Records of Jarvis Halliday & Company Ltd, Aylesbury

• Corporate records, 1928-1978;
• Shareholding records, 1937-1955;
• Financial records, 1870-1978;
• Production records, 1891-1980;
• Sales records, 1966;
• Staff records, 1966-1969;
• Promotional and marketing records, 1960s;
• Photographs, 1960s;
• British International Cellars Ltd records, 1932

In 1920 Charles Henry Jarvis and Jack Guy Halliday formed a partnership to distribute wine for the retail trade. In September 1928 they registered the Aylesbury Wine Company Ltd as a private limited company with an authorised capital of £6,000. In 1937 it became a public limited company with the original partners as joint managing directors and by 1938 had an authorised capital of £35,000. Further shares were issued to reduce a bank overdraft but the company had on-going financial difficulties and carried minimum stocks. In 1942 the name was changed to Jarvis Halliday & Company Ltd ((company number: 00233616) it being considered that wine companies were usually registered under the names of the founders. The name Aylesbury Wine Company was kept registered as an investment whilst another subsidiary company British International Cellars was registered in 1932 mainly to sell British wines.

Jarvis Halliday applied for a bond in Aylesbury in 1945 due to a shortage of bonded warehouses in London following the war. By 1947 they had acquired retail outlets in the face of competition from off-licence chains, however these were sold off as the wholesale and retail sides of the business came into conflict. The company created the prestige label ‘Royal Decree’ sherry and port, and by 1950 held agencies for a variety of wines, spirits and liqueurs, however they remained financially insecure despite investing in major advertising campaigns. In 1955 Whyte & Mackay, whisky blenders based in Glasgow, appointed Jarvis Halliday as sole distributors in England and Wales and by 1963 a takeover deal by Whyte & Mackay was agreed, with both companies to share Jarvis Halliday’s London offices in Pall Mall. Charles Jarvis remained chairman but retired from executive office. However, the company performed poorly financially and by the end of 1966 were terminated as agents for Whyte & Mackay products. Distribution continued, but by July 1967, with a large deficit, Whyte & Mackay implemented rationalisations. There were staff redundancies and uneconomic lines were withdrawn, whilst a new line, Silver Cord Gin launched in 1969 proved unsuccessful.

By 1979 Jarvis Halliday was effectively wound up. The remaining stock of vintage wines was disposed through auction and the site at Aylesbury sold to property developers whilst some of the Jarvis Halliday staff joined Whyte & Mackay’s English sales team.

• Source:
• Moss, Michael and Turton, Alison, The History of Whyte and Mackay, c1987 (unpublished manuscript, UGD358/1/1)

Arranged chronologically within record series

Access to certain records within this collection may be restricted or closed for reasons of customer, commercial or third-party confidentiality.  Please email Archives and Special Collections for advice: library-asc@glasgow.ac.uk

Access is with the permission of the collection owners

• Transfer : Whyte & Mackay Ltd : 27 Mar 2020 : GB 248 UGD 224
• Deposit : Whyte & Mackay Ltd : 14 Dec 2015 : ACCN 4004
• Deposit : Whyte & Mackay Ltd : Sept 2019 : ACCN 4304

See also University of Glasgow Collections

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• GB 248 UGC 234: Records of Whyte & Mackay Ltd.

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