Records relating to A.C. Gill Ltd, lace manufacturers of Nottingham, 1939-1943

The collection comprises:

• Correspondence, November 1939-January 1943 (BGL 1-3).
• Printed papers, August 1939-January 1943 (BGL 4).
• Typescript notes and reports, undated (BGL 5).
• Printed items, 1940-1941 (BGL 6).
• Manuscript notes, undated (BGL 7).
• Newspaper cuttings, undated-1941 (c) (BGL 8).

The papers in this collection were accumulated by Mr J.G. McMeeking. Nothing definite has been ascertained about Mr McMeeking or his role in the company but he was probably managing director at the time and represented the company on a number of trade bodies, many of which are represented amongst these papers.

The collection comprises correspondence and printed circulars concerning the reorganisation of the lace industry in Nottingham during the second world war. These items were received or generated by representatives of A.C. Gill Ltd and correspondents are predominantly regional lace trade associations, the Lace Export Group, and Nottingham Chamber of Commerce. The collection does not contain the operational business records of A.C. Gill Ltd but provides valuable information into the restructuring of the industry during the second world war. The records focus on attempts to concentrate lace production in order to improve efficiency and touch on other contemporary issues such as labour shortages, employment of women and the marketing of British lace overseas.

A.C. Gill Ltd, the lace manufacturing firm, was founded by Albert Charles Gill sometime between 1897 and 1900. He had formerly been a partner of Gill and Bass, a lace manufacturing firm set up in about 1890. Both companies operated from premises in Stoney Street, Nottingham but by 1920, A.C. Gill Ltd had moved to Warser Gate, Nottingham and the firm remained there during the period covered by this collection through to the present day. The company acquired the lace making firm of William Hurst and Sons in 1922 and its premises in George Street (Moorgate Street), Nottingham.

The collection is divided into 8 series by document type. Within each series, items have been arranged alphabetically by recipient, sender or creator and then chronologically. In series BGL 5, 7 and 8, however, items are undated and have been arranged in no particular order.

ACCESS: Accessible to all registered readers.

REPROGRAPHIC: Reprographic copies can be supplied for educational use and private study purposes only, depending on the access status and condition of the documents.

COPYRIGHT: Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Keeper of the Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections (email mss-library@nottingham.ac.uk). The Department will try to assist in identifying copyright owners but this can be difficult and responsibility for copyright clearance before publication ultimately rests with the person who wishes to publish.

LANGUAGE: English, French

The collection forms part of what would have been the company's archive. This small body of material was acquired by The University of Nottingham's Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections in January 1990.