Biography of Alfred Henry Folker

Malcolm Smith's Family History Archive

Biography of

Alfred Henry FOLKER

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Alfred Henry Folker was born on 16 March 1855 at 41 Warstone Lane Birmingham, the eldest of the five children of Alfred and Eliza Folker of Brighton. The following day, his father wrote to his grandmother to tell her the news. The family soon moved to his parents home town of Brighton, although the census of 1861 shows Alfred as a scholar boarding at 31 Buckingham Road in Oxford. However, his later education took place at Brighton Grammar School.

Alfred started his career in the pottery industry in 1870 at Albion Pottery in Hanley in Staffordshire, working for John Dimmock & Co and the census of 1871 shows him as a visitor at the home of Jonathan Shaw at 20 Edmund Street in Hanley. He remained with Dimmock for four years then went into the retail side of the business by joining James Green & Nephew at Upper Thames Street, London. However, due to a severe ilness Alfred was obliged to give up this post.

In October 1874 he was recommended for an appointment with John Mortlock & Co of Oxford Street in London, but he later resigned to join Thos. Goode & Co of South Audley Street. In 1877, he was appointed London agent for the firms of E.J.D.Bodley who produced china and E.F.Bodley & Son who produced earthenware. Both were located at Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent and he travelled throughout the country for them.

Alfred married Hannah Maria Keevil Mann at the parish church of St.Mark, Regents Park in Middlesex on 15 June 1880. The marriage certificate shows his residence as being in Wolstanton, Stafford but he had probably been living in lodgings in London. Just before the wedding, Alfred had written to Hannah on Bodley company notepaper to invite a specific guest.

The census of 1881 shows their residence as 99 Huddleston Road in Tufnell Park. Their first child, Evelyn May, was born there on 11 July 1881, followed by Oscar Llewellyn Mann on 25 October 1882. The family had moved to round the corner to 106 St.Georges Road by the time their son Edgar Reginald was born on 23 October 1884. Arthur Lawrence followed on 14 October 1886 and lastly, Sydney Newton on 26 July 1888.

In 1886, during his period with the Bodley companies, Alfred's business took him on an eight month tour of Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania and America, carrying a full line of the Bodley products. He also carried at that time glass globes, shades and fashionable tall trumpet vases for Mr.C Kemp of Vauxhall. It is said that Alfred named his last child Sydney after his visit to that city during his tour of Australia. In 1891, Alfred opened a showroom at 91, Hatton Garden where he remained until 1894. By arrangement, he stocked china products of T.Pointon & Co of Shelton, Stoke-on-Trent, earthenware manufactured by E.F.Bodley & Son of Burslem and glass made by J.Ford & Co of Holyrood, Edinburgh.

In May 1894 he was appointed London representative for the Royal Crown Derby Porcelain Co Ltd and installed in thier showroom at 42 Holborn Viaduct. He held this appointment for 33 years up to November 1927 at which time he retired. Through his position, Alfred had sold to most of the crown heads in Europe. He was also patronised by Indian Maharajas who brought dinner services in large quantities. They brought their own gold leaf to be put onto the china. They also bought huge china bowls, two examples of which Alfred had in the window of his showroom.

By 1901, the family moved to a larger house at 12 Park Road, Harlesden. Their daughter Evelyn remained with her parents and kept house for them.

In 1906, Alfred made another tour of the United States, but this time on behalf of The Royal Crown Derby Co Ltd. The immigration manifest shows that he sailed from Liverpool on 27 January onboard R M S Carmania, arriving in New York on 4 February.

Alfred and Hannah's son Oscar emigrated to South Africa. During the Great War, their other sons served with the army and Edgar was tragically killed in service in Belgium in 1915. Alfred was devasted by this and kept a shrine to him in the house.

In the latter days of his work, Alfred moved his showroom a short distance to Ely Place, near Holborn Circus. Also in the latter years, he represented Crown Derby in northern journeys which included Scotland and Ireland. At his retirement, his showroom was taken over by his son Sydney who continued with the business. Sydney had been working with his father for some time and had undertaken the northern journeys on his behalf in later years. An item was was published in The Pottery Gazette and Glass Trades Review in December 1927 regarding Alfred's retirement. Having read the article himself, Alfred wrote a letter to E.R.Edis.

Until his retirement, he was an active member of the Pottery and Glass Trades Benevolent Institution. He was vice president in 1894 and by 1897 he was a member of the board. The Institution was founded on 4 August 1881 as the result of a decision made at a dinner of the Fragile Club.

Alfred's wife, Hannah, passed away om 1 March 1929. He was stricken with sadness and wrote to a member of the family that he had burned her letters and keepsakes. He moved to "Waye" in Robin Hood lane in Sutton. He enjoyed just over 11 years of retirement before he passed away on Valentine's day in 1939 at the age of 83. He was buried at Willesden New cemetery four days later on 18 February. Amongst the bequests in his Will were the mementos of his late son Edgar which he had kept.

In his obituary in The Pottery Gazette and Glass Trades Review of 1 March 1939, he was stated that "By reason of his kindly and sociable temperament and for the quiet interest which he took at all times in benevolent and social affairs he was universally revered and beloved".

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