Catalogue description Records of The London office of The London and Kano Trading Co. Ltd

This record is held by Liverpool Record Office

Details of 380 LON
Reference: 380 LON
Title: Records of The London office of The London and Kano Trading Co. Ltd
Description:

380 LON/1. Correspondence files - incoming letters.

 

5 boxes (1648 docs.), 1913-1917

 

1918, 1921

 

380 LON/2. Letter Books - outgoing letters,

 

8 vols., 1913-1921

 

380 LON/3. Registers of Shipments,

 

1 vol., 1911-1914
Date: 1911-1921
Held by: Liverpool Record Office, not available at The National Archives
Language: English
Creator:

London and Kano Trading Co Ltd
Physical description: 9 vols., 5 boxes (1648 docs.)
Immediate source of acquisition:

These records were deposited in this library in October 1973 by the Archivist of the University of Liverpool. It appears that a graduate research student rescued them from destruction when they were about to be "thrown out" from the Cunard Building, Liverpool, in 1970 or 1971. He later handed them into the custody of the University Archivist.
Custodial history:

Acc. 2626
Administrative / biographical background:

Little information on this company can be found. It traded with West Africa (its African office or station being in Kano, Northern Nigeria) principally in sheep and goat skins and in ground nuts, ostrich feathers, horns, gutta, gum etc. These goods were shipped into England from Kano.

 

The merchandise sent out from England to Kano was varied, with cloth forming a large proportion of it.

 

The Liverpool and Kano Trading Co. Ltd. appears in the Liverpool Directories only for the years 1915 to 1922 (inclusive).

 

To the middle of the year 1916 its offices were at 3 New Quay, Liverpool. From 5th June 1916 its offices were in Cunard Building (see 380 LON/1/4/57). The London office appears always to have been at 16 St. Helens Place, London E.C.

 

From the correspondence it appears that Liverpool's was the head office of the Company. Letter headings describe the London office as a branch office and the Company's telegram and cable address was in Liverpool.

 

The (or a) Director of the Company was Sir Percy E. Bates (1879-1946), later to become Chairman of the Cunard White Star Co.Ltd. Most of Sir Percy Bates business life was spent in shipping but according to The Liverpolitan September 1932, p. 7 "... on the death of his father in 1900 he joined the family firm...". This was the firm of Edward Bates & Sons, shipowners and merchants, which moved its offices from 3 New Quay to Cunard Buildings, Liverpool in 1916 (see Some Transactions of a Halifax Family Compiled ... [by Sir Percy Elly Bates] 1923, p. 21, also Biographical Newscuttings: Bates, Sir Percy) as did the Liverpool and Kano Trading Company.

 

The records listed below are those kept by the London office of the Company.
Link to NRA Record:

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