Mars & Spencer & The St Michae Brand l- A Reminder of Their History 575

 Marks & Spencer Reminder

The name Marks & Spencer consists of the surnames of the two founders. The company was founded way back in 1884 in Leeds in the North of England. Where exactly? In Leeds. Is that the Midlands or the north. It's the north. Leeds is one of ten cities called the Northern Powerhouse. 

Michael Marks

The co-founders were Jewish Michael Marks and Christian Thomas Spencer. Wikipedia states that Michael was a Jewish Polish imigrant. 


Michael Marks. Photo from Wikipedia.

Thomas Spencer

Wikipedia doesn't say that Thomas was Christian but that' is obvius from the cross on his gravestone and the fact that his widow was active in the local church.

The St Michael brand name was founded by Michael's son Simon, about twenty years after Michael's death, a name Simon chose in honour of his father. That early co-operation and close contact between Christians and Jews explains two things which had always puzzled me, why Jewish Marks had used the word saint in his brand name, and why of all the saints he chose Michael.

The brand name lasted until the year 2000. So, if you have a vintage item with a St Michael label, you know the garment or accessory dates back to the year 2000 or earlier.

The St Michael Brand

I still associate Marks with the St Michael brand and still have clothes with this label. 

Nowadays Marks & Spencer has shops all over the world. I remember going to Marks & Spencer in Singapore to look for clothes in my larger size, bras size 36, later a big bust of 336D,E, or even F,) when local shops had stocks which catered for the Chinese sizes of small and extra small, to fit slim chests, size 10, and small breasts, and extra small, tops British size 8.

Autograph

Autograph is a more recent brand.

Useful Websites

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Marks

https://www.marksandspencer.com/


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