B. B. Wells (aka Benjamin Blake Wells): History

(Note:  Limited information has been found regarding this company and its owner because the surname Wells was quite common in the UK during the Victorian Era).

The Company

This business was established sometime shortly before 1850 by Benjamin Blake Wells.  It first appeared in London city directories in 1850[1] when it was listed as “Benjamin Blake Wells, cutler & dressing case maker, 431 Strand, & 143 Leadenhall street”.  1858[2] this company registered patent No. 244 for “improvements in apparatus for counting and indicating numbers” which was the only patent they ever made.   By 1865[3] the firm expanded its operations and was recorded as a "cutler, writing & dressing case, silver dressing & pocket comb manufacturer, ivory turner & carver, leather bag maker, dealer in all kinds of metal goods & fancy repository, 138 & 431 Strand WC, & 143 Leadenhall street EC”.  At the time the firm’s Leadenhall address was across the street from Leadenhall Market[4] one of London’s oldest markets located approximately halfway between St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London.  Leadenhall Market, seen in the 1881 drawings here, was originally a meat, game and poultry market dating from the 14th century in the area of London that was once the center of Roman Britain in 47-50 B.C.  In 1880[5] the Wells company was simply listed as Benjamin Blake Wells, cutler at 431 Strand WC.  It seems most likely that when Mr. Wells retired from the business sometime before 1881, the company was taken over by someone else who presumably kept the name because the company had a good reputation.  It continued to be listed in London directories as it was in 1880 in 1890[6], 1895[7], 1900[8] and 1910[9].  Apparently, the business ended or was renamed shortly after 1910 as that was the last directory in which it appeared.

 

The Wells Owners

Benjamin Blake Wells was born c1816 in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, a town 36 miles northwest of London.  His father was William Wells who worked as a coachman.  When Benjamin was 29 years old in 1845, he married Ann Frances Thomas in Stepney, Towers Hamlets a section of east London.  By 1851 the couple was living at 431 Strand in Westminster, a couple blocks east of Trafalgar Square, where Benjamin had his cutlery and dressing case business.  Benjamin and Ann Frances had two children between 1846 and 1848: George and Charles.  Benjamin spent the majority of his life working as a cutler and dressing case maker at his Strand shop.  Most likely the family lived on one of the upper floors of the building as it was both his business and his home address.  Ann Frances died there at age 55 of humoral asthma in 1867.  By 1871 Benjamin’s business expanded and he was employing 7 workers.  Sometime between 1871 and 1881 he retired and spent some of his time at Farnham Royal in Eton, Buckinghamshire, 25 miles east of central London.  He died there in 1881 at age 66 of heart disease leaving an estate valued at £1,339 to his son Charles.

 

Both of Benjamin’s sons initially pursued careers related to their fathers.  The eldest son was George who was born in 1846 and baptized two years later in 1848 at St. Paul, Hammersmith. When he came of age he worked as a shopman, presumably in one of his father’s shops, but unfortunately died in 1872 at age 25 of pneumonia.  The second son Charles was born in 1848 and baptized in 1850 at St. Mary in Islington.  By 1871 he was also working as a shopman most likely for his father.  Charles married Matilda Millengen in Lambeth in 1878 and was listed as an assistant cutler by 1881 when he was living with his wife and several of her relatives in the Lambeth section of south London.  Sometime after his father’s death in 1881, Charles changed occupations and by 1891 was working as the manager of an umbrella business and was living at 47 Strand not far from where he was born.  Charles died in Lambeth in 1906 at age 58 of tuberculosis[10]. 

 

The Quad Golden Casket - Butterfly on Leaf seen here[11] is the only Avery style needle case found to date with the B.B. Wells name.  The close up on the right clearly shows the company’s name and address as B. B. Wells 431 West Strand London.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Benjamin Blake Wells (aka B. B. Wells): Images

 

View of the National Gallery at Trafalgar Square, 2015.

 

Nelson’s Column at Trafalgar Square, 2015.

 

 

Northeast side of Trafalgar Square showing the St. Martin-in-the-Fields church, 2015.

 

Southeast side of Trafalgar Square, 2015.

 

Corner of Strand Street and William IV Street, 2023.  The building in the center is 449-430 Strand which is where the B. B. Wells business was originally located.

 

Leadenhill Market entrance near Lime Street, 2023.

 

Leadenhill Market interior, 2023.

 

View inside Leadenhill Market with the Gracechurch Street entrance in the background, 2023

 

Leadenhill Market center with the exit to Whittington Avenue on the center right side, 2023.

 

Benjamin Blake Wells (aka B. B. Wells):  Genealogy

 

Generation 1:  Benjamin Blake Wells (c1816-1881) and Ann Frances Thomas (c1813-1867)

·       Born: c1816/1817 Dunsatble, Bedfordshire (S4), c1815 (S8d).

·       Baptized:  not found.

·       1841 Census: not found.

·       Marriage:  December 24, 1845 St. Dunstan and All Saints, Stepney, Towers Hamlets, Middlesex (S3).  Listed as Benjamin Blake Wells a bachelor and manager who resided at Stepney whose father was William Wells a coachman and Ann Frances Thomas a spinster.

·       1851 Census: 431 Strand, St. Martin in the Fields, Westminster, Middlesex (S4).  Listed as Benjn. B. Wells age 35 a cutler and dress case maker born in Dunstable, Bedford with wife Ann F. age 38 born in St. Giles and 1 brother James Wells age 25 an assistant born in St. Albons, Herts., 1 shopman and 1 servant.

·       1861 Census: 431 Strand, St. Martin in the Fields, Westminster, Middlesex (S4).  Listed as Benjamin B. Wells age 44 a cutler and dressing case maker born in Bedford, Bedford with wife Ann F. age 48 a born in Middlesex, 2 children both born in St. Martin in fields: George and Charles, and 1 nephew: Frank Wells age 6 born in St. Andrews.

·       Wife’s Death: December 31, 1867 Charing Cross, St. Martin in the Fields, Middlesex (S8d), death was registered 1st QTR 1868.  Listed as Ann Frances Wells age 55 the wife of Benjamin Blake Wells a cutler who died at 431 Strand of humoral asthma with Mary Ann Parker present at the death.

·       Wife’s Burial: not found.

·       Wife’s Probate: not found.

·       1871 Census: 431 Strand, St. Martin in the Fields, Westminster, Middlesex (S4).  Listed as Benjamin B. Wells a widower age 54 a cutler employing 7 hands born in Dunstable, Bedford with 2 children born in St. Martins Strand: George and Charles and 1 visitor: Fanny Austin unmarried age 49 an annuitant born in Doddington, Northampton.

·       1881 Census: 73 Prussia Rd, Farnham Royal, Eton, Buckinghamshire (S4).  Listed as Benjamin B. Wells a widower age 64 a retired cutler and dressing case maker from the Strand born in Bedfordshire with 1 servant: Fanny Austin unmarried age 61 a housekeeper born in Northampton.

·       Death:  August 19, 1881 Burnham, Eton, Buckinghamshire (S8d).  Listed as Benjamin Wells age 66 a retired cutler who died at 188 Farnham Royal of mitral disease of the heart with Fanny Auston the housekeeper of the deceased present at his death.  August 19, 1881 at Purton’s Hill, Farnham Royal, Buckingham (S6).

·       Burial: not found.

·       Probate: September 12, 1881 Principal Registry (S6).  Listed as Benjamin Blake Wells of 431 Strand, Middlesex a cutler and dressing case manufacturer with a personal estate of £1,339   proved by Charles Wells of 28 Flaxman-road, Camberwell, Surrey a gentleman and son the surviving executor.

·       Children:

1.     George Wells (1846-1872).  Born: 4th QTR 1846 St. Martin in the Fields (S=GRO online index), listed George Wells with mother’s maiden name Thomas, November 5, 1846 (S1c). (Note:  the baptism index incorrectly lists the birth date as November 5, 1847).  Baptized: April 7, 1848 St. Paul, Hammersmith, London (S1c), listed as George Wells with parents Benjamin Blake and Ann Frances Wells of St. Martins in the Fields, Middlesex with father’s occupation listed as a cutler.  1861 Census: with parents (S4), listed as George Wells age 16 a scholar born in St. Martin in fields.  1871 Census: with father and brother (S4), listed as George Wells age 24 a shopman born in St. Martin, Strand.  Death: May 24, 1872 Charing Cross, Strand, Middlesex (S8d), listed as George Wells age 25 a cutler who died at 431 West Strand of pneumonia with Mary Ann Parker the informant.

2.     Charles Wells (1848-1906).  Born: 4th QTR 1848 St. Martin in the Fields (S=GRO online index), listed Charles Wells with mother’s maiden name Thomas, September 29, 1848 (S1c).  Baptized: December 1, 1850 St. Mary, Islington, Middlesex (S1c), listed as Charles Wells with parents Benjamin Blake and Ann Frances Wells of West Strand with father’s occupation listed as a cutler. (Note: the baptism index only lists his parents names, but the actual record has additional information).  1861 Census: with parents (S4), listed as Charles Wells age 12 a scholar born in St. Martin in fields.  1871 Census: with father and brother (S4), listed as Charles Wells age 22 a shopman born in St. Martin, Strand.  Marriage: August 24, 1878 Register Office, Lambeth, Surrey (S8m), listed as Charles Wells age 30 a bachelor and cutler who resided at 431 Strand whose father was Benjamin Blake Wells and Matilda Millingen age 26 a spinster.  1881 Census: 28 Flaxman Rd, Lambeth (S4), listed as Chas. Wells age 32 an assistant cutlery born in Strand with wife Matde age 27 born in Spital Square, 3 boarders: Sarah Millengen age 62 married with no occupation born in Bay of Biscay, Louisa Millengen age 24 single with no occupation born in London and Hy. G. Harding age 25 a single clerk born in Salisbury. 1891 Census: 158 Cold Harbour Lane, Brixton, Lambeth (S4), listed as Charles Wells age 43 no occupation listed born in Strand, London with wife Matilda age 36 born in Fore St and 1 servant. 1901 Census: 47 Strand, St. Martin in the Fields, Westminster (S4), listed as Charles Wells age 53 a manager of an umbrella business worker born in Strand, London with wife Matilda age 46 born in Fore St, London and 1 servant.  Death: January17,  1906 Lambeth, London (S8d), listed as Charles Wells age 58 a cutler’s assistant of 24 Benedict Road who died at the workhouse infirmary on Brook Street of tubercle of lungs with M. Wells his widow of 24 Benedict Road, Stockwell in attendance.  Probate: not found.  Wife’s Death: not found.

 

 

 

Avery style needle cases stamped with the “B. B. Wells 431 West Strand London” name and address:

1.        Quad Golden Casket - Butterfly on Leaf:  Mechanical patent #3517 registered November 19, 1868 by William Avery, needle manufacturer and Albert Fenton, machinist, from Redditch, UK (S=British Library - Business and Intellectual Property Centre, London).