William Alfred Herbert Snr

(1844 - 1936)

 

William Alfred Herbert was born on 13 Sep 1844 at 39, Cannon Street, St George in the East.

 

He joined his elder brother George in partnership with their father Thomas around 1870, and they continued working together after their father retired in 1873.

 

He married Mary Ann Oldaker on 8 Jul 1869 in Gt. Ilford Parish Church, and it was through the Oldaker family connection that he joined the Cutlers Company in 1872, becoming Master in 1912.

 

Daughters were born in 1871 and 1873, and their two sons, William Alfred Jnr and Thomas James, in 1875 and 1878.  Both sons later joined the business.

 

But only 9 days before their father died in 1876 the brothers dissolved the partnership, William taking the Grays Inn Road premises.  The 1881 Census describes his occupation as ‘Scalemaker employing 4 men and 3 boys’.

 

William Alfred Herbert Snr died on 3 Oct 1936 in Highgate.  His obituary in The Times noted that ‘Mr. Herbert was Chairman of Messrs. Herbert & Sons (King's Cross) Ltd, the scalemakers, a firm that still retains over it's premises in Grays Inn Road one of the few original business signs, Justice holding a pair of scales.  In his younger days Mr. Herbert was for many years prominent in the Volunteer force in London, serving with an Artillery Unit.  His wife died 14 years ago.’