Firmin & Sons

Firmin & Sons is a British company, founded in 1655, that manufactures and supplies military ceremonial buttons, badges, accoutrements, and uniforms.

Thomas Firmin was born in Ipswich, Suffolk in 1632 and was apprenticed to The Girdlers Company the makers of belts both for fine dress and for utility. The account records of the Master and Wardens of the Girdlers survived the Great Fire of London. There is an entry in the accounts for the year 1653/54 of Thomas Firmin paying six shillings for the half year. By this time he appears to have completed his apprenticeship as he is listed amongst the yeomen of the company for that year. Upon completion of his apprenticeship he is known to have set up in business on his own, in premises at Three King’s Court, off Lombard Street, in the Langborne Ward in the City of London.

By the account year for The Girdlers Company 1655/56 Richard Overston is Master and John Taylor Renter Warden.Thomas Firmin's business is such that the account records show that John Taylor receives a sum of two pounds and six shillings in the year aforesaid for the presentment of George Robotham, his apprentice for eight years. The business can therefore be said to have been established by this date of 1655.

By the year 1661/62, the accounts show that Thomas Firmin has moved up in seniority within The Girdlers' Company, possibly joining the assistants as he is no longer listed further down as yeoman.

He went on to be a noteworthy citizen of London. He was a great philanthropist of his day, establishing many work support schemes for the poor of London. This included providing work for Huguenot and other refugees settling in and around London. He was appointed a governor of Christ’s Hospital, a governor of St Thomas’s Hospital, the administrator responsible for considerable sums for the day of several charitable works set up by King Charles II. He was elected an early member of the Royal Society, having been proposed by Robert Hook the contemporary of Sir Isaac Newton and Sir Christopher Wren.

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