London Metropolitan Archives

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1000 Years of London's History in Documents, Photos, Maps and Films

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London Metropolitan Archives - Item Details

LAMBERT BROTHERS LIMITED

Date of Creation:

1897-199-

Reference Code:

CLC/B/142

Scope and Content:
  • Includes corporate records, records concerning shares, accounting and financial records, administration and legal records, personal staff records, and photographic records. Also records of subsidiary companies
    There is a 30 year closure rule on the records of Lambert Brothers Limited: ask a member of staff for further information.
Extent: 220 production units
Classification: BUSINESSES
Former Reference: MS 30864- 30901 AND MS 31287- 31288
Site Location: Held offsite; some items at London Metropolitan Archives
Level of Description:
    Collection

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Administrative History:
  • The company has its origins in the formation of Lambert, Ridley and Company, coal factors and ship and insurance brokers in 1845. By 1869, the name had changed to Lambert Brothers and Scott, with a head office at 85, Gracechurch Street, City of London. The company expanded and moved into other areas of business including the merchanting and exporting of coal, ownership of carrying vessels, insurance of ship and cargo, and purchase and sale of ships.

    Newton Dunn joined the company in 1876, became a partner in 1892, and the first chairman of Lambert Brothers Limited in 1902. The newly formed public company continued as coal depot proprietors, coal exporters, foreign coaling agents, and ship owners and ship and insurance brokers. Coal remained the mainstream of the business, but the company moved increasingly to more diverse areas, like ship and aircraft brokering. Later years saw the expansion of overseas business, notably with the installation of a subsidiary, Ybarrola Depositos de Aceite Combustible S.A., at Bilboa, Spain to meet bunkering and agency needs of ships involved in the export of iron ore.

    By the late 1960s and early 1970s the firm covered: 'oil bunkers and cargoes, drycargo and tanker chartering, sale and purchase, agency, aviation and travel, merchandise, insurance' (source: CLC/B/142/MS30894/A).

    Further subsidiaries (for which records are held) included:

    Adriatic Mercantile and Trading Company Limited
    Amatco Trading Limited
    Dunstar Navigation Company Limited
    Edoardo Jonassohn and Company S.R.L.
    Euxine Shipping Limited
    Fayal Coal and Supply Company Limited
    Fulmer Shipping Services Limited
    Hinton Spalding and Company Limited
    Honorable Understanding
    Lambert Brothers (Cyprus) Limited
    Lambert Brothers (Egypt) Limited
    Lambert Brothers (Gibraltar) Limited
    Lambert Brothers (Malta) Limited
    Lambert Brothers (Merchandise) Limited
    Lambert's Trust Limited
    London Coal Company
    Perim Coal Company Limited
    Pollexfen and Company Limited
    Port Said and Suez Canal Company
    Temple Steamship Company Limited
    Union Coal Company.

    For further details see individual descriptions.

    Lambert Brothers Limited was bought by Hill Samuel in 1968 becoming part of the Hill Samuel Group, who were in turn acquired by TSB Group plc. In May 1992, the shipping business was purchased by Inchcape Group, although the company is still owned by TSB and called Endeavour Marine Services.

    Lambert Brothers Limited's registered offices (late 1960s): 88 Leadenhall Street, City of London
Creator: Lambert Brothers Ltd | coal and shipping merchants
Copyright: Depositor
Source of Acquisition:
  • Deposited in the Manuscripts Section of Guildhall Library on 27 September 1995. The Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section merged with the London Metropolitan Archives in 2009.
  • 1995/046
  • With later donation made in 2017.
  • B17/023
Access Restrictions: Restricted access: please see staff
Arrangement: CLC/B/142/-01: Lambert Brothers Limited: Corporate; CLC/B/142-02: Lambert Brothers Limited: Shares; CLC/B/142-03: Lambert Brothers Limited: Accounting and Finance; CLC/B/142-04: Lambert Brothers: Administration and Legal; CLC/B/142-05: Lambert Brothers: Personal Staff Records; CLC/B/142/AM: Adriatic Mercantile and Trading Company Limited; CLC/B/142/AT: AmatcoTrading Limited; CLC/B/142/DN: Dunstar Navigation Company; CLC/B/142/EX: Euxine Shipping Limited; CLC/B/142/FL: Fulmer Shipping Services Limited; CLC/B/142/HL: Hinton Spalding and Company Limited; CLC/B/142/HU: Honourable Understanding; CLC/B/142/LC: Lambert Brothers (Cyprus) Limited; CLC/B/142/LE; Lambert Brothers (Egypt) Limited; CLC/B/142/LG: Lambert Brothers (Gibralter) Limited; CLC/B/142/LL: Lambert Brothers (Malta) Limited; CLC/B/142/LM: Lambert Brothers (Merchandice) Limited; CLC/B/142/LT: Lambert's Trust Limited; CLC/B/142/PA: Pollexfen and Company Limited; CLC/B/142/PC: Perim Coal Company Limited; CLC/B/142/TL: Temple Steamship Company Limited; CLC/B/142/UC: Union Coal Company
Related Material: See also Inchcape Group (CLC/B/132)