The Early Years

The store was founded by Mr. James Beattie in 1877. He was born on 17th June, 1852 in Shrewsbury and moved to Wolverhampton with his family, when his father Robert Beattie began to work at the Great Western Railway’s Stafford Road railway works in Wolverhampton. At the age of 14, James started an apprenticeship for Sidney & Son in Queen Square and afterwards worked in Birmingham to widen his experience.


From the 1892 Wolverhampton Red Book.

In 1877 he founded the Victoria Drapery Supply Stores in rented premises at 77 Victoria Street, on part of where the later Beatties store would be built. He had a starting capital of just £300 and served in the shop with two junior assistants. It was a tiny shop with a frontage of just 14 feet.


From an old magazine cutting.


The first shop at 77 Victoria Street.

James Beattie was a brilliant salesman. Sales were frequently held to attract customers to the shop, offering many bargains. They were advertised in local newspapers.

From Saturday January 31st and throughout February 1880 a clearance sale of dresses, underwear and general drapery was held at the shop. It was described as 'a great clearance sale of drapery' and all the items on sale were greatly reduced.

For some years the business flourished and the premises was extended when Beatties also rented number 76, then number 75 Victoria Street, which had previously been occupied by  Mr. Buttery, a grocer. The extended premises opened on Saturday 21st July, 1888 and it was celebrated with a free offer to customers. Anyone spending ten shillings was given a free pair of silk gloves and anyone spending one pound or over received a free pair of Dent's best kid gloves.

In August 1892 there was a huge clearance sale in the fancy drapery department, again offering many bargains. The business went from strength to strength. In 1894 there were 40 members of staff and a turnover of £30,000, which increased to £44,000 by the end of the century.

Things went badly wrong in early 1896 when the store was badly damaged after a fire, which caused over £8,000 worth of damage. Undeterred, the business temporarily moved to Mr. Parker's Auction Rooms across the road at number 11, opening on Wednesday February 12th with entirely new stock, low prices and some exceptionally cheap goods.

On the 29th February the firm held a sale of £10,000 worth of salvaged stock from the fire at numbers 75 and 76 Victoria Street after the claim with their insurance company had been settled. Everything was extremely cheap and had to go to make way for the workmen repairing the property. It attracted large crowds, many people coming from surrounding towns.


Looking down Victoria Street in 1884 towards Beatties shop.


The shop after the fire. From an old newspaper cutting.

Further building work on the premises took place in 1897 with the building of an extension. An 'alteration of premises great sale' was held at numbers 75 to 77 Victoria Street in July. Thousands of pounds worth of goods were sold at extremely low prices. Waiting rooms, tea and toilet facilities were available. It was advertised as a sale to make way for the workmen.

On the 30th June, 1897 Mr. James Beattie purchased number 77 Victoria Street which he had been renting, from Mr. Thomas Graham, formerly a shopkeeper, then a newspaper proprietor. He also purchased a house next to the Spread Eagle Inn in Victoria Street.

The new extension officially opened on Saturday November 27th, 1897. The event was celebrated with a grand Christmas bazaar and fancy fair, where toys and fancy goods of every description were on sale.


The shop front around the end of the century.
 

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