The HOUSE OF FRASER Archive

Company: William Harvey of Guildford Ltd

Registration number: 494825

Company name: William Harvey of Guildford Ltd
Dates in business: 1951-1978

Type of business: department store retailers

Type of company: Private limited liability company

Locations:
  • High Street, Guildford, Surrey, England
  • York Road, Guildford, Surrey, England
  • Park Street, Camberley, Surrey, England
  • Princess Street, Camberley, Surrey, England

Management of company

In 1951, the directors were Gerald Henry Roxby Wilson (chairman and joint managing director), Denis Arthur Kingsley Pink (joint managing director) and Norman E Freeman. At this date the company employed 170 people.

Company history

William Harvey of Guildford Ltd was registered in April 1951. It was a reconstruction of a company of the same name, which specialised in ladies' and children's fashions and accessories. Its premises were in Guildford at 44-45 High Street, the Playhouse Arcade, High Street and a freehold house at 21 York Road. The latter was occupied by two employees as service tenancies. The company's share capital in 1951 was GBP125,000.

In 1953, Army & Navy Stores Ltd, department store retailers, of London, England, acquired William Harvey of Guildford Ltd, which continued to trade as part of Army & Navy Stores Ltd. The registered offices changed to 105 Victoria Street, Westminster. The store was expanded and refurbished with the erection of a new five-storey building with a roof water garden. Army & Navy Stores Ltd owned a site in Camberley, Surrey, England, and, in 1960, it was decided to build a new store on that site, at the corner of Park Street and Princess Street which would trade under the name Harveys, as a branch of William Harvey of Guildford Ltd. The store opened on 14 March 1964. The original store in Guildford High Street underwent an upward extension which was completed in the autumn of 1963.

In 1973, Army & Navy Stores Ltd was taken over by House of Fraser Ltd , department store retailers, of Glasgow, Scotland. In January 1974, Harveys of Guildford Ltd was wound up and the stores continued trading as branches of Army & Navy Stores Ltd.

William Harvey of Guildford Ltd was liquidated in 1978.

Records held for William Harvey of Guildford Ltd:

FRAS 807
Title: Certificate of incorporation
Date: April 1951
FRAS 638
Title: Memorandum and articles of association
Date: 1951-1972
FRAS 641
Title: Minutes of meetings of board of directors and general meetings of shareholders
Date: 1960-1973
FRAS 640
Title: Annual returns
Date: 1951-1962
FRAS 637
Title: Register of directors' share and debenture holdings
Date: 1951-1972
FRAS 635
Title: Register of probates and administrations, powers of attorney and marriages
Date: 1951-1953
FRAS 808
Title: Certificates of Army & Navy's holdings of shares in its subsidiary, William Harvey of Guildford Ltd
Date: 1953-1973
FRAS 642
Title: General ledgers
Date: 1956-1974
FRAS 636
Title: Shares ledger
Date: 1951-1974
FRAS 633
Title: Valuation of Guildford store
Date: November 1958
FRAS 809
Title: Correspondence on proposed purchase of William Harvey of Guildford Ltd by Harrods Ltd
Date: 1951-1962
FRAS 675
Title: Notebook relating to Army & Navy Stores Ltd and its subsidiaries
Date: 1970s
FRAS 613
Title: Papers relating to liquidation of dormant subsidiaries of Army & Navy Stores Ltd
Date: 1978-1980
Includes balance sheets of William Harvey of Guildford Ltd, 1977-1979.

Related People and Companies:

Corporation name: William Harvey of Guildford Ltd
Dates of connection: 1951
Connection type: William Harvey of Guildford Ltd went into voluntary liquidation in 1951and was reconstructed and registered as a company with the same name.
Corporation name: Army & Navy Stores Ltd
Dates of connection: 1953
Connection type: Army & Navy Stores Ltd bought William Harvey of Guildford Ltd in 1953.
Corporation name: House of Fraser Ltd
Dates of connection: 1973
Connection type: House of Fraser Ltd acquired William Harvey of Guildford Ltd in 1973, as a subsidiary of Army & Navy Stores Ltd.

Access points: Department stores - Retail trade

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