Catalogue description THE RECORDS OF SHUTT AND MARSHALL, HARNESS FURNITURE MANUFACTURERS, AND OVERTON AND HIGGINS, SADDLERS IRONMONGERS, BOTH OF FREDERICK STREET, WALSALL.

Shutt and Marshall, Wallsall

Overton and Higgins, Walsall

DOCUMENTS DEPOSITED BY MR. S. HARPER, CONDUIT FITTINGS, LTD., FREDERICK STREET, WALSALL.

IN NOVEMBER, 1978, A LARGE QUANTITY OF RECORDS WERE DISCOVERED IN A FORGOTTEN ATTIC IN THE PREMISES OF CONDUIT FITTINGS LTD., FREDERICK STREET, WALSALL, THE DOCUMENTS WERE IDENTIFIED AS THE RECORDS OF TWO FIRMS WHICH HAD PREVIOUSLY OCCUPIED THE SITE.

THE PREMISES WERE ORIGINALLY OCCUPIED BY SHUTT AND MARSHALL, HORSE HARNESS FURNITURE MANUFACTURERS, WHO FLOURISHED DURING THE NINETEENTH CENTURY.

IN C. 1915-16 THE FIRM WAS TAKEN OVER BY OVERTON AND HIGGINS, SADDLERS IRONMONGERS. THIS FIRM HAD PREVIOUSLY OPERATED FROM SEVERAL OTHER FACTORIES IN WALSALL.

IN THE EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY THE PARTNERSHIP WAS BRIEFLY DISSOLVED AND MR. OVERTON CARRIED ON THE BUSINESS WITH A MR. HARRIS, BUT AFTER ONLY A FEW YEARS HE RESUMED HIS PARTNERSHIP WITH MR. HIGGINS.

THE FIRM FINALLY VACATED THE FREDERICK STREET WORKS C. 1930-31 AND THESE RECORDS SEEM TO HAVE LAIN HIDDEN SINCE THEN.