GW Jeakins Removals and Storage

Arterial Road Laindon

As recorded on here earlier this week, some of us have memories of the two removals firms most famous in Laindon, DC Jeakins and GW Jeakins. My memories are of the firm based nearest to where I worked as a 15 year old after school and at weekends in the winter, spring and summer of 1963. This company was GW Jeakins who were sited just off the A127 London bound at Laindon. The boss, as I recall was called George Jeakins although I would need to do research on this. He would drive in to Hatters where the firm’s account was kept and I would fill his black cab up while he chatted to Trevor Hatter who was our boss in the garage. At school I was friendly with Clive Jeakins who most people knew as Nobby Jeakins. He was related to the firm and was a brilliant lad with thick blond hair and a chirpy smile, there are pictures of him on this website. As I suddenly remembered yesterday, many of the GW Jeakins lorries were Ford Thames Traders and were painted in a dark reddish brown colour with gold sign writing on the sides. The taxis of course were black and I believe these were Austin FX4s. The company had another base in Stean Street London E8 which is where I suspect the firm had its origins. Fascinating times back in the day.

Richard Haines

Comments about this page

Add your own comment

  • Does anyone know how to get in touch with Nobby? Clive Jeakins. Or his wife Sandra? Or even one of their kids? Sandra was my sister in law. I lost touch with her a few years ago. I live in the United States. My name was Jane Gunn, now Jane Taylor. Her niece is Christina Gunn. I would love to reconnect! I’m in London next week 7/27/2023. My number is (number can be given on request to the editor) in the US. Thank you!!!!

    By Jane Taylor (23/07/2023)
  • Very good reading my grandad G W Jeakins had many brothers and sisters, when I used to go the yard in Stean St, in the early 1960s I recall some of the companies trading were;T Jeakins, Kingsland Rd, Jeakins Bros Sawdust, Jeakins Sawdust Hertford Rd, C H Jeakins Goldsmith Mews, Fred Jeakins had a betting shop in Stean St.

    By Barry Busher (27/03/2023)
  • Hi Gary
    I am involved with the local history of Laindon and the Borough as a whole. Would love to have a chat.

    Ken

    Editor: Gary. I have sent Ken’s telephone number to you by email

    By Kennet Porter (06/10/2022)
  • I have quite a few pictures of the Jeakins family I am a Jeakins if anyone is interested be nice to have chat

    By Gary Jeakins (03/10/2022)
  • Thank you Lorraine…In addition of me being involved with the Laindon & District Community I am also involved with the Basildon Borough Heritage Group and we have a little bit of information on the farm and how it got its name. So we are always looking to add more to its story.
    Ken

    By Kenneth F Porter (23/08/2021)
  • Hi Kenneth unfortunately I don’t know when the family purchased Smilers Farm but I do know they lived there for sometime. I have a photo of my father aged about 2 at the farm which would have been around 1937. My grandfather Harry Croote married my nan Ellen Mary 5th March 1916 and lived in Bethnal Green. They initially moved to Pipps Hill Road as my dad, Charles Alfred use to point out the house every time we drove past. My mum often recalls stories of when they used to drive to the farm at weekends and all the family would meet up. It was a Dairy Farm my parents wedding reception was held in the milking shed . My dad and his two brothers Tommy and George carried on working at the Sawdust yard (Kingsland Road, Dalston) the family owned and all still lived in London. The census shows my grandparents at both Billericay and Bethnal Green for many years and my nan moved back to a property in Bethnal Green shortly after my grandad passed away 25th Oct 1959. The farm was sold shortly after. My grandad is recorded as being a Carman and Dairy Farmer.

    By Lorraine King (18/08/2021)
  • Hi Lorraine…your comment is of added value but can you add anything about the family owning Smilers Farm in Pound Lane, Bowers Gifford..ie when did they take it over, livestock etc..

    By Kenneth F Porter (17/08/2021)
  • Hi I’ve been reading this with great interest and can add to the sawdust side of the Jeakins family . My father was Charles Alfred Jeakins and along with his 2 older brothers George and Tom owned Jeakins Sawdust Ltd in Kingsland Road Dalston and Bower Road Hackney for many years. My grandfather Harry Croote Jeakins met my nan Ellen when he delivered sawdust to the pub in the East End where she was a barmaid. The family also owned Smilers Farm in Pound Lane Bowers Gifford until my grandad passed away in 1959 then it was sold. They had three sisters Nell, Gladys and Maisie. I believe this part of the family were cousins to the Removal & Taxi businesses. I recall Derek attended my wedding in 1980 in Wickford . Hope this adds a bit to the puzzle . My cousins Tom, Geoff & Harry helped run the business until it folded I believe around 1998 .

    By Lorraine King (nee Jeakins) (17/08/2021)
  • Thank you Nina, your research is fascinating! I am the great grand daughter of Charles William Jeakins and have recently been uncovering the history of my fathers family (Jeakins) and how ‘Pop’ Jeakins started up the family business in the East End in approximately 1896.
    My key interest is how the business all started with horses and mules, what happened to that business during the 2 wars and most compelling; the families love and respect for the horses that were the lifeblood of their business.
    In later years they moved on to motor vehicles of course but this passion for horses was passed down from father to sons.
    My own father, Geoffrey George Jeakins, remembers many family stories, although he never followed the family business himself, becoming a chef instead. His younger brother Clive (Nobby), my Uncle has recently shown me a wealth of family memorabilia and photographs linked to the early 20th Century and the origins of the horse-drawn Jeakins business.
    I am now completely hooked and plan to do more research in to the life of my Great Grandad; CW Jeakins! The link to sawdust is new revelation for me and I can only guess was an essential part of working horses on the streets of London maybe going back even further in time!
    Fascinating.
    Thank you for all of your research and anecdotes.

    By Andrea Black (03/01/2019)
  • I have not read all of this but have distant connections with Jeakins sawdust business – by chance I came across a thread about them on the Ancestry website and I aim to link that here. https://www.ancestry.co.uk/boards/surnames.jeakins/21.3.1.1/mb.ashx

    By Andrew S Hatton (18/06/2018)
  • Jeakins did the removal in 1964 of my grandfather and grandma’s home when they vacated the bungalow ’Benenden’ (shown elsewhere on this website) it was at the very far end of Salisbury Avenue to their new home in Devonshire Road. This must have been a difficult removal as the road was unmade without any metalling at all, at least 12 inches deep in mud, swamp, ruts, sink holes, bushes, trees, long grass, weeds etc. etc., (in fact normal for Laindon) completely impassible for any type of vehicle but perhaps a hovercraft, let alone Jeakins’ lorry.

    What a palava but in the end quite simply solved, the lorry parked in the Laindon Station overflow car park on the southern side of the railway line, Jeakins supplied a numerous team of porters and some trolleys that fitted the narrow concrete path.  Every piece of furniture, chattels,  gas stove, laundry, copper, fridge and spin dryer etc., was carried, walked the distance of at least a mile from Benenden up the whole length of Salisbury Avenue by hand before it could be loaded on the lorry. This must have happened many times as Basildon Development Corporation bought properties and old Laindon was redeveloped.  It was just a good job that the weather was good the day they moved.  Just imagine what it would have been like if it rained!!

    By Trevor Paul Savage (17/08/2017)
  • A minor point, but why “Removers”? Surely the business was moving and storing goods and furnishings? I suppose one could argue that for goods to be moved they had first to be removed. Still, the use of “Removers” sounds rather archaic to me and the use of “Movers and Storage” more appropriate. But then I am quibbling.

    By Alan Davies (27/07/2017)
  • Nina, thanks for researching the family records, very interesting. Clearly there was another GW Jeakins, succeeding George William who died in 1961. This would be the one I remember from my Laindon days serving Regent Petrol at Hatters Garage during 1963. I wonder how many businesses survive as long as that one did, I’m not sure when they finished trading. A good example really of a London business moving out to Laindon, as many did afterwards to Basildon in later years.

    By Richard Haines (26/07/2017)
  • Richard. The company was continued by the family.  George William Jeakins born 1907, who you knew, had a brother called Charles Henry, born 1910 – Charles’ son was Clive Jeakins – born Billericay 1947).

    George had a son called Daniel J Jeakins – born 1939.  This Daniel had a son also called Daniel J – born 1965.

    It seems that the brothers George William and Charles Henry moved to Laindon sometime in the forties (or maybe even earlier). The 1949 Electoral Register shows George William Jeakins and his wife living at ‘The Corn Stores’, Arterial Road, Laindon and  Charles Henry Jeakins and his wife living at ‘St Olaves’ Arterial Road, Laindon.  Also another George William Jeakins and his wife were  living in  King’s Road, Laindon -  possibly another son of George’s and brother of Daniel J Jeakins.

    Daniel J Jeakins remained in London and founded a company in 1964 with just one wagon.  In 1974, he bought the company J A Coles which was devoted entirely to household removals.

    Having seen Coles’ web page, I can see where the name ‘Dan, Dan the Removals Man’ originated:-  https://www.colesremovals.co.uk/about-us/

    It was a large family.  I haven’t yet discovered how DC Jeakins (Derek) is related but I feel sure he must be from somewhere within the same family tree.  Derek established his business in 1953 and it is still in business today.
    http://www.jeakins-removals.co.uk/our-story.php

    By Nina Humphrey(née Burton) (26/07/2017)
  • Apparently the company was founded in Hoxton 1896 by George William Jeakins who worked as a ‘Carter’.    I found the family on the 1901 Census, living at 15 Avebury Street.  There were 11 children in the house, ages ranging from 18 years to 5 months. George W Jnr being 17.  George Jnr married Rose Elizabeth Fenley in 1902

    This son appears to have carried on the business.  I found him on the 1911 Census living at 5 Holt Place, Hyde Rd, Hoxton with his wife Rose and four children.  He is described as a ‘Carman and Sawdust Contractor’.

    I found the record of his death under the Billericay registration district:-  George William Jeakins of 117 Arterial Road, Laindon died aged 77 on 4th May 1961. Administration to:- Annie Jeakins.  George William and Charles Henry Jeakins, company directors.

    By Nina Humphrey(née Burton) (25/07/2017)

Add a comment about this page

Your email address will not be published.