The HOUSE OF FRASER Archive

Company: Fraser Sons & Co Ltd Fraser's

Registration number: 7136

Company name: Fraser Sons & Co Ltd
Dates in business: 1909-1947

Company name: Fraser's
Dates in business: 1849 to date

Type of business: drapers

Type of company: Private limited liability company

Locations:
  • Argyle Street, Glasgow, Scotland
  • Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Scotland
  • Jamaica Street, Glasgow, Scotland

Company history

On 26 May 1909, Fraser, Sons & Co was registered as a private limited liability company, becoming Fraser, Sons & Co Ltd. Its registered office was at 12 Buchanan Street. The new company took over the business but not the Buchanan Street warehouse which remained the personal property of the three brothers, Hugh, James Arthur and John Fraser. The new company saw the introduction of the now famous stag’s head emblem which was to represent the Fraser name for nearly eighty years. In 1923, Hugh Fraser junior wanted to extend the warehouse by buying adjoining property. His uncle, John, a non-executive director, vetoed the proposal. Hugh therefore turned his attention to the interior. In 1924, he enlarged the tearoom, installed a restaurant, overhauled the gown department and appointed a new blouse and jumper buyer. He also rebuilt the interiors of the Buchanan Street windows and installed electric lighting. In 1927, he enlarged the Small Ladies Department. In 1929, following his purchase of John Fraser's share in the business, Hugh built an arcade on the Buchanan Street frontage. He followed this, in 1930, with a similar arcade in Argyle Street.

In 1931, Hugh began planning to modernise the store and to lease the upper four floors of Montague Burton's men's outfitters shop which adjoined the family warehouse on the corner of Buchanan Street and Argyle Street. The first three floors were to contain additions to the fashion departments, and the top floor a restaurant and smoking room. The extension was officially opened by the Lord Provost, Sir Thomas Kelly, in November 1931. This was followed by a concerted advertising campaign in the local press.

1932 witnessed the start of a lean time for the company. At the beginning of the year, turnover collapsed, and Hugh only maintained the business by extending the amount of credit he offered his customers. He sought ways of increasing trade, however, and reorganised the household sections in autumn 1932 to take advantage of the rise in demand for furnishings. This was so successful that the sections were brought together, in May 1933, into a much enlarged single department on the third floor. In the same year, he added an inexpensive millinery section.

In 1936, the company embarked on a series of acquisitions. In May, it purchased Arnott & Co Ltd, drapers, of Argyle Street, Glasgow, followed, in September, by its neighbour, Robert Simpson & Sons Ltd, drapers, of Jamaica Street, which it merged with Arnotts to help improve trade. In November, it purchased property adjoining the Buchanan Street front of Frasers, to make room for an extension, and, in December, it acquired the drapery business of Thomas Muirhead & Co (Glasgow) Ltd. It also created two new companies: in July, it had created Frasers (Glasgow) Bank Ltd to handle the company's finances, and in February 1937, it created Fraser Estates Ltd to act as estate agents and factors for the company's properties. Further acquisitions followed. In about 1939, it acquired Betty Beresford Ltd, drapers, of Glasgow, followed, in 1940, by Kings Fashions Ltd, drapers, of Glasgow, and Peter Allan Ltd, drapers, of Edinburgh and, in 1941, Gordon and Stanfield, drapers, of Perth, Muir Simpsons, Ltd, house furnishers, of Glasgow, and Alexander Ewing & Co Ltd, drapers, of Dundee.

In November 1941, with so many businesses now under his control, Hugh Fraser decided to form a new company, House of Fraser Ltd, as a vehicle for future acquisitions. This new company did not, however, commence business until 1946. In the meantime, Fraser Sons & Co Ltd continued to make new acquisitions. Dallas's Ltd of Glasgow and its sister enterprise, Dallas's Colosseum Ltd, were acquired in November 1942, D & A Prentice (Greenock) Ltd and Logie & Co Ltd of Stirling were acquired in 1945 and McLachlan and Brown Ltd of Stirling, D A Wallace & Co Ltd of Perth and William Small & Sons Ltd of Edinburgh were acquired in 1946. In 1947, Fraser Sons & Co Ltd was liquidated and its assets transferred to House of Fraser Ltd.

Records held for Fraser Sons & Co Ltd:

FRAS 1
Title: Memorandum and articles of association
Date: 1909
FRAS 291
Title: Invoice and receipt relating to registration of limited company
Date: 1909
FRAS 2
Title: Minutes of meetings of board of directors and shareholders
Date: 1909-1947
FRAS 6
Title: Combined register
Date: 1909-1948
FRAS 293
Title: Guarantee to Royal Bank of Scotland for Hugh Fraser
Date: 1933
FRAS 278
Title: Private ledgers
Date: 1909-1948
FRAS 287
Title: Indexes to private ledgers
Date: 1909-1938
FRAS 286
Title: General ledger
Date: 1938-1948
FRAS 279
Title: Journal
Date: 1935-1948
FRAS 68
Title: Journal
Date: 1941
FRAS 749
Title: Salaries book
Date: 1941-1944
FRAS 285
Title: Advertisement for great alteration sale
Date: 1931
FRAS 296
Title: Photograph of Buchanan Street store
Date: 1914
FRAS 301
Title: Photograph of exhibition display
Date: c 1938
FRAS 283
Title: Staff rules and regulations
Date: c 1925
FRAS 288
Title: Estimates and receipts relating to construction of new shop front on Buchanan Street
Date: 1909
FRAS 290
Title: Receipt from window blind manufacturer
Date: 1909
FRAS 300
Title: Photograph of Tontine Faces
Date: c 1950s
The Tontine Faces were stone masks which were on display in the Buchanan Street store from the 1930s.

Related People and Companies:

Name: Fraser, Hugh, 1860-1927, retailer
Dates of connection: 1909-1927
Connection type: Hugh Fraser was the chairman of Fraser Sons & Co Ltd until 1927.
Name: Fraser, Hugh, 1903-1966, 1st Baron Fraser of Allander
Dates of connection: 1923-1947
Connection type: Hugh Fraser was the chairman of Fraser Sons & Co Ltd from 1927 to 1947.
Name: Fraser, James Arthur, 1855-c 1911, retailer
Dates of connection: 1909-c 1911
Connection type: James Arthur Fraser was a director of Fraser Sons & Co Ltd.
Name: Fraser, John, b 1859, retailer
Dates of connection: 1909-1929
Connection type: John Fraser was a director of Fraser Sons & Co Ltd.
Name: Gamble, Elson, fl 1937-1972, retailer
Dates of connection: 1938-1947
Connection type: Gamble was general manager of Fraser Sons & Co Ltd.
Name: Keenan, Robert G., d 1961, retailer
Dates of connection: 1940-1947
Connection type: Keenan was secretary of Fraser Sons & Co Ltd.
Corporation name: Fraser Sons & Co
Dates of connection: 1909
Connection type: Fraser Sons & Co was incorporated as Fraser Sons & Co Ltd in 1909.
Corporation name: Frasers (Glasgow) Bank Ltd
Dates of connection: 1936-1947
Connection type: Fraser Sons & Co Ltd established Frasers (Glasgow) Bank Ltd in 1936.
Corporation name: Fraser Estates Ltd
Dates of connection: 1937-1947
Connection type: Fraser Sons & Co Ltd established Fraser Estates Ltd in 1937.
Corporation name: House of Fraser Ltd
Dates of connection: 1941-1947
Connection type: Fraser Sons & Co Ltd established House of Fraser Ltd in 1941.
Corporation name: Fraser Sons & Co Ltd | Board of Directors
Dates of connection: 1909-1947
Corporation name: Fraser Sons & Co Ltd | Secretary
Dates of connection: 1909-1947
Corporation name: Arnott & Co Ltd
Dates of connection: 1936-1938
Connection type: Fraser Sons & Co Ltd acquired Arnott & Co Ltd in 1936.
Corporation name: Robert Simpson & Sons Ltd
Dates of connection: 1936-1938
Connection type: Fraser Sons & Co Ltd acquired Robert Simpson & Sons Ltd in 1936.
Corporation name: Thomas Muirhead & Co (Glasgow) Ltd
Dates of connection: 1936-1947
Connection type: Fraser Sons & Co Ltd acquired Thomas Muirhead & Co (Glasgow) Ltd in 1936.
Corporation name: Arnott-Simpson Ltd
Dates of connection: 1938-1947
Connection type: Fraser Sons & Co Ltd established Arnott-Simpson Ltd in 1938.
Corporation name: Betty Beresford Ltd
Dates of connection: c 1939-1947
Connection type: Fraser Sons & Co Ltd acquired Betty Beresford Ltd in about 1939.
Corporation name: Kings Fashions Ltd
Dates of connection: 1940-1947
Connection type: Fraser Sons & Co Ltd acquired Kings Fashions Ltd in 1940.
Corporation name: Peter Allan Ltd
Dates of connection: 1940-1947
Connection type: Fraser Sons & Co Ltd acquired Peter Allan Ltd in 1940.
Corporation name: Gordon & Stanfield Ltd
Dates of connection: 1941-1947
Connection type: Fraser Sons & Co Ltd acquired Gordon & Stanfield in 1941.
Corporation name: Muir Simpsons, Ltd
Dates of connection: 1941-1947
Connection type: Fraser Sons & Co Ltd acquired Muir Simpsons, Ltd in 1941.
Corporation name: Alexander Ewing & Co Ltd
Dates of connection: 1941-1947
Connection type: Fraser Sons & Co Ltd acquired Alexander Ewing & Co Ltd in 1941.
Corporation name: Dallas's Ltd
Dates of connection: 1942-1947
Connection type: Fraser Sons & Co Ltd acquired Dallas's Ltd in 1942.
Corporation name: Dallas's Colosseum Ltd
Dates of connection: 1942-1947
Connection type: Fraser Sons & Co Ltd acquired Dallas's Colosseum Ltd in 1942.
Corporation name: D & A Prentice (Greenock) Ltd
Dates of connection: 1945-1947
Connection type: Fraser Sons & Co Ltd acquired D & A Prentice (Greenock) Ltd in 1945.
Corporation name: Logie & Co Ltd
Dates of connection: 1945-1947
Connection type: Fraser Sons & Co Ltd acquired Logie & Co Ltd in 1945.
Corporation name: McLachlan & Brown Ltd
Dates of connection: 1946-1947
Connection type: Fraser Sons & Co Ltd acquired McLachlan and Brown Ltd in 1946.
Corporation name: William Small & Sons Ltd
Dates of connection: 1946-1947
Connection type: Fraser Sons & Co Ltd acquired William Small & Sons Ltd in 1946.
Corporation name: D A Wallace & Co Ltd
Dates of connection: 1946
Connection type: Fraser Sons & Co Ltd acquired D A Wallace & Co Ltd in 1946.

Access points: Drapers - Furnishers - Retail trade

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