.

• Writing instruments

  Quill Pen Nos. 230–232

  The Quill Pen series comprised Perry models numbered 230, 231, and 232. These products were part of the firm’s named dip-pen range and reflected its practice of offering multiple nib designs for different writing effects and user preferences.

• Writing instruments

  No. 2301 Indent Pen

  The No. 2301 Indent Pen was a Perry model that was also produced in unusually large five-inch versions. These giant examples represented a novelty or display-oriented variant of the company’s established pen-point design.

• Bicycle components

  Bicycle chains and components

  During the expansion of bicycle use, Perry & Co. manufactured steel chains, freewheels, hubs, bells, and other cycle accessories. Chain and coaster-hub production later became associated with the separate Perry Chain Co. Ltd. subsidiary.

• Stationery and accessories

  Stationery and small metal goods

  Beyond pen points, the company supplied pen holders, pencils, ink, elastic bands, stationery sundries, and selected small metal goods. Historical descriptions also mention gold pens, solitaires, studs, sleeve links, and products supplied to tobacconists and drapers.

• 1961

  Sale of the pen business to British PensM&A

  Background

  British Pens was consolidating several established British pen manufacturers and their product lines.

  Action taken

  British Pens acquired the pen businesses of Perry & Co., John Mitchell, and Joseph Gillott’s, among others.

  Aftermath

  Perry’s pen operations ceased to operate independently and later passed through the Twinlock Group and Cumberland Graphics structures.

  Source

• 1945

  Separation of chain and pen divisionsStrategy

  Background

  Perry & Co. operated across two distinct manufacturing fields: writing instruments and bicycle components.

  Action taken

  Chain making and cycle coaster-hub activities were transferred to Perry Chain Co. Ltd., while the pen business was placed in Perry and Co. (Pens Division) Ltd. under a holding-company structure.

  Aftermath

  The restructuring separated the company’s principal product activities while retaining them within the broader Perry group.

  Source

• 1876

  Consolidation into Perry & Co. Ltd.Strategy

  Background

  The expanding steel-pen industry brought together Perry’s business with Josiah Mason’s manufacturing operation and Wiley & Son’s pen-case business.

  Action taken

  The businesses were combined under the Perry & Co. Ltd. name, with operations connected to Birmingham’s industrial pen trade.

  Aftermath

  The enlarged company became one of the world’s largest pen-nib manufacturers and expanded its product range into bicycle chains and accessories.

  Source

1. 1Perry & Co.en.wikipedia.org