Shops

The first systems in Cornwall claim to be at Chirgwins, Penzance in 1894 (wire system) and Vivian Brothers, Cambourne in 1899 (ball system).

CAMBORNE. Coop Stores. Now a chemists shop. Wire system. Royal Inst. of Cornwall Library

CAMBORNE. Vivian Bros., Market Square/Basset Road. "Messrs. Vivians' drapery establishment has been fitted by the Lamson store service company with their patent cash railway system. The principle is that known as 'the ball system'... Messrs. Vivian have seven stations whence these balls keep rolling to and fro. The only other place in Cornwall where the Lamson system is adopted is at Penzance, where Messrs. R. Chirgwin and Son have had it in operation for years with success." Cornishman, 23 Mar. 1899, p. 4
• Photo of exterior
• "We have adopted the new cash railway, as seen in the large towns. The first drapery, tayloring and outfitting firm to adopt it in Cornwall." Royal Cornwall Gazette, 6 Jul. 1899, p.1
•"A cash railway, the first introduced into Cornwall, with eight stations on the ground floor, saves the hurry and bustle of assistants running about for change." Royal Cornwall Gazette, 14 Sep. 1899, p.7
• "The largest and finest commercial establishment in the town." Wire system. Osborne, J.Arthur and Thomas, David H. Victorian and Edwardian Camborne. Camborne: the authors, 1986. The monthly commission for each salesperson was worked out from the names on the receipts.

FALMOUTH. Co-op, Market Street. Cash carrier. Royal Inst. of Cornwall Library

PENZANCE. R. Chirgwin (grocers and confectioners), Market Place. "The shop of Messrs. R. Chirgwin and Son .. has been fitted within the last day or so with a most ingenious overhead railway system for the carriage of cash and accounts from the counter to the cash office. The celerity with which this is done, on a catapultic system, is only equalled by the neatness of the arrangements connected with its invention. This is the first of the kind fitted west of Plymouth... The system is Lamson's patent, and has been fitted by the Lamson store-service company, of 20, Cheapside, London, and Boston, U.S.A. The new idea is the subject of much favourable comment." Cornishman, 15 Nov. 1894, p. 3

PENZANCE. Co-op, Parade Street, facing Meeks. Pneumatic tube system. Trevalyan, posting to Picture Penzance, 21/11/09

PENZANCE. Frank Jacobs, 32-33 Market Jew Street. Wire system in 1950s/60s. Shop ceased trading in 1992. Cornwall Studies Library
• "I remember the one in Jacobs as Mum used to take me there for clothes. The damned thing used to fascinate me no end. I believe it was the last one to work in the town and I last heard it was in Flambards Victorian Village. Sadly they couldn't get it to work." Nobby Hall posting to Picture Penzance, 21/11/09

PENZANCE. Shaw and Woods, just up from Simpsons. "My cousin used to work in Simpsons, great fun to see the money put in the canister, then pull a handle and it whizzed to the office and it came back with a receipt in it." Symons55 posting to Picture Penzance, 21/11/09

PENZANCE. Simpsons. Wire system. Rev. P.Stephens

REDRUTH. Cockings (drapers), Fore Street. Cash carrier. Cornwall Studies Library

REDRUTH. Opie (photography), Treruffe Hill. Gipe carrier system. Advertisement in The Cornubian, 14 Jan. 1909, p.4

REDRUTH. H.T. Williams. 79-81 Fore Street. "Come and see .. our new 'Meteor' cash-carrier, the first installation in West Cornwall. Inspection of our showrooms is heartily welcomed." Cornubian and Redruth Times, 12 Dec. 1907, p. 10

TRURO. N.Gill & Son. "Messrs. Gill and Son, whose fine drapery establishment is unsurpassed in Cornwall for its size .. has just had added to it a cash railway. This is somewhat of a novelty in Cornwall... Now the assistants place their cash in a ball which is hoisted by a lift, and by means of overhead areal lines gravitates to an out-of-sight office... The hollow spheres used are coloured respectively according to the different stations about the establishment." Royal Cornwall Gazette, 9 Apr. 1903, p. 5
• "Overhead rail system". Rex Barratt. Life in Edwardian Truro (Truro: Rooster, 1977), p.6

TRURO. Hugh Rice (drapers and gents outfitters), 10 Quay Street (or Boscawen Street). Cash carrier. Royal Inst. of Cornwall Library

TRURO. W.J.Roberts & Sons, drapers and haberdashers, aka Bon Marché pre-WW2. "Mrs Phyllis Spurrrell, now aged 95, remembers how the shop assistants would put the money in a screw-top container, and by pulling a chain would send it along rails to the cashier, seated higher up in the shop, who would send change back the same way." Acton, Viv and Bob. A history of Truro. Vol. 2. Truro: Landfall, 2002, p.61. Shop occupied by Ottakers in 2003.

TRURO. Webb & Co. See TRURO. Gill