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|  | About Us |  | The Yarmouth Stores Incorporated 1898
Its was Friday 4th February 1898 when The Yarmouth Stores was incorporated into a limited company, bringing together various businesses and businessmen. The first directors were J W B Johnson, A H Johnson, W G Knights, G W Chadd, W J Johnson and F A Johnson. The company started life with the acquisition of the retail businesses at 70/72 South Quay and Southgates Road Great Yarmouth, Baker Street Gorleston, Bevan Street and Fish Docks Lowesoft, Southside Street Plymouth, and Aberdeen, supplying fisherman's clothing, hoisery and seaman's oil and waterproof clothing. The company also carried on business as ship chandlers, supplying every description of fisherman requisites, cutch and rope, grocery and vegetable provisions and dealers in tobacco and cigars.
From these early beginnings The Yarmouth Stores grew, supplying everything needed by the herring drifters. A basketworks was started manufacturing swills and cran baskets which measured the quantities of fish landed. Sheet metal was another side of the business. In those days plastic was unknown and nearly everything was made from sheetmetal. Compass adjusting and sail making were other services provided by the company.
By 1914 Yarmouth Stores had opened branches in many ports around the coast, these included branches at Brixham, Milford Haven, Lerwick, North Shields, Blyth, Newlyn, Grimsby, Hull, Fleetwood, Padstow and Ramsgate. As the fishing fleets moved around the coast a shop would be opened up for two or three months as the drifters followed the herring shoals. The shop stock would be put aboard a drifter and for a small fee would be transported to the next port.
The heyday of the Yarmouth herring industry peaked around 1910 and from then on gradually declined over the years till the last drifters disappeared in the late 1960's. At its height, there were 1000 registered Yarmouth drifters and with the influx of another 2000 Scots boats the harbour was so full it was possible to walk from one side to the other on the boats. Following the Scots boats, hundreds of Scots fishergirls poured into Yarmouth by train and lorry to work, gutting herring, in all weathers in open sheds on the South Denes.
In the autumn, the South Quay shop would be crowded with Scots girls wanting their oilskin skirts, bloomers, boots and aprons (or barmskins as they were called). During this period it was not uncommon for the shop to remain open until 10 or 11 p.m.
During 1935, the control of The Yarmouth Stores passed to the Knights family, with the controlling interest being bought by W G Knights. A small factory was started on Southgates Road making cotton overalls and fisherman's guernseys.
1939 saw the start of the war, and the fishing industry declined drastically. Fishing boats were commandeered by the Admiralty and The Yarmouth Stores turned to working for the war effort, manufacturing for Admiralty contracts throughout the war years. A firebomb hit the factory during a bombing raid over Yarmouth, but luckily it failed to explode. Wartime closed many of the branches, never to be reopened.
War came to an end and many employees returned from the forces to take up their peacetime employment. The fishing industry never recovered, and with a changing world, many of the old trades disappeared, the basketworks was sold, the sheetmetal works turned to the new industries that were developing in Yarmouth and Lowestoft.
These were difficult years, through the 1950's and early 60's then gas was discovered in the North Sea, and as the last drifters left Yarmouth, the oil industry started to move in creating a whole new industry.
The Yarmouth Stores prospered supplying the Supply vessels, deep-sea tugs and oil rigs with chandlery, oil, paint, chemicals, work wear, and just about everything they demanded.
The demand for overalls grew, and in 1976, Mr Noel Johnson joined the company and the factory was expanded. The head office on South Quay was demolished and a new modern shop and office replaced the crumbling old building. The constraints of the ship chandlery premises on Southgates Road meant we had to move to bigger premises on Friars Lane, and in 1989 the old buildings were demolished and a new purpose built oil warehouse was erected.
The mid 1990's proved to be difficult years with the recession hitting all sectors of industry. Painful decisions had to be taken to secure the future modernisation of the company, and to enable it to move forward into the twenty first century. These decisions have paid off and allowed the company to develop modern technology for its future success.
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