Potter: Powell / Bristol.
John Jennings Hambly was born in Jubilee Place, Chelsea, London, on 27 August 1826, baptised in Bodmin, Cornwall, on 10 Oct. 1828, son of Charles Burrows Hambly, D.A.C.G. (1795-1828), and wife Mary. John married Anne Crossman Squire in Liskeard, Cornwall, on 8 April 1852, from then and until at least 1861 he was a bank clerk, at the Devon & Cornwall Bank, living in Plymouth. Hambly & Lilly, Rectifiers, Compounders, and Importers of Wines and Spirits, Agents for Max Greger (Flagon System) Hungarian Wines, The Grove, Bristol, (John Jennings Hambly & Christopher Lilly) were also trading as Hambly & Co. of 97 & 98 Union Street, Plymouth (1871 census) from at least Apr. 1870. The partnership was dissolved in Jan. 1871, the company continued in Bristol as Brayley, Lilly & Co. and in Plymouth as Hambly & Co. John Jennings Hambly died 10 Sept. 1873 in Plymouth.
Christopher Lilly was born in Bristol on 7 Sept. 1821, baptised at St. Philip & St. Jacob on 11 Dec. of the same year, son of Robert Trapp Lilly and wife Eliza Livett. Robert Trapp Lilly had been a brewer and maltster at The Pennywell Road Brewery, 1 Pennywell Road, along with Christopher's brother James. Robert had resided here from 1814 until November 1844 when the brewery was taken over by Robert Fleay ex- of the Elbroad Street Brewery. After Robert Lilly gave up the brewery he became an auctioneer. Christopher had been brought up alongside the brewery trade. After split with L. C. Brayley, in Nov. 1871 he opens a branch office of Josiah Stallard & Sons, Distillers and Importers of Wines and Spirits of Worcester. The branch was at Liverpool Buildings, Corn Street Bristol. The stores were at Clare Street Hall, c. 1876, Sept. 1877 Christopher moved to Freemason's hall, bottom of Park St., the company was in liqudation by Dec. 1877, by 1878 he is a wine broker & auctioneer at 16 Bridge Street Back. He is at Trafalgar House, Nelson Place, Clifton; c.1880, retired to Lambeth, London by 1891.
| 1 gallon stoneware flagon | |
| Printed:
1123 / STALLARD / Worcester Distillery / BRISTOL BRANCH Potter: Powell / Bristol. |
Lewis Cowell Brayley was born in Bristol in 1828, son of Lewis, an ironmonger at 11 Union St., and Catherine Fussel, baptised at St. Philip and Jacob's on 10 Jan 1830. He received his Master's certificate in the Merchant Navy on 4 July 1851 by examination in Liverpool. In 1855 he married Edinburgh born schoolmistress Elizabeth Whitlock Narraway, in Bideford, Devon, where her father John was a Bideford town councillor. In 1861 Elizabeth was living with her, brother, sister, widowed mother, and 2 year old son Edward, in Bideford. On 10 August 1862 she gave birth to another son at Higher Gunstone, Bideford whilst Lewis was at sea, and captain of the ship Gresham. Lewis returned to Bristol by January 1871 where he entered partnership in the wine trade with Christopher Lilly at The Grove. In the 1871 census the family were living at Dunedin Villa, Sydenham Hill, Cotham. By October 1871 Lilly had left the partnership. Lewis Cowell Brayley and Thomas Green Miles, wine merchants, both joined Canynges Freemason's Lodge, Bristol, in 1872, Miles on 6 Apr. and Brayley on 3 Aug. The two men became partners in the business at the Grove until Thomas Green Miles died on 5 July 1873, the firm still traded as Brayley and Miles until 1875. By 1875 Brayley had taken on Henry James Selkirk as a partner, trading as Brayley, Selkirk & Co. In 1881 the Brayley family were living at 2 Burlington Buildings, Cotham, where Lewis is listed as a Wholesale Wine Merchant. Lewis died 2 January 1886 at his home at Burlington Road, Clifton aged 56. His widow, Elizabeth Whitlock Brayley, died at her home at Hughendon Road, Clifton on 17 Sept. 1891 aged 64. Lewis and Elizabeth's son Edward Baller Lyttelton Brayley (1859-1926) succeeded his father in the business at the Grove, but by 1901 Edward had returned to Bideford where he was employed by the Council as Public Librarian. Brother Lewis William Brayley (1862-1912), who was a tanner and currier by trade, became clerk to the wine and spirit business by 1901.
Thomas Green Miles was born in Clevedon, Somerset, in 1831, baptised at Yatton on 19 Feb. 1832, son of Frederick Camfield Miles and wife Ann. In November 1850, Frederick Camfield Miles was an insolvent auctioneer and appraiser. He had been living for two years at 14 Thomas Street, Bristol, and before that for four years at 20 Harford Place, New Cut, Bedminster. On 3 Sept. 1858 Thomas Green Miles, accountant, applied for a license to marry Mary Morrish James of Lyncombe, Bath. They married on 7 Sept. at St. Mark's Lyncombe. Mary died in 1860 after having one child: Frederick William Miles in 1858 (bapt. 2 Jan. 1864 at Montpelier St. Andrew.) In 1861 Thomas is a commercial traveller and widower boarding at 22 Dove Street, St. Paul's, Bristol. Thomas married again to Emily Elizabeth, second daughter of James Biggs at St. Paul's, Portland Square, Bristol, on 26 May 1866. Thomas was in partnership with Lewis Brayley at The Grove by at least 1872. Thomas died on 5 July 1873 at his home, Nugent Place, Cotham, after a short illness, aged just 42. His only son by Emily, Thomas Herbert, died after three days illness at 4 Alexandra Park, Woolcot Park, on 31 Jan 1877, aged 4.
Henry James Selkirk was born on 23 Jan. 1846 in Lower Camden Street St. Philip's, Birmingham son of engraver William James Selkirk and his wife Clari Jane Docker. By 1870 Henry had become a commercial traveller in the wine trade and he married Ellen Bevan on 24 May that year at St. Mark's, Cheltenham. Ellen's father James was a solicitor's accountant in Cheltenham. In the 1871 census Henry and Ellen are at 3 Grove Place, Swansea Glamorgan. In 1872 the firm of Brayley and Miles were advertising for a junior clerk this may have been when Selkirk joined the company, he was certainly a full partner by 1875. In 1874 Henry had a property at Pershore Road, Edgbaston. In the 1881 census, Henry and family are living at 103 Gough Road, Edgbaston, Warwickshire, where Henry is listed as a wholesale wine merchant, according to the rate books they had lived here since at least 1880. By 1891 the family had moved to Tremont House, Oldfield Park, Bath. The partnership of Selkirk, Brayley and Butler was announced as dissolved with respect to Mr.. H. J. Selkirk in the London Gazette of Tuesday 7 Nov. 1893. In 1901 the family were back at Edgbaston, at 147 Pershore Road, where Henry was a distiller's agent and son Harry was a Wine & Spirit Merchant's traveller. Henry died on 3 January 1903 at 298 Pershore Road, Edgbaston, his estate went to Harry Lionel William Selkirk, wine and spirit merchant. Only son Harry died at 145 Alcester Street, Birmingham on 12 March 1947.
Thomas Butler was born in Paddington, London on 21 Oct. 1853, son of William Butler and Maria Miles who married in Marylebone on 26 Jan. 1851. In 1861 he and his mother were living at his uncle Josiah Miles house in Egham, Old Windsor. His father died when he was young and he was apprentice at the Birnam Hotel, Little Dunkeld, Perthshire (which still exists) in 1871 according to the Scotland census that year, where also lived his mother and sister Maria Miles. in 1881 Thomas was lodging at Victor Villas, Lewisham, he was a wine and spirit merchant at this time although the 1881 Scotland census shows him as the Birnam Hotel book keeper. His mother Maria died in 1884. Mr. Butler late of Birnam, Perthshire, married Blanche, youngest daughter of H. C. Parsons of Bristol, at Lewin's Mead independent chapel on 12 April 1890. From the Bristol Mercury - Tuesday 15 April 1890 page 5: "Employees Dinner:— On Saturday the employees of Messrs Selkirk, Brayley, and Butler, to the number of about twenty, were invited by Mr Butler (on the occasion of his marriage) to a capital dinner, provided by Host Davis, of the Stork hotel, Hotwells. Mr Selkirk, the senior partner, presided, and was supported by Messrs Walter Neumegan and S. H. Browne, of London. The Chairman proposed 'The health of Mr and Mrs Butler,' and Mr Brodribb proposed "Success and prosperity to the firm, "Mr Selkirk replied, and "The employees" was proposed by Mr Neumegan in kind and suitable terms. Messrs Brodribb and Insall replied. Other toasts followed, and the remainder of the evening was spent in harmony."
In the 1901 census Thomas Butler and wife Blanche were boarding at the George Hotel at Chard, Thomas was still a wine and spirit merchant at this date. The couple took on the George family hotel in 1901, gaining the license from Alfred C. S. Plant at the Ilminster Petty Sessions, Weds 27 March 1901, they were still here in the 1919 directory, Blanche died in Chard in 1920 aged 55. in afternoon. From the Western Times - Friday 30 June 1922, p.9: "The license of the George Hotel, Chard, has been transferred from Mr. Thomas Butler, who had held it for nearly 20 years, to Lieut.-Colonel Reginald Jeffery. Mr. Butler, a few years ago, lost his wife, and since then he has carried with his daughter as manageress. His son, Lieut. Donald Butler, was on active service during the Great War." Thomas died in Chard on 13 March 1929.
| 4 gallon stoneware flagon |   |
| Printed:
5592 / BRAYLEY, SELKIRK & Co. Impressed "4" above potters mark. Potter: William Powell & Sons, Temple Gate Pottery, Bristol. (unusual pictorial registered trade mark). |