James Colmer

James Colmer was a small group of English department stores based in the West Country with its flagship store bing located in Bath, Somerset.

History

James Butler Colmer was a draper, born in Devon but learnt his trade in London.^[1] He married Fanny Jarvis in 1853 and they had six children before Fanny died. He married Lydia Gumbleton, his neighbour in 1863 before moving from Hampstead to Bath, Somerset in 1870 to take over a struggling drapery and furnishing business based on Union Street in 1870.^[2]

The business was successful and the building facade was rebuilt,^[3] even though it had established competitors in Jolly & Son and Evan & Owen. In 1897, James Butler Colmer died, and his son James Henry Colmer took over the business as Managing Director.^[4]

In 1914 a new shop front was added which joined all the units together. In 1920 James Henry Colmer was the Mayor of Bath.^[5] The store was completely refurbished during the 1930s. During the Second World War the store only received shrapnel damage.^[6]

After the Second World War the business grew with new stores being opened in Bristol, Weston-Super-Mare (formerly B T Butler), Taunton (formerly Clements & Brown) and West Penwith^[7] (formerly Morgans Department Store) while the Bath store was extended with two new floors. In 1954, the business leased land at Bath's Recreation Ground to build a pavilion to be used as a Tennis club.^[8]

However in 1973, the business was purchased by the Owen Owen department store group and business ceased to trade under the James Colmer name. The building was listed in 1975 as Grade II.^[9]

References