Crockatt family and business Archive
Details
Type of record: Archive
Title: Crockatt family and business Archive
Classmark: MS 1311
Creator(s): Crockatt Family()
Date(s): c.1818-1996
Language: English
Size and medium: 97 boxes and 22 other items
Persistent link: https://explore.library.leeds.ac.uk/special-collections-explore/6586
Description
The archive includes business and family papers generated by the Crockatt family. The business papers encompass histories of the company, accounts, advertising material and correspondence. There are documents relating to Douglas Crockatt's membership of the board of the General Accident insurance company. The family papers include photographs, letters and diaries many connected to their travels.
Biography or history
The Leeds based firm of Crockatt's dyers and dry cleaners was founded in 1875 by John Crockatt after his apprenticeship as a dyer. As well as being a businessman, he was a senior member of the Churches of Christ, and in his later years he and his wife travelled extensively. His son Douglas followed in his father's footsteps and saw the company through difficult times. Crockatt's became part of the Johnson Group in 1935 and Douglas became Chairman of the Group in 1952. He served in the First World War and was a Liveryman of the Dyers' Company. He was also involved with the Court and Council of Leeds University, in politics in the 1920s, and a magistrate for forty years. Like his father, he travelled a great deal. His son Douglas Allan later followed in his footsteps and was a director of Johnsons from 1961-1984 after a distinguished career in the Royal Navy. He was a well-known magistrate, Vice Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire and was awarded both the OBE and MBE. In 1975 to
commemorate the firm's centenary, a history of the family firm was written by Colonel Ewart Clay, the family's archivist. Clay's book 'A Century of Crockatt Cleaning' is a useful introduction to both the family and firm. The Crockatt name finally disappeared from the high street in 1997, a year after D. Allan Crockatt's death, to be replaced by Johnson's Cleaners
Provenance
The archives of the family firm of Crockatt’s dyers and dry cleaners were deposited with the Brotherton Library by D Allan Crockatt in 1995. The last deposit was received after his death in 1996.
In May 2005 Johnson’s Cleaners deposited another collection of ledgers, books, photographs and other memorabilia, details of which have been incorporated into this handlist.
System of arrangement
The archive had originally been catalogued by Colonel Ewart Clay, the Crockatt family’s archivist and it was Allan Crockatt’s wish that this original order should be retained.
Arranged mainly in a classified sequence established by Colonel Ewart Clay and partly in a sequence established by the archivist of Johnson's Cleaners. The MS 1311 catalogue is based on an historic inventory. The arrangement of material does not necessarily represent the original order of the archive and it is considered partly processed by an archivist. When making requests to consult, please be aware that there may be discrepancies between description and physical arrangement. The retrievable unit for this collection is file level.
Access and usage
Access
Access to this material is unrestricted.