Posted by Robert Stedall (129.49.51.32) on September 07, 2002 at 19:06:00:
In Reply to: Pfeil Stedall & Sons posted by Oliver Stedall on September 06, 2002 at 06:26:17:
You are looking at a bit for a horse, supplied by my family's firm Pfeil, Stedall and Sons. More details of this firm can be found in my book "Hunting from Hampstead" to be published by The Book Guild Limited on 3 October 2002. You can order it through www.amazon.co.uk. The firm were wholesalers dealing in building materials, carriage and horse equipment monumental masonery etc. The firm was originally Parkes and Co. until about 1806, but one of the Parkes family was hanged for forgery an it was acquired by the Pfeil family, who changed its name to Pfeil & Co. In about 1851, Robert Stedall my gr. gr. grandfather became a 50% partner and manager with Frederick Pfeil, after merging his considerably smaller business with theirs. The firm became Pfeil & Stedall. The firm prospered and in 1867 my gr. grandfather Henry Stedall joined the firm and it became Pfeil Stedall & Son. In 1882 Horace Stedall, Henry's brother and Adolph Pfeil, Frederick's son also became partners, so that it became Pfeil, Stedall & Sons and remained with that name until the 1st World War. Yet in about 1890, Henry and Horace fell out with Adolph, and the Stedalls bought the Pfeils out. In 1914, with anti german feeling running high, a German sounding name like Pfeil caused bricks to be thrown through the windows of the offices in Clerkenwell, so the firm became Stedall & Co in 1914 and Stedall & Company Limited in 1923. The business became a quoted company in 1947, and was acquired by Pillar Holdings Limited in 1961. In turn Pillar was acquired by RTZ in 1970. The firm imprinted its name on many of the products that it sold, but did not manufacture. You can find Irons, Lavatory Pans and Man Hole covers (scarce) with the Stedall name. I hope that this helps. Robert Stedall