The Old Bear Company

Steevans Manufacturing

It is always so exciting when information comes to light about a particular teddy bear manufacturer and a friend of ours, Gill Rossini, made a very interesting discovery when researching the Steevans Manufacturing Co Ltd. Little has previously been known about this important British toy maker, but Gill's research led her to find recordings made in the 1970s by Gordon Lees, a retired school teacher, with residents of the small village of Gnosall, Staffordshire, England. Dr Robert (Ross) Steele, born in Ayrshire, Scotland, was the village doctor who was an important part of the community and brought a clean water supply to the village. As Medical Officer of Health for Gnosall Rural District Council, he was responsible for analysing well water for safety. A brief obituary published at his death stated that he was engaged in sanitary housing (1919), leading classes in ambulance work and dealing with outbreaks of illnesses such as measles, scarlatina and diphtheria in addition to running the local cricket club! Dr Steele married his second wife, Edith Evans, in 1902. They moved to their home "Willeycroft" in Newport Road, which he had built in 1904, complete with its own tube well. In May 1915 a partnership was formed called Steevans Manufacturing Company Ltd. The name was derived from combining the owners' names - Dr Steele, his wife Edith and her brother Algernon Evans (although Algernon was a sleeping partner and had little to do with the running of the business). Their early bears were labelled with a button in ear stating "Steevens, England" and we have seen a few examples over our many years dealing and collecting. Another recording made by Gordon Lees was with factory worker May Winfield who recalls how they began making toys in a room at Willeycroft. In addition to teddy bears, she explains that they made "Stilty Men" - colourful men on stilts with tall hats - sailor men, ducks, cats and other items including nightdress cases and muffs. Eventually they needed more space so the Steele's moved them to the billiard hall where they would cut out the fabric on the billiard tables and eventually acquired 3 sewing machines set up in there, overseen by their daughter. Most of the work was done by hand and May goes on to describe how older schoolgirls would work in the evenings to finish off stuffing teddy bears and the business grew to employ around 30 workers. They apparently exported some of their products to America and became very successful, especially during the First World War when imports were banned. The company made a large variety of musical and walking animals and patented a design for a walking rabbit in 1916. They were renowned for copying Farnell in some of their designs, especially the soldier and mascot sized bears from WW1. After the First World War, the market became flooded with cheaper toys from abroad and the company closed in 1922 shortly after Dr Steele's death. Below are some examples of the similarities between Steevens and Farnell teddy bears. Reminiscences about Dr Steele by Anthony C Deane, Gnosall curate: This doctor, Robert Steele, was a great friend and ally. He was a Scotsman, and a fine representative of a type which almost vanished when the motor came - the old-fashioned country general practitioner. His practice extended over a number of villages, and he was everyone's friend - though he had a shrewd eye for the malingerer. He was both physician and surgeon, and often had to be anaesthetist also when he operated. All his medicines were home-made. The work he got through was tremendous, but he did it with the utmost serenity. I have known him return from a long round on some day of foul weather, stable his horse, and then find a message sent in from a distant farm, which he had passed on his ride home, saying that he was required there immediately. So, he would pull out his bicycle and after riding and pushing it through weary miles of slush and rain, would find that the farmer's small boy was merely inconvenienced by a surfeit of gooseberries. Credit to Bob Johnson (Gnosall History Website) Additional pics

£0 - $0

Note: US Dollar prices are approximate. The purchase price will depend on the exchange rate at the time of the transaction.

Click the ENVELOPE to enquire about this item