OLD PLYMOUTH . UK
www.oldplymouth.uk
 

WHO WAS WHO IN OLD PLYMOUTH

FRANK ANDREW UNDERHILL (1895-1979)

Frank Andrew Underhill was born on August 1st 1895, the son of Mr Frank Underhill (1867-1948), printer and stationer, and his wife, the former Miss Harriet Gwendoline Avery, of 74 Old Town Street, Plymouth.  He was baptized at Charles' Church on September 17th 1895.

He joined his father's business in 1913 and it became Messrs Underhill and Company.  Initially he worked in the shop at 14 Frankfort Street but then moved to the printing and manufacturing works in Kinterbury Street.

Mr Frank Andrew Underhill married Miss Catherine Ivy Pulley Marchant on April 7th 1926 at the Ancient Parish Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, Plympton.

The Company's printing and manufacturing works were moved from Kinterbury Street to Regent Street in 1932 and the shop in Frankfort Street was rebuilt in 1939.  Unfortunately the shop was destroyed in March 1941 during the Plymouth Blitz.  It was quickly replaced by a new shop at 101 Tavistock Road, next door to the Central Library.

Following the retirement of his uncle, Mr Ernest Russell Underhill, in 1947 and the death of his father, Mr Frank Underhill (1867-1948) on Wednesday August 25th 1948, Mr Frank Andrew Underhill assumed full control of the Company.

In 1973 Mr Frank Andrew Underhill, now aged 78, decided to retire and sell the business.  But he was looking for a new owner who he thought would continue with the traditions of service that Underhill's had achieved over the years.  The Terry Printing Group, of Fleet, in Hampshire, was looking to expand its business and liked the purpose-built three-storey printing works and the large retail shop.  They closed the shop for two weeks while they put in additional steel beams to strengthen the floors to take additional weight so that they could expend.  It re-opened on Monday September 10th 1973.  Mr Lionel Galer was in overall charge of the printing works and retail shop, with Miss Audrey Miller looking after the book department in the basement. 

Mr Frank Andrew Underhill died unexpectedly in his sleep at the South Devon Hotel, Torquay, Devon, on Thursday February 15th 1979.  He was cremated at Efford Crematorium, Plymouth, on Friday February 23rd 1979.  He was survived by a daughter, Jenifer.

When the business celebrated its centenary in 1989, it moved the printing works out of Regent Street to a 12,000 square foot factory on the Langage Industrial Estate, just outside the City.  The old works was bought by Plymouth City Council and the site redeveloped for housing.

The Terry Printing Group went into receivership in 1992 but the Underhill operation was purchased by Messrs Latimer, Trend and Company Limited, an even older Plymouth printing business that already owned Messrs Hitchings and Mason Limited and the Plymouth Reprographic Company.  The stationery side of the business, operated as Messrs W H Ham and Sewell, was not included in the purchase.