John Turrill
John Turrill established his business as a stationer at 351 Oxford Street, London, in 1826. By early 1832, he was also trading from 250 Regent Street, where his business activities included publishing. As the business developed, Turrill became increasingly associated with the manufacture of fine dressing cases, writing desks and other luxury fitted boxes.
By 1838, the business was described as a writing and dressing-case manufactory. Robson's London Directory of 1842 lists Turrill at both 210 and 250 Regent Street, with both premises associated with dressing-case manufacture.
Illustrated trade advertisement for John Turrill, c.1830–1840, showing his premises at 250 Regent Street beside the Argyll Rooms, with views of the buildings before and after the fire of January 1830. Turrill advertises himself as a manufacturer of dressing cases, writing desks, leather travelling cases and workboxes.
In 1851, Turrill exhibited at the Great Exhibition in London's Crystal Palace. The Official Descriptive and Illustrated Catalogue records his entry in Class 29, Miscellaneous Manufactures and Small Wares, describing a portable writing desk designed to accommodate private papers and money. The catalogue gives Turrill's address as 52 New Bond Street, confirming that he was operating from these premises by 1851.
By 1865, the dressing-case business at 52 New Bond Street had passed to Williams & Co. An advertisement published that year described the firm as successors to John Turrill and stated that the experienced workmen employed by the former business had been retained.
Williams & Co. continued to advertise dressing cases, writing desks, despatch boxes and travelling accessories from the same New Bond Street premises.
