Celebrating 140 years of family business

The business is run by the fifth generation. I have been lucky enough to be given access to family records, which make such fascinating reading and over the next few weeks I shall be looking at the history of this family business.

The business was started as a small shop in 1867 by Samuel Reynolds at number 13 West Street.

Bognor was rapidly changing around this time '“ the railway had arrived in the town in 1864; the pier in 1865 and more premises were being built in the town.

Samuel, the son of a farmer, was a cabinet maker and, with the town's expansion, his skills were much in demand.

In this year, he married Eliza Screeder, a shepherdess, in the Hanover Chapel in the High Street, opposite the site of today's furniture store.

Samuel had many 'strings to his bow'; in addition to his retail shop, early trade and advertising papers show that he was involved as an auctioneer, appraiser, house agent, cabinetmaker, upholsterer and undertaker.

Samuel and his wife had 11 children, some of whom died in childhood; however others became involved in the family business.

Samuel died in 1897 and his wife took over the business until her death in 1912 when their children became more involved.

Charles, the eldest, born in 1871, was involved in the funeral side of the business, but he was also keen on his allotment in Devonshire Road, where he could be found if missing from the company premises.

He exhibited at the Chelsea flower show where he won bronze medals for his gladioli and dahlias. He even had a large flowered yellow dahlia named after him.

The next in line, Frank, born in 1873, was originally apprenticed to a photographer in Coventry, where he met his wife. His interest in photography resulted in a studio being built at the back of the High Street shop.

Frank entered the business in 1897 when his father left him 30 in his will on the condition that he gave up his photographic business at the back of the shop.

However his interest in photography continued and he joined the newly-formed Bognor Photographic Society in 1900 and exhibited in 1901. Frank was also a keen collector of old prints of Bognor and it is to him we have to be grateful for the Reynolds collection of prints, sketches, and photographs, which shows the development of our town in great detail.

During the early 1900s, the town continued to develop and this led to the foundation and growth of numerous groups and societies many of which exist today. Frank founded the Bognor Regis Rotary Club. He was chairman of the Bognor Regis Council, an active member of the Chamber of Trade, a member of the Bognor Regis Mutual Building Society, and founder of the Bognor Golf Club.

The involvement of men from 'trade' has been vital over the years in the growth of our town as well as the social life of the area. Sadly today there seem to be so many pressures on people that they are no longer able to be so involved in the town's public life.

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It was Frank and his nephew Alfred who were responsible for perhaps the most prestigious of all the Reynolds contracts. In 1929 Reynolds was asked to help make Craigweil House ready for the arrival of a convalescing King George V and on his recuperation was were asked to convey King George's personal effects back to Windsor.

The company has photos of the King's rooms during this time and the company's removal vans outside Windsor Castle.

The records indicate that there is also a rare photograph of the young Princess Elizabeth and her sister playing in one of the rooms.

Reynolds sisters were also involved in the business, although Emma, who was born in 1868, did not work with the shops but ran a Servants Registry at 15 West St, and this would be the equivalent to our recruitment agencies today. Another sister, Maud, was involved in the business until her death in 1969, when she was aged 89.

She made her mark in the shop in the High Street and was seen as quite a matriarch, sitting on a high stool near the stairs to ensure she saw all that was going on. Her main interest in the business involved the china and haberdashery departments.

Reynolds site at 13 West Street was open for three years from 1867, but due to increased business he moved to 27 in the High Street.

In some of the early pictures, it was evident that Reynolds sold anything '“ claiming that its wares ranged '˜from a hat pin to a house'. Generally it dealt in furniture but one of its specialities was baths.

It was making furniture on the premises and when the retail and services side of the business become more important, it moved into number 29 next door, letting number 27 to a grocer until 1900.

In that year, the family expanded its store into number 27, combining it with number 29 High Street, making it the largest shop in the town.

In 1905 the shop fronts were renovated in a new white Edwardian frontage and, in 1908, another floor was added to 29. For Bognor residents this family concern covered most of their needs and Reynolds became highly respected as a place to shop.

Because their businesses covered such a wide range, customers could use many of the services all available under one roof, for example, use the estate agents and then the removers and storage services.

Business continued to boom and the need for storage became necessary and so in 1911 the depository in Canada Grove was built.

This building had space for auctions and, within four years, it was necessary for another floor to be added, creating the imposing building we have today.

It was interesting to note that the addition of the top floor cost as much as the original building in 1911 due to wartime inflation and labour shortages.

A report at the time of the initial construction records that '˜the business of this firm, one of the largest and most enterprising in Bognor has increased enormously during the past years'.

As can be seen today, it is an ornate building and was described as an '˜architectural addition to the town'.

The architect was Mr W Tillott of the Arcade Chambers in Bognor.

The building of the depository completes a triangle of notable buildings with the Picturedrome building in the 1870s, and today's railway station in 1902.

In the early days, the cost of storing a grand piano at the depository was 4s 6d.

This service is still available today but it is now in competition with all the other highly advertised storage units, unlike when the depository was first opened.

Is this the end of the story. Definitely not. We will continue looking at the family and the businesses which have evolved over the coming weeks.