We are a family business with a long history. The company of J Fuller was
started by John Bean Fuller in Clerkenwell, London in about 1892 but the
story really began on 9th Feb 1787. It was then that John's grandfather
William Fuller began an apprenticeship
in Canterbury to become a brazier.
His son, Edward followed him into
the profession of
brazier/coppersmith/tinsmith (also in
Canterbury).
It was Edward's son, John Bean Fuller who sailed from Whitstable to London to
settle there as a journeyman tinplate worker. He started his own business in
Clerkenwell at the age of 55. I believe he may well have taken over his nephew's
tinplate business (established for 20 years) in Clerkenwell when he died young.
John's son (another John) took over, and the company grew, with five of his sons
and one daughter working there. They moved
to 289 St John Street in 1920 and were there
until 1961.
My father started working there in 1936 and did his last day's work in 2011 at the
age of 90. My mum kept the books until she was 84. I have just completed 40 years
and hope to do many more. A real family business.
The work has changed over the years. It has always been predominantly catering
equipment but many of the staple items when I started, such as water urns,
pudding steamers, fish
kettles, insulated tea
urns and bread tins have
gone out of fashion. Now
the main product is an
LPG Boiler for use in
mobile catering units.
Incidentally, we have always made gas water boilers and I am
just starting a new project to recreate one that we made in the
1920s as seen in our old catalogue.
We have also been making stainless steel equipment for beekeepers to process their honey and wax for 50 years.
The coppersmithing skills were largely lost with my great grandfather when the company became general sheet metal
workers, but I have always had an interest and have learned the basics from a book called "The Art of Coppersmithing"
by John Fuller. This was not 'my' John but my 2nd cousin 4x removed! He emigrated to America and wrote the book in
1894. My favourite quote from the book is where the author refers to
"in Canterbury, England, one of his kinsfolk could yet be seen
working at the brazier's bench at the advanced age of 87" He was
referring to Edward, my 3rd great grandfather.
The factory today is not that far removed from how it would have
been when the business started - the products are still hand made
using many of the tools, skills and care that my ancestors used 100
years ago. The wooden benches are probably from that era as well!
I am very proud to be a seventh-generation metal worker and also extremely pleased to have worked with my parents for
over 30 years.
We are a
family
business
with a long
history. The
company of
J Fuller was started by John Bean
Fuller in Clerkenwell, London in
about 1892 but the story really
began on 9th Feb
1787. It was then
that John's
grandfather
William Fuller
began an
apprenticeship in
Canterbury to
become a brazier. His son, Edward
followed him into the profession of
brazier/coppersmith/tinsmith (also
in Canterbury).
It was Edward's
son, John Bean
Fuller who sailed
from Whitstable to
London to settle
there as a
journeyman tinplate
worker. He started his own
business in Clerkenwell at the age
of 55. I believe he may well have
taken over his nephew's tinplate
business
(established
for 20 years)
in Clerkenwell
when he died
young.
John's son (another John) took
over, and the company grew, with
five of his sons and one daughter
working there. They moved to 289
St John Street
in 1920 and
were there until
1961.
My father started working there in
1936 and did his last day's work in
2011 at the age of 90. My mum
kept the books until she was 84. I
have just completed 40 years and
hope to do many more. A real
family business.
The work has changed over the
years. It has always been
predominantly catering equipment
but many of the staple items when I
started, such as water urns,
pudding steamers, fish kettles,
insulated tea urns and bread tins
have gone out of fashion. Now the
main product is an LPG Boiler for
use in mobile catering units.
Incidentally, we have always made
gas water boilers and I am just
starting a new project to recreate
one that we made in the 1920s as
seen in our old catalogue.
We have also been making
stainless steel equipment for
beekeepers to process their honey
and wax for 50 years.
The coppersmithing skills were
largely lost with my great
grandfather when the company
became general sheet metal
workers, but I have always had an
interest and have learned the
basics from a book called "The Art
of Coppersmithing" by John Fuller.
This was not 'my' John but my 2nd
cousin 4x removed! He emigrated
to America and wrote the book in
1894. My favourite quote from the
book is where the author refers to
"in Canterbury, England, one of his
kinsfolk could yet be seen working
at the brazier's bench at the
advanced age of 87" He was
referring to Edward, my 3rd great
grandfather.
The factory today is not that far
removed from how it would have
been when the business started -
the products are still hand made
using many of the tools, skills and
care that my ancestors used 100
years ago. The wooden benches
are probably from that era as well!
I am very proud to be a
seventh-generation metal worker
and also extremely pleased to have
worked with my parents for over 30
years.
We are a family business with a long
history. The company of J Fuller was
started by John Bean Fuller in Clerkenwell,
London in about 1892 but the story really
began on 9th Feb 1787. It was then that
John's
grandfather
William Fuller
began an
apprenticeship in Canterbury to become a brazier. His son,
Edward followed him into the profession of
brazier/coppersmith/tinsmith (also in Canterbury).
It was Edward's son, John Bean Fuller who sailed from
Whitstable to London to settle there as a journeyman tinplate
worker. He started his own
business in Clerkenwell at the
age of 55. I believe he may
well have taken over his nephew's tinplate business
(established for 20 years) in Clerkenwell when he died
young.
John's son (another John) took over, and the company
grew, with five of his sons and one daughter working
there. They moved to 289 St John Street in 1920 and
were there until 1961.
My father started working there in 1936 and did his last
day's work in 2011 at the age of 90. My mum kept the
books until she was 84. I have just completed 40 years and hope to do many more. A
real family business.
The work has changed over the years. It
has always been predominantly catering
equipment but many of the staple items
when I started, such as water urns, pudding
steamers, fish kettles, insulated tea urns
and bread tins have gone out of fashion.
Now the main product is an LPG Boiler for
use in mobile catering units. Incidentally,
we have always made gas water boilers and I am just starting a new project to recreate
one that we made in the 1920s as seen in our old catalogue.
We have also been making stainless steel equipment for beekeepers to process their
honey and wax for 50 years.
The coppersmithing skills were
largely lost with my great grandfather
when the company became general
sheet metal workers, but I have
always had an interest and have
learned the basics from a book called
"The Art of Coppersmithing" by John
Fuller. This was not 'my' John but
my 2nd cousin 4x removed! He
emigrated to America and wrote the book in 1894. My favourite quote from the book is
where the author refers to "in Canterbury, England, one of his kinsfolk could yet be
seen working at the brazier's bench at the advanced age of 87" He was referring to
Edward, my 3rd great grandfather.
The factory today is not that far removed from how it would have been when the
business started - the products are still hand made using many of the tools, skills and
care that my ancestors used 100 years ago. The wooden benches are probably from
that era as well!
I am very proud to be a seventh-generation metal worker and also extremely pleased to
have worked with my parents for over 30 years.
