Person    | Male  Born 24/2/1836  Died 8/6/1928

John Lewis

Categories: Commerce

Retailer. Born at Town Street, Shepton Mallet, Somerset. He worked in several drapery firms before opening his own business at number 132 (later 286) Oxford Street in 1864. In 1906 he walked from his shop to Sloane Square with £20,000 in banknotes in his pockets and purchased the Peter Jones shop. He was in a running battle with the landlords of his Oxford Street shop (the Portman Estate) over his rent and spent some weeks in Brixton Prison for contempt of court. He lost interest in Peter Jones and gave his eldest son, John Spedan a free hand in running it, which culminated in the founding of the John Lewis Partnership. Died at his home Spedan Towers, Hampstead.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
John Lewis

Commemorated ati

John Lewis and John Spedan Lewis

John Lewis silk mercer of Oxford Street resided at Spedan Tower, Hampstead fr...

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Brixton Challenge

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Sydney Simmons

Sydney Simmons

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James Perkins

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Horatio Myer & Co.Ltd

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Horatio Myer (7 June 1850 - 1 January 1916) was born Hereford, the son of a German Jewish immigrant.  He moved to London and in 1876 in Vauxhall he set up business producing metal beds and later pr...

Group, Commerce, Craft / Design

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Bearman's Department Store

Bearman's Department Store

Opened by Frank Bearman on the site of a former vicarage. By 1906 he had purchased a nearby furniture shop, and in 1910 opened an arcade to match the larger department stores in London. It claimed ...

Building, Commerce

1 memorial