Page 12 - BHTA 100 years

The rst AGM in 1918 reported on strong
The new Association proved to be popular and grew quickly. The rst AGM took place on Wednesday July 3rd 1918 at 6 Holborn Viaduct. The Chairman was Mr Arthur W Down and the Secretary was Mr G R Cheesman. Mr Down’s company was Down Bros Ltd. His Deputy Chairman was from S Maw, Son and Sons Ltd. The Treasurer was Mr Edwin R Arnold from Arnold & Sons and members of the committee came from companies such as Hawksley & Sons, Mayer & Meltzer, Allen & Hanburys and John Weiss & Sons Ltd.
Many of the companies represented were already
long-established. For example, John Weiss & Son Ltd
had been founded in 1787. John Weiss had received
Royal honours for his innovation and craftsmanship and
was appointed ‘Razor Maker to the King’ by William IV.
The Company exhibited the ‘Blade Tree’ in The Great
Exhibition, 1851, an exhibit which is still in existence and
displayed in the Grand Hall of The Worshipful Company of Cutlers in London.
In his report to the meeting, Mr Down explained that the Association: “owes its birth to the expressed intention of the Government to deal with the various industries through organised bodies, so that in all matters they are called upon to deal with they should be able to appeal to a body of representative men capable of voicing the considered opinions of the trade or industry concerned.”
It appears that the people who attended the rst ever meeting didn’t know each other that well as Mr Arnold comments: “I suppose there was no other trade in the country of which the members acted so independently and knew so little of each other.”
Just a few days after the initial meeting, on June 27th, the group met again to agree rules and a committee and of cers were elected. They also agreed at that meeting to af liate with the NUM, which was described in the minutes as ‘a powerful body’.
growth in the rst 12 months.
BHTA 100 years