Ivall and Large, coach and harness makers

David Ivall (1795 - 1850) built up a thriving coach making business in London (David was the younger brother of Thomas Ivall, my great great great grandfather). After David’s death in 1850 Martha Ivall, his wife, became the proprietor of the business. The following advert appeared in The Times dated 17 May 1851

CARRIAGES – The WIDOW of the late DAVID IVALL, in returning thanks for the patronage received since his decease, begs most respectfully to assure the nobility and gentry that the business is conducted in the same manner and upon the same principles as heretofore, and respectfully invites them to an inspection of the extensive and modern assortment of well manufactured CARRIAGES, which are either for SALE or JOB, with the option to purchase, at the old-established manufactory, 158 Tottenham-court-road.

Similar adverts appeared on 19 September 1851 and 17 August 1852 in The Times.

Martha Ivall died in 1853. After his mother’s death, James Ivall (1832-96), who had served an apprenticeship as a coachmaker, formed a partnership with William Collins Large to run the coachmaking business at 158 Tottenham Court Road. Ivall and Large are listed at this address in the London Post Office Directories of 1855 to 1858.

On 16 February 1856 this advert was in The Times

“CARRIAGES” – Final closing of the executorship of the late David Ivall, and in order to ensure a speedy accomplishment of the same, the remaining STOCK of well-manufactured CARRIAGES are now on SALE at very reduced prices at the manufactory, 158 Tottenham-court-road, London, where orders and repairs are executed as heretofore by the present firm, Messrs IVALL and LARGE, Mr Ivall being the son and successor.

David James Ivall (1830-73), the elder brother of James, joined the partnership of Ivall and Large in about 1858.

William Collins Large was born in 1818 in Middlesex. The 1861 census shows William C Large aged 43 and gives his occupation as a coachbuilder employing 45 men and 3 boys. He was living at 10 Stamford Villas Fulham with his wife Juliana (42) and children Matilda (19), Emily (14), William (12) and Edgar (3) and one servant. The 1871 census shows the family living in Camberwell with two servants. In 1881 they were living at 345 Clapham Road, Lambeth and had three servants. William’s son Edgar (aged 22) is listed as a coachbuilder, like his father. 

The London Gazette of 4^th April 1862 contains the following item announcing the departure of James Ivall from the Ivall and Large partnership :

Notice is hereby given, that the partnership heretofore subsisting between the undersigned, in the business of Coach and Harness Makers, carried on at No 125 Piccadilly and No 56 South Audley Street, both in the county of Middlesex, under the style or firm of Ivall and Large, hath been dissolved, as from 31^st day of March last, so far as respects James Ivall, by mutual consent. As witness our hands this 1^st day of April 1862. David James Ivall, William Collins Large, James Ivall.

The Lloyds Weekly Newspaper printed this report on 13 November 1862 :

A third fire took place in the premises of Messrs. Ivall and Large, coach-builders, 56, South Audley Street, Grosvenor Square. The workshops were destroyed by fire and part of the roof was burned off.

Rate Books for 1868 to 1873 show that Ivall and Large occupied premises at 1 Princes Buildings, Victoria Street, Westminster. They also paid rates from 1870 to 1873 for a property in Upper Tachbrook Street, Westminster.

As well as coaches for normal use, Ivall and Large made carriages for ceremonial occasions. The London City Press (30 September 1871) describes one of these :
The state carriage of Mr. Sheriff Young is modern light, handsome chariot, painted a rich light blue body, carriage part and wheels vermilion, relieved with blue and white. The carriage is lined with rich white silk. The seat cloth is white, with blue fringe and silk hangers to correspond; there are handsome silver lamps, snake loops, and heraldic ornaments. Messrs. Ivall and Large, Victoria Street, are the builders.

The will of David James Ivall, dated 30^th January 1873 describes him as “of Victoria Street, Westminster, Coachbuilder”. He died later that year, thus ending the Ivall family’s connection with the firm (although the Ivall name was retained for continuity). William Collins Large continued to run the firm, forming a new partnership with William Alfred Parton in 1874.

An advert for Ivall and Large, Carriage and Harness Manufacturers published in the 1879 edition of Burke’s Landed Gentry.

The following item appeared in the London Gazette dated 8 February 1887:

Notice is hereby given that the Partnership which has for some time past been carried on by William Collins Large and William Alfred Parton, under the firm of Ivall and Large, at 390 and 392 Oxford Street, 10 to 13 Bird Street and 125 Gloucester Rd, South Kensington, in the business of Coach Builders and Harness Makers, was dissolved on Feb 5^th 1887. Wm C Large, W Alf Parton.

The National Archive at Kew has Company Records for Ivall, Large, Dodson and Co. An attempt was made to form this company in 1892 by the merger of Ivall and Large, coach builders with Alexander Dodson, omnibus builder. The nominal capital of the new company was to be £30,000 arising from the offer 3,000 shares of £10 each. The directors of the new company were to be William Collins Large, coachbuilder, Charles John Jones, a director of Blundell, London, Copper and Brass Work, Ltd, William Alfred Large, architect and Edgar Charles Large, carriage builder. Alexander Dodson was to be the manager of the Dodson works and Edgar Charles Large the manager of Ivall and Large. The Certificate of Incorporation was dated 20 September 1892. However, there is a letter in the file dated 2 June 1894 to the Companies Registration Office saying “….we beg to say that as no capital was subscribed, this Company (ie Ivall, Large and Dodson) was never started and in consequence both businesses were sold by auction last year.” Elsewhere in the file it says that the firm of Ivall and Large was bought by Holland and Holland, 479 Oxford Street.

In Old Sydney Town, Somersby, NSW, Australia there is an example of a barouche coach made in 1897 by Ivall and Large for the Maharajah of Mysore in India. It is used as transport for weddings. A photo of the coach is shown below.

 The London Post Office and Business Directories have the following entries which show the changing address of the business over the years :

Year	Entry
1841	David Ivall & Co, coach and harness makers, 158 Tottenham Court Rd
1851	David Ivall, coach and harness makers, 158 Tottenham Court Rd and 18 Cardington St, Hampstead Rd
1852	Martha Ivall (Mrs), coach and harness maker, 158 Tottenham Court Rd and 18 Cardington St, Hampstead Rd
1855	Martha Ivall (Mrs), coach and harness maker, 18 Cardington St, Hampstead Rd Ivall and Large, coach and harness makers, 158 Tottenham Court Rd
1856	Ivall and Large, coach and harness makers, 158 Tottenham Court Rd
1862	Ivall and Large, coach and harness maker, 56 South Audley St and 125 Piccadilly
1871	Ivall and Large, carriage and harness maker, Victoria St, Westminster
1882	Ivall and Large, carriage builders, Victoria St, Westminster
1884	Ivall and Large, carriage builders, 390 and 392 Oxford St, 10-13 Bird St, Oxford St & Cobrg Row
1892	Ivall and Large, carriage builders, 390 and 392 Oxford St, manufacturing 10,11,12 &13 Bird St, Oxford St
1902	Ivall and Large, carriage builders, 479 to 483 Oxford St
1912	Ivall and Large, carriage builders, 479 to 483 Oxford St

The last record of Ivall and Large is in 1912 (they are not listed in the 1913 directory).