OLD PLYMOUTH . UK
www.oldplymouth.uk
 

©  Brian Moseley, Plymouth
Webpage created: November 17, 2021
Webpage updated: November 17, 2021

        

WHO WAS WHO IN OLD PLYMOUTH

ROBERT EDWARDS HARVEY BRENDON (1911-1991)

Messrs William Brendon and Son Limited, printers, also known as the Mayflower Press, was located at Pier Street and West Hoe Road, Plymouth, before the Second World War.  It was founded by Mr William Brendon (1818-1882).

The founder's son, Mr William Turner Brendon (1845-1928) died on July 25th 1928 and Mr William Turner Brendon's eldest son, Mr George Frederick William Brendon had left the business in 1911, leaving it to the fourth son, Mr Charle Ernest Brendon (1876-1936).  When he died on Sunday August 9th 1936 the business was left in the hands of Mr Robert Edwards Harvey Brendon (1911-1991).

Robert Edwards Harvey Brendon (1911-1991) and Charles Richard McLaren Brendon (1911-1940) were twins born to Mr Charles Ernest Brendon (1876-1936) and his wife, Mrs Heather Beatrice Brendon, on March 28th 1911, while they were living at "Dunheved House", Saltash, Cornwall.

Mr Robert Edwards Harvey Brendon married Miss Josephine Mary Price on September 2nd 1939 at the Anglican Church of Saint Gabriel the Archangel, Mutley, Plymouth.  They had two children, Hugh C Brendon, born 1941, and Joanna Brendon, born 1944.

His twin brother, Mr Charles Ricjard McLaren Brendon, of "Charlton House", Mannamead, Plymouth, died in Saint Thomas's Hospital, London, on March 5th 1940 following an operation.  He was just 28-years-old.

During the air raids of April 1941 the printing works in West Hoe Road took a direct hit and were destroyed.  All of the standing type for the Stanley Gibbons' stamp catalogues and the entire May edition of their magazine were destroyed.  Apparently the only item that survived the blast was the Company's brass name-plate.  By June 1941 the firm had relocated to Saint Alban's, Hertfordshire, where they celebrated their centenary the following month.

In 1946 Mr Robert Edwards Harvey Brendon purchased Messrs Clarke, Doble and Company Limited, wholesale stationers, folding box makers, account book makers, paper merchants and printers, of Oakfield Terrace Road, Cattedown, Plymouth, and reformed it as Messrs Clarke, Doble and Brendon Limited, the Oakfield Press.

However, the original business, Messrs William Brendon and Son Limited, was still going in 1956 as the Mayflower Press (Late of Plymouth), at Bushey Mill Lane, Watford, Hertfordshire, where they printed "The Stanley Gibbons Centenary, 1856-1956" for Messrs Stanley Gibbons Limited, for whom they had printed the "Gibbons Stamps Monthly" magazine.

Mr Robert Edwards Harvey Brendon retired on or about October 8th 1976 and died on July 26th 1991.  His remains were cremated at Efford Crematorium.  That seems to have ended the family's connection with the business.  His widow, Mrs Josephine Mary Brendon, reached the age of 93 years and died at Winchester, Hampshire, on November 22nd 2011.