At the bottom of Church Street near the promenade used to be one of Blackpool’s finest and most enterprising Jewellers ‘Sam Lyon Junr.’ who offered an outstanding array of exclusive jewellery, watches & clocks supported by their own extensive manufacturing & repair service.
The history of this quaint shop, then numbered 10 Church Street dates back to the 1890’s as Lyon family premises as well as 57 Church Street which they opened in the 1880’s and continued in occupancy there until 1912 when the business was condensed into their main premises at 10 Church Street. The Lyon family is also listed with having a tobacconist shop at 8 Church Street during the 1890’s and Sam Lyon Senr. also ran his own jewellery business outlet from number 3 Victoria Street in the 1890’s. Sam Lyon Senior’s son Albert Lyon also had a jewellery shop at 19 Victoria Street.
The Lyon family watch making & jewellery business was founded by Lemuel Lyon born in Germany circa 1796 and expanded by his son Samuel Lyon (Senior) born in 1827 Chatham Kent who moved his business to Preston where Sam Lyon (Junior) was born in 1869. Samuel Lyon (the younger) born in Blackpool 1898 was the last in line of this family retail & jewellery dynasty which had lasted over one hundred & fifty years. The main Lyon family residence in Blackpool was Blenheim Lodge on Whitegate Drive and also South King Street with other family residences on Lincoln Road and Edward Street.
A Sam Lyon Junr. promotional replica George III spade guinea showing telephone number 180 and a pocket watch winder key showing the address of 8-10 and 57 Church Street Blackpool
Sam Lyon Junr. who advertised his business as ‘The County Jeweller’ also marketed his company services as diamond merchants, goldsmiths and opticians and became an official supplier of watches to the British Admiralty during the First World War. Lyon also became agents for Rolex watches as the business was without doubt aimed at the ‘well heeled’ and more affluent residents of Blackpool and the Fylde.
This was further corroborated in The Gazette News December 17th 1913 when an extract from a Christmas advertisement in the newspaper stated Sam Lyon Jnr, the jeweller that “stands alone at the bottom of Church Street” proclaimed that for his “select and extensive clientele” he had “no old stock” among his extensive range of precious stones and high class plate and jewellery.
Two high quality Sam Lyon made pocket watches with a fine example of a more ornate ladies Edwardian watch on the left and the more standard 1920’s gents pocket watch on the right. Sam Lyon Junr. was one of the last provincial watch makers in England
My personal connection with this jewellery shop came in 1974 whilst working briefly for H.Samuel & Co who purchased the premises as one of their ‘Paragon’ branded jewellery outlets with Sam Lyon having moved into the Lewis’s building albeit on a much smaller scale. I do remember so many of the old Sam Lyon customers who came into the shop commented that it held many special memories for them, in particular for those who had purchased engagement & wedding rings there. Whilst the shop was being modernised by H Samuel & Co there were reports that workmen had discovered a long case clock hidden in a partition wall recess. I remember the old almost Dickensian repair workshop situated in a yard at the rear of the shop which still contained old jars & bottles and boxes of old clock parts. The loft roof space was completely full of old filing cabinets and mounds of old customer paperwork and repair records that had been dumped up there on top of even older layers of miscellaneous items, a veritable treasure trove of the history of the Sam Lyon business. I discovered an old takings book dating from the 1914-18 First World War era which was oddly enough written in code, unfortunately I no longer have the book which certainly warranted further investigation. With hindsight I only wish I had been able to salvage other interesting items from the loft area, I often wonder if anyone did indeed salvage any of the Sam Lyon archives from those old filing cabinets.
As far I’m aware the old shop still remains intact and now appears to be incorporated within the Leonard Dews portfolio as a specialist jewellery outlet which is far more befitting the heritage of the premises than some of the more recent businesses that had operated there. This must be one of the oldest buildings in that part of Church Street representing yet another example one of Blackpool’s smaller almost forgotten iconic emporiums.
Lucas Campbell
July 2020
Lucas Campbell Music & Memories 