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Payton Pepper & Co Ltd

S

sjjones

Guest
Does anyone have information about Payton & Pepper the Jewellery manufacturers, or know where they were situated in the Jewellery Quarter please?
My Granddad and Great-Granddad worked for them from the early 1900’s until the 60's.
There’s a family tradition that there was a connection with the firm. My Granddad’s name was Underhill, and I’ve been told that one of the Underhill’s, (Emma) married Henry Payton in the mid to late 1800’s. I've found the marriage and found them on the 1891 Census, but can't find a link to my branch of the Undrehill family as yet so was wondering if anyone else knew anything about them.
Thanks
Steve
 
Does anyone know where Payton & Pepper were situated in the Jewellery Quarter, or anything about Mr. Payton please?
 
Hi to SJJONES,
If you go to the Clock in Warstone Lane theres a bank on the corner of Vyse Street P & P are about 50 yards up on the left hand side,facing The Rose Villa PUB.
 
Steve
Payton & Pepper were at 3,5,7 Vyse St, that is on the western side near the corner with Warstone Lane . The building was demolished in the late 1960s a new building with shops built for them on the corner of Warstone Lane and Frederick St. The old building would have been the building on the right of the bank in the photograph below
Mike
 
sjjones said:
Does anyone have information about Payton & Pepper the Jewellery manufacturers, or know where they were situated in the Jewellery Quarter please?
My Granddad and Great-Granddad worked for them from the early 1900’s until the 60's.
There’s a family tradition that there was a connection with the firm. My Granddad’s name was Underhill, and I’ve been told that one of the Underhill’s, (Emma) married Henry Payton in the mid to late 1800’s. I've found the marriage and found them on the 1891 Census, but can't find a link to my branch of the Undrehill family as yet so was wondering if anyone else knew anything about them.
Thanks
Steve
Click to expand...

Payton Pepper merged with Barker Ellis and the group went out of business some years ago. I was the last chairman. I know about the Pepper family tree but not the Payton one. I may be able to put you in touch with a Payton if you want.

Gordon Pepper
 
Hi Steve

Are you still searching for information about Paytons? My grandmother Evlyn Rose Payton was a Payton. Her father was Mr Payton from the jewellers Payton and Pepper. My mother is doing some research into Paytons and I may be able to tell you more when she feeds back to me her findings. Is your surname Underhill too?

Vicki C
 
hi vicki and welcome...i am afraid that steve is no longer a member of the forum he is only a guest so unless he re joins us he will not be able to reply to you

lyn
 
Can anybody identify this platinum bracelet and matching earrings please?
It is matt finished ans set with cabuchon amethysts
I believe it is stamped PPld and Plat circa 1960 but I have not seen anything like it in 50 years in the Trade.
John Mason FGA20191018_152739.jpg
 
hello john and welcome...the set is certainly very pretty ...i wonder could it have been privately made to order...

lyn
 
Last edited:
John,
In 1960 the only lapidary's in Birmingham at that time were Shipston in Spencer Street and Ben Clay in Vyse Street. Both were capable of producing quality cabuchon's from the rough; with Ben Clay the much finer artisan for such work. Given the (ugly) aesthetics of the bracelet I would assume it was designed by the wearer and her birthday was in February. As you already know, Payton Pepper had/have a well deserved reputation for the highest quality of work and may have sourced the stones from London lapidaries...or beyond! That's it, that's all I have. You are perhaps too modest to mention it but for others reading these posts, John's "FGA" means he is a Fellow of the Gemmological Association which is no mean achievement.
 
DPL said:
John,
In 1960 the only lapidary's in Birmingham at that time were Shipston in Spencer Street and Ben Clay in Vyse Street. Both were capable of producing quality cabuchon's from the rough; with Ben Clay the much finer artisan for such work. Given the (ugly) aesthetics of the bracelet I would assume it was designed by the wearer and her birthday was in February. As you already know, Payton Pepper had/have a well deserved reputation for the highest quality of work and may have sourced the stones from London lapidaries...or beyond! That's it, that's all I have. You are perhaps too modest to mention it but for others reading these posts, John's "FGA" means he is a Fellow of the Gemmological Association which is no mean achievement.
Click to expand...
Thank you DPL.
My colleges an I have considered that this may be a commissioned piece.
While the design is not to every bodies taste, It is impressive, stylish and very very well made.
The finish is mat, the gallery around the plaques is perfect and understated.
The cabuchon amethysts do not look like metric or stock sizes.
I believe it to be circa 1960.
The other jewellery in this estate shows a taste for the fashionable and cosmopolitan ( pre war Georg Jensen ) .
Thank you for the compliment. I am very proud of my qualification even if it is almost 50 years old.
Regards John
 
john i remember payton pepper when i started my first job in vyse st after leaving school...am i correct in thinking the building is no longer there

lyn
 
thanks john yes i think it was near the warstone lane end of vyse st and that is newish build now...

cheers

lyn
 
mikejee said:
No 366 is in red on the c1950 map below. the firm appears in Kellys directories from the 1936 edition (when they are described as photographers and which would refer to 1935) till at least the 1958 edition (where it is described as Taylors Press service, photographers and would refer to 1957). It had disappeared by the 1961 edition. The electoral rolls (only some of which are online) show Charles Percy & Beatrice Kate Taylor to be there in 1935, but not in 1930. Charles is still there in 1960. Below are advertisements for the firm View attachment 145510View attachment 145511View attachment 145512

View attachment 145509
Click to expand...
Hi there

I am new to the group and also not at all used to computer based websites! -so please forgive me if I seem amateurish....

I worked for the jewellery maker Payton Pepper in the 1980s and 90s. I have found their old Minute Books in my loft during this closedown and am doing a write up about their experiences of the roaring 20s and the Wall St crash.

They were based at 3,4 &5 Vyse Street in Hockley at that time. Do you by any good chance have a contemporaneous photo of that building?

I will submit my write up and pictures to you when I finish it.

Thanks and regards

Lawrence
 
Victoria Conway said:
Hi Steve

Are you still searching for information about Paytons? My grandmother Evlyn Rose Payton was a Payton. Her father was Mr Payton from the jewellers Payton and Pepper. My mother is doing some research into Paytons and I may be able to tell you more when she feeds back to me her findings. Is your surname Underhill too?

Vicki C
Click to expand...
Hi Vicki. I'm trying a few shots in the dark at the moment. There is a rumour that after the second world war, when the Crown Jewels were returned to the Tower of London from their hiding place in Windsor Castle, they came to Payton Pepper to have their stones reset. Have you any idea about the truth of this matter?

Best Wishes, David.
 
Just bought a beautiful gold Celtic Cross, it’s marked
PPLD, Payton Pepper and sons, Birmingham assay mark but I cannot work out when it was made , it has a V on it but there are 2 or 3 that look similar for Birmingham, any help much appreciated.
Tim Healy
 
C3E0A5B3-9F8C-4D27-92AD-4351CF668D87.jpeg
 

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A search gave several but it looks like a V in a circle
1870-1871[V].png

1870-1871[V]
 
I think I’ve managed to work it out, it looks like it's in a box with chamfered edges, the Right side of the V is slightly thinner and shorter than the Left side. 2 dates that match the V, 1920 & 1945, they are almost identical V’s. It’s a pity I cannot identify the style of the Celtic Cross, it would help with identifying the year.I will try later to upload a photo. Thank you for your help
 
sjjones said:
Does anyone have information about Payton & Pepper the Jewellery manufacturers, or know where they were situated in the Jewellery Quarter please?
My Granddad and Great-Granddad worked for them from the early 1900’s until the 60's.
There’s a family tradition that there was a connection with the firm. My Granddad’s name was Underhill, and I’ve been told that one of the Underhill’s, (Emma) married Henry Payton in the mid to late 1800’s. I've found the marriage and found them on the 1891 Census, but can't find a link to my branch of the Undrehill family as yet so was wondering if anyone else knew anything about them.
Thanks
Steve
Click to expand...
My step grandmother's mother was Annie Payton. She married Edwin Palethorpe. Annie was the daughter of George Payton. George Payton's brother was Henry Payton. Henry had a son also named Henry who was disowned by his father when he married someone not approved of by his father. Would need to look up my family history on ancestry Web site to see what name s come up. I have done an extensive family history and also have the founder of the company his apprentice records when he, a poor child of Birmingham, was apprenticed to one William Deacon (from memory) a goldsmith. Have more records, census returns and descendants of the Payton family. Also how the Pepper family became involved by the marriage of Pepper who married one of Henry's daughter. Due his drive and sales ability Pepper became a Director and his name added to the Payton name to become Payton and Pepper. Richard Dolman.
 
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