58 • HISTORY OF LOCKS
Centuries’ and Sentries:
The history of Hobbs
» » GLANCING THROUGH THE HOBBS
archive I happened to pause at the
centennial booklet of Hobbs, Hart &
Co. Ltd ‘A Century of Security 1851-1951’
re-reading the Forward by the then
Chairman Mr S T Ellice-Clark,
“We celebrate this year our 100th
Anniversary and may be pardoned a little
justifiable pride in this achievement.
One may well ask what is it that
enables a business to survive and
prosper amid all the manifold changes
and vicissitudes that befall in so long a
time?
New inventions, new processes, new
ideas, two world wars and a revolution
in social outlook, any one of these might
well upset the stability of an industrial
concern.
What then has kept Hobbs, Hart & Co
Ltd. in the forefront of the lock, safe and
strong room industry? I think the answer
is good craftsmanship, security and
confidence.
The confidence in the craftsmanship,
skill and care which our staff display in
producing and marketing our products,
the confidence which our staff have in
the firm that their jobs are secure and the
confidence which our customers have in
the security which our products will give
them.
We render tribute to our founders
whose initiative and enterprise brought
us into being and to all those whose
team work has enabled us to maintain
Part of Hobbs 19th century
machine shop
Hobbs Centenary Booklet
a steady record for high quality over
the past century. A record which will
encourage all our friends (shareholders,
manage staff and customers alike) to
hope that one hundred years from now
in AD2051 Hobbs, Hart & Co Ltd will be
amongst those who, founded in 1851, are
still going strong.”
The forward is dated March 31st 1951
and signed by the Chairman.
What is amazing is that just five
short years later, Hobbs was taken
over by Chubb, and at the time it was
Hobbs Demountable safe, packed
for transport by camel caravan, in
this case bound for Bagdad.
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Mr S. T. Ellice-Clark, Chairman,
Hobbs, Hart & Co. Ltd.
much lamented by both the trade and
more importantly by Hobbs customers.
1956 also saw the end of another era,
connected with Hobbs, on the world
political stage – The Suez Conflict.
The transactions of the Suez Canal,
administered by Britain, were kept in
a special vault at The Bank of England
known as the Egyptian Vault. It was a
demountable vault by Hobbs and had
two of their double stump anti-violence
locks fitted. The locks, original keys and
the bronze plaque from the door have
Parautoptic lock, the combination
could be changed simply by changing
the order of the individual key steps
or by attaching another key head.