More About Merrythought
Established in 1930, Merrythought is one of the oldest and most prestigious of England's toy manufacturers. For over 60 years the magic of Merrythought has delighted adults and children of all ages with a range of traditional hand crafted toys that are more than mere playthings.
A Merrythought toy is a joy forever - a treasured family friend to be passed down from generation to generation - a valued heirloom that is guaranteed to give year after year of lasting pleasure.
Merrythought is run by Oliver Holmes, grandson of W.G. Holmes, who co-founded
the company in 1930. This ongoing family connection has instilled loyalty among
the staff and a genuine care about the quality of their products that has won
affection and respect amongst collectors worldwide.
Their most
distinctive, and possibly most popular design is the 'Cheeky' bear, which first
appeared in Merrythought's 1957 catalogue. Cheeky bears have a bell in each of
their low set ears, a unique muzzle and a wonderful smile. The Cheeky name is
due to that impish grin.
The history of Merrythought
The history of Merrythought provides us with a fascinating insight into early 19th Century England - a period of considerable industrial change and development. Our story actually begins in 1919 when Mr B C Holmes (grandfather of the present Managing Director) went into partnership with a Mr G H I Laxton to open a spinning mill in Yorkshire, quite simply to manufacture mohair yarn from imported raw materials.
The introduction of synthetic fibres led to a decline in the demand for mohair fabric causing one of their yarn customers, Tyson Hall & Co Ltd of Bakersfield, to lose a considerable amount of business. Holmes and Laxton decided to buy Lyons plush weaving company and realised they had to find something to do with the mohair yarns.
The sales director of the combined companies knew two men who were to play a vital role in the development of Merrythought. Mr R Rendle was in charge of Production at Chad Valley and Mr A C Janisch in charge of sales at J K Farnell (another soft toy manufacturer). Both were keen to join Holmes and Laxton to produce Merrythought Toys and together arranged to rent space in one of Coalbrookdale's foundry buildings. In September 1930, Mr Rendle moved into the former social room of the Coalbrookdale Co, together with some workers from Chad Valley.
The home of Merrythought
Over the years the original Merrythought factory site at Coalbrookdale (now Ironbridge), which was purchased from the Coalbrookdale Co in 1965, has seen considerable improvement. New buildings have been added but the large brick building built by the iron foundry in 1898 is still used today to lovingly create each and every Merrythought Toy.
The Present Day
The present Managing Director Oliver Holmes is the original founder's grandson, and joined the factory in 1972 after training as an engineer. Merrythought remains a family business to this day and continues to create a delightful range of beautifully made soft toys.
There is nothing mass produced
about a Merrythought Toy because each animal is lovingly
hand-crafted. No two animals of any design are ever exactly the same. In fact through every stage of production we do everything we can to ensure that only the best in top quality soft toys can bear the prestigious Merrythought Wishbone label. In November 2006 to the great sadness of many Merrythought Toys went into liquidation. But the story continues..... see below.
