Messrs. Jaques & Clark’s Boot Factory

Progress of a Rushden Firm - Modern Machinery and Modern Methods

The Station Road side shows the back of the factory

  No business in East Northamptonshire has made greater progress during the last few years than has the well-known firm of Messrs. Jaques and Clark, wholesale boot and shoe manufacturers, of Station-road and Midland-road, Rushden. The partners in the firm are Mr. James Jaques, of the Laurels, Wellingborough-road, and Mr. John Clark, of Heatherbreea, Wellingborough-road, and they are men of sterling character and of great business capacity. Interested in everything which makes for the social, moral, and religious progress of the town of Rushden and the district, they are men of commercial integrity and enterprise.

About 15 years ago they started in business in a small way in Victoria-road, Rushden. At the back of a couple of houses were two small workshops, which they occupied, and they also erected a temporary workshop of corrugated iron. In an unpretentious manner they started their career here as manufacturers of boots and shoes, and in these premises they continued for about 18 months. They then built a commodious factory in Fitzwilliam-street—now occupied by Mr. Skeeles—and here they used to turn out about 1,500 pairs of boots and shoes a week. By their energy and ability they built up a business which has since grown into considerable proportions.

Fitzwilliam Street factory built 1890

In the course of seven or eight years the concern had out-grown the Fitzwilliam-street factory.  Messrs. Jaques and Clark found that their business had increased to such an extent that they were obliged to adapt themselves to modern methods of manufacture, and they consequently purchased the spacious premises at the junction of Station-road and Midland-road, to which they removed in February, 1899.  The larger premises gave them a vast advantage, of which they made full use, and, the growth of the business still continuing, two years ago they doubled the size of their premises.  Notwithstanding the increased capacity at their command, the firm are now as full up as ever they have been in their history. Their business has now grown to such an extent that they are doing three or four times as much as they were doing in Fitzwilliam-street.  They cater for the wholesale trade in England, Scotland, and Ireland, in addition to which they do a little export trade.  They confine themselves principally to men's, youths', and boys' medium-class goods.  The firm make a speciality of box calf, glace kid, kip boots in great variety, gloves, satins, and splits.  Personal supervision is given by the two members of the firm, Mr. Jaques supervising the bottom department and Mr. Clark superintending the upper department.  Mr. C. Clark (brother of Mr. John Clark) acts as the general manager.  Over each section a foreman is placed.  Mr. Paragreen is the foreman of the clicking department; Mr. James, finishing department; Mr. Tomlin, making department; Mr. Austin, packing department.  The closing room is in the charge of Miss P. Clayton.  Mr. Davis is in charge of the counting-house and has the assistance of an able staff of clerks.

The new factory built in 1899

  The enlarged factory is of four floors and covers a considerable area, besides which the firm own plenty of land adjoining, should further extensions prove to be necessary in the future. As will be seen from the accompanying illustration, the factory presents a striking and imposing appearance. A representative of the Rushden Echo recently had the privilege of going round the premises, and found them to be light, airy, and spacious, eminently adapted to the purposes for which were built.  The general offices are on the first floor, and comprise private offices, travellers’ sample room, clerks’ offices, &c.  On the fourth floor is the clicking-room, where about forty hands are employed.  Here, as throughout the factory, the sanitary arrangements are perfect, and the room is light and well ventilated.  A heavy power crane is provided for lifting the leather into the warehouse, so that no heavy strain is thrown upon any of the employees, besides which there is a lift inside for shifting the boots from floor to floor, and our representative could see that in every way the convenience, comfort, and health of the workpeople had been carefully studied.  In every department power is utilized wherever it is possible.  Three clicking machines are used.  All the upper leather comes in at the west end of the clicking-room by means of the crane.  A store-room runs above the clicking-room, and here the upper leathers are stocked.

  On the third floor is the finishing department, where about 55 employees are busily engaged.  In this room is a new bottom scouring machine recently introduced by Mr. Arthur Cave from America.  At present there are only two or three of these machines in this country.  The principle is an excellent one, the motion being eccentric.  The machine was supplied by the Standard Rotary Co., Ltd.

  From the finishing room all the work is brought into the packing department, where the goods are boxed and sent away in a very neat and stylish manner, and in this as well as in all other respects Messrs. Jaques and Clark are always ready to study the interests of their customers.  One interesting feature which our representative learnt was the fact that each boot when finished is put on to a treeing machine which is an exact model of the last on which it was made, so that absolute uniformity is in this way ensured.  Another point that is particularly noteworthy is that there is practically no old stock about the premises whatever – scarcely a dozen pairs in the whole factory.  This fact, when it is remembered that the firm are doing so large a business, speaks volumes for the demand there is for Messrs. Jaques and Clark’s goods.

  Another proof of the enterprise of the firm may be mentioned. They are always on the look-out for anything new in the way of machinery. Several new machines have just been introduced, and several others are now on order. It is not a matter with them whether a machine is worn out or not : if the firm find a machine which can do the job better or more quickly, the old one is speedily superseded, to go on the scrap heap or find its way into one of the smaller factories. As an example we might mention that two of the latest stitching machines supplied by the Standard Rotary Co. have just been put in, one for light and one for heavy work, and a new Rapid Standard Screw machine has been introduced in place of the old style of screw machine.

  At the west end of the second floor is the stock room, fitted up with power lifts.  Next is the rough stuff department, where all the soles, etc., are cut up and at the east end of this floor are the offices, to which we have already referred.  We learn that, in addition to the work done on the premises, the firm send a lot of boots into the villages to be made, and this out-door department is under the supervision of Mr. A. Lawson.  The business has, in fact, increased to such an extent that several thousands of pairs a week are given out.  Robinson’s presses are used on this floor – four double and two single presses – and the stuff is prepared for the lasters on the latest American principle.

Workers on Jaques' Corner

  On the basement is the lasting department, where we noticed Consolidated lasting machines, in conjunction with which are used the Peerless pulling-over machines.  This section runs the whole length of the factory.  At the east end is the “out-side” department, where the boots are brought in by the out-workers.  The engine-house is in a separate building, and the heating apparatus, too, is separate.  Every department is connected with the offices by telephone, which means a great saving of time.  There is a separate entrance from the street to each department, and fire-proof staircases are used throughout the premises.

  It is a great pleasure to us to notice the substantial character of the progress which Messrs. Jaques and Clark have made, and we have every confidence in prophesying that this advance will be even greater in the future, for the members of the firm are both of them young men, possessing plenty of energy, with wide experience, and having a thorough knowledge of every department of boot and shoe manufacture.

  It should be mentioned that Mr. Clark is the treasurer of the Wesleyan Reform Union; he is the superintendent of the Independent Wesleyan Sunday school, Wellingborough-road; president of the Band of Hope and of the Christian Endeavour Society connected with the same place of worship, and is one of the leading supporters of the cause. Mr. Jaques is also a member of the Independent Wesleyan Church, generally representing the High-street Church at the annual Conferences of the Wesleyan Reform Union;  he is society steward at the High-street Church, and is the ex-president of the Rushden, Thrapston, and District Sunday School Union.  Both are ardent temperance workers.