S.O. Steele & Sons Ltd. fonds, 1901-1983

Home Holdings and Collections Finding Aids S.O. Steele & Sons Ltd. fonds, 1901-1983

S.O. Steele & Sons Ltd. fonds, 1901-1983

36 metres of textual records

Administrative history

S.O. Steele & Sons Ltd. was established by Samuel Owen Steele in 1899 at 100 Water Street, St. John's. Steele came to Newfoundland from England in the 1880s, and established a furniture and dry goods business in St. John's. In 1886, he married Sarah Harris, niece of James Hunt Martin and his wife Hannah (Tucker) Martin. James Martin had come to Newfoundland from England in the first half of the 19th century and subsequently established a hardware store on Water Street. Hannah Martin opened a china shop nearby circa 1848. The china shop was destroyed in the great fire of 1892, but Hannah rebuilt it in 1894. Their children having died young, James and Hannah adopted Sarah Harris. After Hannah died intestate in 1899, Sarah inherited the china shop, thus making way for S.O. Steele & Sons Ltd. Hannah had operated the shop as a part-time concern but S.O. Steele made it a full-time business by developing a wholesale trade, importing china from Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Europe, and later, Japan. He was not the only importer of china in St. John's; both Ayre and Knowling provided fierce competition in the trade.

In the first decade of the twentieth century, S.O. Steele's two eldest sons (of ten children, five boys and five girls), Owen William and James Robert, began working in the store. When war broke out in 1914, both joined the Royal Newfoundland Regiment. Owen Steele was killed at Beaumont Hamel, but James Robert survived and returned to resume his position in the family business. S.O. Steele and Sarah retired to Paignton, Devon, England in the early 1920s, passing the firm to James Robert and Victor, another son. The firm survived the depression of the 1930s and, like many others, thrived during World War II with increased business stemming from the establishment of military bases in Newfoundland and the great influx of foreign military personnel to St. John's. By the 1940s, the next generation of Steele's were coming of age, but it was James Harris Steele, the second son of James Robert, who entered the business, to work along with his father and uncle.

The next couple of decades were also prosperous but, by the late 1960s, large chain stores were supplanting outport merchants, S.O. Steele's chief wholesale customers. Despite the decline, S.O Steele & Sons Ltd. survived by developing a strong retail trade to complement the wholesale business. This shift prompted the firm to import more expensive china which was of less value to the outport market. James Robert Steele died in 1970, and Victor retired in 1976, leaving James to operate the business. When James retired in 1989, the family made a unanimous decision to close the business.

The building at 100 Water Street was purchased by Breakwater Books who have restored and refurbished the century old property.

Sources: Interview with Mr. Jim Steele, October, 1990

Scope and content

This fonds consists of the operational records of the business of S.O. Steele & Sons Ltd., for 1901 to 1983, with a complete record of the business existing for the 1920s to 1976. The fonds consists of financial records, (ledgers, journals, order books and shop books etc.) correspondence, orders, and shipping information, including bills of lading, customs entry forms and marine insurances. There is a large collection of catalogues of products which were sold at the store: china and glassware of all qualities, silverware, lamps and hardware, cutlery and flatware. A selection process has been carried out on this fonds, and some material was not kept for long term preservation. This material included: delivery receipts, freight bills, marine insurance forms, invoices and statements, statements and receipts, bank statements, cash receipt books, cash sales slips, petty cash receipts. Of particular note is a book containing a list of retail stores and retail store owners of outport Newfoundland, with whom S.O. Steele & Sons Ltd. conducted business.

This fonds is arranged in six series: Financial records and bound volumes, 1901-1977; Correspondence, 1922-1983; Shipping records, 1922-1975; Orders, 1919-1979; Miscellaneous documents, 1913-1965; Catalogues, 1910-1979.

Notes

Supplied title based on contents.

Donated by James Steele, September 1988.

Maritime History Archive finding aid 82

Related material can be found in Steele, James Robert, 1888-1970, Photographs, 1916. Centre for Newfoundland Studies Archives, OMF-030; Steele, Owen W., 1887-1916, Diary, 1914-1916. Centre for Newfoundland Studies Archives, Coll-179.

Accession number 1990-0002

Location Banks 25-29.

List of series and sub-series

1.0 Financial Records and Bound Volumes, 1901-1977

1.01 Bank cash books, 1919-1971

1.02 Day books, 1901-1972

1.03 Foreign ledgers, 1916-1972

1.04 Foreign order books, 1919-1967

1.05 Hire books, 1921-1974

1.06 Invoice books, 1917-1977

1.07 Ledgers, 1909-1974

1.08 Order books, 1911-1971

1.09 Petty cash books, 1919-1975

1.10 Sales synopsis books, 1944-1970

1.11 Shipping books, 1929-1968

1.12 Short books, 1928-1953

1.13 Stock books, 1917-1966

1.14 Trial balance books, 1919-1931

1.15 Wholesale order books, 1973-1976

2.0 Correspondence, 1922-1983

2.01 Correspondence, foreign inwards, 1922-1970

2.02 Correspondence, local inwards, 1922-1983

2.03 Correspondence, Japanese, inwards and outwards, 1950-1967

2.04 Correspondence, outwards, 1925-1970

3.0 Shipping records, 1922-1975

3.01 Customs entry forms, 1949-1975

3.02 Bills of lading, foreign and Japanese, 1922-1971

3.03 Marine insurance, 1928-1973

4.0 Orders, 1919-1979

4.01 Government orders, 1919-1976

4.02 Salesmen's orders, 1929-1968

4.03 Local orders, 1922-1979

4.04 Mottoed china orders, 1954-1961

5.0 Miscellaneous documents, 1913-1965

6.0 Catalogues, 1910-1979

Series and sub-series description

Series 1: Financial records (bound volumes)

Extent: 12 metres

Location: Banks 25 and 26 (shelves 1-4) and boxes 111-114

Scope and Content: This series contains the bound volumes of financial records, including ledgers, 1909-1974, bank cash books, 1919-1971, invoice books, 1917-1977, trial balance books, 1919-1931, foreign ledgers, 1916-1972, petty cash books, 1919-1975, day books, 1901-1972, sales synopsis books, 1944-1970. Other bound volumes in this series are order books: foreign order books, 1919-1967, hire books, 1921-1974, order books, 1911-1971 and wholesale order books, 1973-1976. The remainder of the series is shipping books, 1929-1968, stock books, 1917-1966 and short books, 1928-1953.

Arrangement: The volumes are organized in sub-series according to the form of the material and arranged chronologically on the shelf. The sub-series are listed alphabetically and described in detail, below.

Sub-series 1.01 Bank cash books, 1919-1971

Extent: 21 volumes

Location: Bank 25, shelf 1

Scope and Content: Itemized list of cheques paid into Steel's account. Cheques are listed individually with name of payer.

Sub-series 1.02 Day books, 1901-1972

Extent: 21 volumes

Location: Banks 25, shelves 1 and 2

Scope and Content: Day books contain accounts of daily sales. The information in the daybooks is entered into the sales synopsis books. The books which we have termed invoice books, were described by Steels as Day Book 1. Accounts from the invoice books are also entered in the sales synopsis books. This series also contain 2 day and hire books, 1941-1943 and 1947-1948. These record daily hire business as well accounts of sales.

Sub-series 1.03 Foreign ledgers, 1916-1972

Extent: 6 volumes

Location: Bank 25, shelf 2

Scope and content: The foreign ledgers record accounts of purchases with foreign firms which supply Steele with merchandise. Amounts are entered under the name of the supplier.

Sub-series 1.04 Foreign order books, 1919-1967

Extent: 8 volumes

Location: Bank 25, shelves 2 and 3

Scope and Content: The foreign order books contain itemized accounts of the orders made to suppliers of merchandise.

Sub-series 1.05 Hire books, 1921-1974

Extent: 30 volumes

Location: Bank 25, shelf 3

Scope and Content: The shop hire books contain itemized listing of rental orders. The two types of hire books are shop hire books and office hire books. Total amounts from the shop hire books were posted to the office hire books which were subsequently posted to the ledger.

Sub-series 1.06 Invoice books, 1917-1977

Extent: 66 volumes

Location: Bank 25, shelves 3 - 7

Scope and Content: The invoice books were termed day books by Mr. Steele. They contain daily accounts, under the name of the purchaser. The duplicate format allowed the original order to be given to the customer (as an invoice). The copies remained in the bound volume. The invoice books were used for larger orders than the day books.

Sub-series 1.07 Ledgers, 1909-1974

Extent: 34 volumes and 70 cm. boxed records

Location: Banks 25 shelf 8 and Bank 26 shelf 1 and boxes 111-115

Scope and Content: Annual accounts of sales, entered under individual name of the customer. Accounts relate mostly to the retail stores in rural Newfoundland and Labrador. Loose ledger leaves are contained in boxes 111-115.

Sub-series 1.08 Order books, 1911-1971

Extent: 93 volumes

Location: Bank 26, shelves 1 - 3

Scope and Content: Similar to the day books, the order books contain orders for retail merchandise under the name of the customer.

Sub-series 1.09 Petty cash books, 1919-1975

Extent: 11 volumes

Location: Bank 26 shelf 3

Scope and Content: Petty cash books contain accounts of purchases made using the cash from the store. The information was originally collected on petty cash slips, and then entered into the petty cash books. Full detailed information on each expenditure is given.

Sub-series 1.10 Sales synopsis books, 1944-1970

Extent: 4 volumes

Location: Bank 26 shelf 4

Scope and Content: From 1944 accounts of sales from the day books and the invoice books (and possibly the order books) was entered into the sales synopsis books. Freight charges are also entered here.

Sub-series 1.11 Shipping books, 1929-1968

Extent: 8 volumes

Location: Bank 26 shelf 4

Scope and Content: The shipping books contain information posted from the freight bills, and include the amount and type of goods shipped, the name and address of the consignee and the method of shipment. Freight charges are entered in the sales synopsis books.

Sub-series 1.12 Short books, 1928-1953

Extent: 2 volumes

Location: Bank 26 shelf 4.

Scope and Content: The short books contain information on missing items from orders shipped out to customers.

Sub-series 1.13 Stock books, 1917-1966

Extent: 13 volumes

Location: Bank 26 shelf 4

Scope and Content: Stock books contain an account of the inventory of goods held at the store.

Sub-series 1.14 Trial balance books, 1919-1931

Extent: 2 volumes

Location: Bank 26 shelf 4

Scope and Content: Trial balance books contain debit and credit accounts; expenditures by the firm as well as credits paid on account.

Sub-series 1.15 Wholesale order books, 1973-1976

Extent: 6 volumes

Location: Bank 26 shelf 4

Scope and Content: Itemized orders for wholesale customers.

Series 2: Correspondence, 1922-1983.

Extent: 12.9 metres (79.5 boxes total for Series 2)

Location: Boxes 1-73

Scope and Content: This series contains letters and brochures for merchandise from various foreign companies, letters from local customers, mostly pertaining to orders, and letters sent out to same.

Arrangement: This series is arranged into the following four sub-series: Correspondence, foreign inwards; Correspondence, local inwards; Correspondence, Japanese, inwards and outwards; and Correspondence, outwards.

Sub-series 2.01: Correspondence, foreign inwards, 1922-1970

Extent: 4.5 metres (28.5 boxes)

Location: Boxes 1-23

Scope and Content: This sub-series consists of correspondence from Canada, the United States, England, and other European countries, including pictorial product samples, price guides, and general information pertaining to the companies involved. Some postage stamps are included.

Arrangement: The arrangement is in alphabetical and in chronological order. In some cases the year was divided in half by S.O. Steele. Note that some years have been filed under a number and a letter, the result of being a later addition by the archivist. For example there is a BOX 5A containing files 2.01.007A.

Sub-series 2.02: Correspondence, local inwards, 1922-1983

Extent: 7 metres (42 boxes)

Location: Boxes 24-64A

Scope and Content: This sub-series contains correspondence from residents of Newfoundland and Labrador and includes such items as orders, acknowledgements of payments owed to S.O. Steele, or apologies for late payments. There is a collection of Dun and Bradstreet/Dun's Bulletin contained in many of the years, and in particular in BOX 64A. In file 2.02.018 June 1944, BOX 42, there is a 1902 Canadian coin (nickel).

Arrangement: The arrangement is in chronological order and each year monthly, with several files for each year. For filing purposes the documents were reversed. Note that in BOX 57, file 2.02.032, Nov-Dec and in BOX 63, file 2.02.041, Dec, local and foreign correspondence are combined.

Sub-series 2.03: Correspondence, Japanese, inwards and outwards, 1950-1967

Extent: .2 metre (1 box)

Location: Boxes 64-65

Scope and Content: This sub-series contains both inward and outward correspondence with various Japanese companies, and includes brochures and other pertinent information. There are purchase orders from S.O. Steele and documents pertaining to the shipping of same.

Arrangement: The arrangement is in chronological order and each year monthly.

Sub-series 2.04: Correspondence, outwards, 1925-1970

Extent: 1.2 metres (8 boxes)

Location: Boxes 66-73

Scope and Content: This sub-series contains correspondence which S.O. Steele sent to the companies that they dealt with and also to the individual customers who purchased wholesale from S.O. Steele. The customers who bought from S.O. Steele were located in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Arrangement: The arrangement is in chronological order and each year monthly. From the 1920s to the early 1940s there are several files per year, and from 1944 onward there is usually one file per year.

Series 3: Shipping records, 1922-1975

Extent: 4.1 metres (26 boxes total for Series 3)

Location: Boxes 74-99

Scope and content: This series contains information pertaining to the transportation of goods received by S.O. Steele for wholesale purposes.

Arrangement: This series is arranged into the following three sub-series: Customs entry forms; Bills of lading, foreign and Japanese; and Marine Insurance

Sub-series 3.01: Customs entry forms, 1949-1975

Extent: .3 metre (1.5 boxes)

Location: Boxes 74-75

Scope and content: This sub-series contains documents which list imports and their price.

Arrangement: The arrangement is in chronological order, with one file per year.

Sub-series 3.02: Bills of lading, foreign and Japanese, 1922-1971

Extent: 3.3 metres (20.5 boxes)

Location: Boxes 75-95

Scope and content: This sub-series contains Bills of Lading, documents concerning invoice and certificates of value and origin, and invoices from various companies which shipped products to S.O. Steele.

Arrangement: The arrangement is in chronological order. Note that BOXES 94 and 95 inclusive, are strictly Japanese, but are arranged in the order maintained by S.O. Steele

Sub-series 3.03: Marine insurance, 1928-1973

Extent: .5 metre (4 boxes of which 2 are thin)

Location: Boxes 96-99

Scope and content: This sub-series contains stub books, located in BOXES 96 and 97, and insurance certificates.

Arrangement: The arrangement is in chronological order, the stub books first followed by the insurance certificates.

Series 4: Orders, 1919-1979

Extent: 1.6 metres (9.5 boxes total for Series 4)

Location: Boxes 99-108

Scope and content: This series contains documents related to orders from various sectors of the business industry.

Arrangement: This series is arranged in the following four Sub-series: Government orders; Salesmen's orders; Local orders; and Mottoed china orders.

Sub-series 4.01: Government orders, 1919-1976

Extent: .3 metre (2 boxes)

Location: Boxes 99-101

Scope and content: This sub-series contains government orders including Canada Department of Agriculture, Purchase Orders; Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Department of Supply; Newfoundland Government, Department of Municipal Affairs and Supply.

Arrangement: The arrangement is in chronological order.

Sub-series 4.02: Salesmen's orders, 1929-1968

Extent: .5 metre (3 boxes)

Location: Boxes 101-104

Scope and content: This sub-series contains orders from salesmen who travelled throughout the province. The order forms were those of S.O. Steele.

Arrangement: The arrangement is in chronological order.

Sub-series 4.03: Local orders, 1922-1979

Extent: .7 metre (4 boxes)

Location: Boxes 104-108

Scope and content: This sub-series contains local orders from businesses within the province such as The Newfoundland Railway, The Great War Veterans' Association of Newfoundland, and The Royal Stores. The documents were under various headings as follows; orders, local; orders and memos; city orders; retail order forms; local purchase orders; memos - vouchers; customer purchase orders; shop and office order memos; order slips - retail; city wholesale orders.

Arrangement: The arrangement is in chronological order.

Sub-series 4.04: Mottoed china orders, 1954-1961

Extent: .1 metre (.5 box)

Location: Box 108

Scope and content: This sub-series contains an informal record kept from 1954-1961 of the individuals who purchased the mottoed china during that time.

Arrangement: The arrangement is in chronological order.

Series 5: Miscellaneous Documents, 1913-1965

Extent: .3 metre (2 boxes)

Location: Boxes 109-110

Scope and Content: This series contains miscellaneous documents as follows: Masonic Regalia; Address Book; S.O. Steele Catalogue; Price List and Stock List; Telegraph Books; Marine Insurance Applications; Letter Book; Unemployment Insurance Records; Licence to Import Forms; Import Recommendation Forms; Wholesale Delivery Book; Car Receipts; Stock Cards; Shorthand Book; Sales Synopsis; Payroll Sheets; Catalogue of China and Earthenware.

Arrangement: This series is arranged beginning from Masonic Regalia to Letter Book in box 109 and then from Unemployment Records to Catalogue of China and Earthenware in box 110.

Series 6: Catalogues, 1910-1979

Extent: 3 metres (18 boxes)

Location: Boxes 116-131

Scope and Content: Catalogues of chinaware, glassware, cutlery, silverware and other flatware and household items, which were sold by S.O Steele.