BUSINESS RECORDS OF THE SWAN LAUNDRY (NORWICH) LTD. AND THE WYMONDHAM LAUNDRY LTD....

Laundry records

<p>For architect Boardman's plans of laundry premises 1878-1879, see BR 35/2/26/10</p>

• <corpname>Norwich Steam Laundry and Baths Company Ltd, 1878-1932, Norfolk</corpname>
• <corpname>Wymondham Dereham and District Laundry Company, 1914-1933, Norfolk</corpname>
• <corpname>Swan Laundry (Norwich) Ltd, 1932-1979, Norfolk</corpname>
• <corpname>Wymondham Laundry Ltd, 1933-1969, Norfolk</corpname>

Received by Norfolk Record Office on 2 October 1974 and 8 July 1994

MS 33481

The Norwich Steam Laundry and Baths Company Ltd. was established and incorporated in 1878. It purchased 2a of land, a house and outbuildings known as Nortons, late Tinklers, Baths by the River Wensum and next to the Norwich Waterworks in Heigham. In 1927 the company acquired the Wymondham, Dereham and District Laundry Company Ltd. which had been operating under that name from its premises off the Norwich Road, Wymondham since 1914. The Norwich company's directors automatically became the directors of the Wymondham concern and operated it as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the former. In 1932 the baths were closed, having been uneconomical for some years previous and the name of the company was accordingly changed to the Swan Laundry (Norwich) Ltd. A year later the Wymondham company's name was changed to the Wymondham Laundry Ltd.

In 1969 the Wymondham Laundry was wound up and its assets sold to its parent company. The economies of scale and centralisation following this enabled the Swan Laundry to trade for another decade before its closure and voluntary liquidation in 1979. E.G. Mayes, chartered accountant, joined the Swan Laundry as its secretary in 1965 a post he held until the company's liquidation.