William Soutter & Sons Ltd, Farm Street, Hockley

[sospiri]

This is mainly for information about a very old Birmingham business now long gone - of course, unless anyone else can add to it...........

William Soutter & Sons Ltd was founded as Soutter & Hicks (Soutterware) as long ago as 1760 at 10, 11 & 12 New Market Street, Birmingham.

They were coppersmiths and brassfounders and specialised in quality kettles, architectural ware, electric light and gas fittings, and also undertook bronzing and electroplating. In 1896 the business was incoporated as a limited company and moved to Farm Street Works at 359 - 380 Farm Street, Hockley.

A list of their makers' marks and examples of their quality work can be found here:-

https://www.oldcopper.org/soutter.htm

and there seem to be many of their wares finding their way into the antiques trade. Sadly, the business came to an end on 1st June 1928 when the Company was wound up. It's unlikely that any remnants of their premises remain over 80 years later, but someone more familiar with Farm Street than me may know better. Maybe someone has some old photographs of the premises?



At least one (and I suspect more) members of my LONGMORE family served their apprenticeships as coppersmiths here.

Maurice

 

[sospiri]

To add a bit more to the information above, in 1802, and for some years afterwards according to Berrow's Worcester Journal, their main business was as tea urn manufacturers.

To add a slight correction about their move to Farm Street, that took place rather earlier than my original source suggested as in 1877 they were advertising the sale of a vertical engine from the Farm Street premises in the local press.

There were at least three William Soutters, grandfather, father, and son, and father lived to be 80 years old and served in numerous public capacities as this obituary shows:-



And finally, it seems there was no shortage of copper thieves in the 19th Century either. This is one of many Court appearances for metal theft carried out at Soutters' premises:-



Maurice