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 beenascertained about Mr McMeeking or his role in the company but he was probably managing director atthe time and represented the company on a number of trade bodies, many of which are representedamongst these papers.

The collection comprises correspondence and printed circulars concerning the reorganisation ofthe lace industry in Nottingham during the second world war. These items were received or generatedby representatives of A.C. Gill Ltd and correspondents are predominantly regional lace tradeassociations, the Lace Export Group, and Nottingham Chamber of Commerce. The collection does notcontain the operational business records of A.C. Gill Ltd but provides valuable information into therestructuring of the industry during the second world war. The records focus on attempts toconcentrate lace production in order to improve efficiency and touch on other contemporary issuessuch 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 between1897 and 1900. He had formerly been a partner of Gill and Bass, a lace manufacturing firm set up inabout 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 coveredby this collection through to the present day. The company acquired the lace making firm of WilliamHurst 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 beenarranged alphabetically by recipient, sender or creator and then chronologically. In series BGL 5, 7and 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 purposesonly, depending on the access status and condition of the documents.

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

LANGUAGE: English, French

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