GH Morison

GH Morison of England, was a wholesale perfumer and manufacturer of perfumed novelties.

Chemist & Druggist, 1908:

"A NOVELTY under the name of "Perfume Plums" is introduced this week. Perfume plums are hermetically sealed bulbs filled with agreeable perfumes, and the different colours and shape suggest the name -- carnation perfume is pink, ess bouquet brown, lilac is purple, Parma violet dark green, wallflower yellow, white rose light green, and so on. They are manufactured under a patent by Mr GH Morison, 34 Guilford Street, London, WC, and retail at 2d each. The perfumes in the bulbs are supplied by Messrs. TF Bristow & Co., Ltd, London." 

Chemist and Druggist: The Newsweekly for Pharmacy, 1909:

"GH MORISON & CO., LTD. (PC) Capital 1,000l in 1l shares. Objects: To acquire from GH Morison certain inventions for scent receptacles and his business at Westinghouse Buildings, Norfolk Street, Strand, WC, for perfumes, aromatic essences, liquid disinfectants, etc. The first directors are GH Morison and RJ Koechlin."

Pharmaceutical Journal; 1909:

"Morrison and Co., Limited. Registered on June 26 by Iliffe, Henley, and Sweet, 2, Bedford Row, WC.Capital £1,000, in £1 shares. Objects: To acquire from GH Morison the benefit of certain existing inventions relating to receptacles for scent and other liquids, together with the business carried on by him at Westinghouse Buildings, Norfolk Street, Strand, WC., and to carry on the business of manufacturers of hermetically sealed receptacles for perfumes, aromatic essences, liquid disinfectants, etc. Private company. The first directors (to number not less less than two nor more than seven) are GH Morison, chairman and RJ Koechlin." 

Perfumery and Essential Oil Record - Volume 1, 1910:

"317,819 All goods included in Class 48 GH Morison. FRAGNOLIA & C o Ltd Westinghouse Bldgs, Norfolk St, Strand, London, WC. Manufacturers 2nd November 1909." 

The Pharmaceutical Journal and Pharmacist - Volume 86, 1911:

"BANKRUPTCY INTELLIGENCE: The Affairs of GH Morison and Co., Limited, 5 Torrens Street, EO, manufacturers of Perfume and Toilet Requisites. The creditors and contributors met on April 10 under the compulsory winding-up order made against this company at the Carey Street offices of the Board of Trade. The company was formed in June, 1909, with a capital of £1,000 to acquire the business of manufacturers of perfumes and receptacles for the same belonging to Mr Morison and to carry on a general perfumery business. The business had been carried on for nine months at Betterton Street, Drury Lane. The purchase consideration was £350. The sole capital of the company was derived from the issue of 301 shares for cash, apart from which the company was financed throughout by Mr Koecklin, who held no security and had since assigned the greater part of the debt for the benefit of the creditors. Up to the end of 1909 the company chiefly manufactured receptacles for perfumes, which it purchased from other firms, and upon which a loss was made of £502 to December, 1909. A branch in Paris was partly responsible for that loss. Early in 1910 the company started manufacturing its own perfume, and in the end à laboratory was set up and an analytical chemist appointed for the purpose of producing high class perfumes, face creams, and toilet powders, etc. As the result of the non delivery of a quantity of the necessary goods the sales to January last only amounted to £512 Notwithstanding the slack period the company's establishment was carried on on an expensive scale. A further loss was to January 1 of £2,293. In September, Mr Morison resigned his directorship, his share holding being purchased for face value, viz. £251. In order to find security for the purchase Mr Koecklin assigned the amount due to him by the company of £3,642 to Mr Morison. The accounts filed showed liabilities £5,222 and assets £727. The deficiency to the shareholders is returned. An offer of £240 had been made by tender for the assets, which had been sold by auction for £300, and after payment of expenses the creditors would receive a small dividend, The winding-up was left with the Board of Trade." 

The Law Times Reports of Cases Decided in the House of, 1912:

"March 26 and 27 [1912]. (Before NEVILLE J) Re GH MORISON AND CO LIMITED (a) Company - Preferential payment - Analytical chemist - 'Clerk or servant'  - Companies (Consolidation) Act 1908 (8 Edw. 7 c, 69 8 209) B. was a chemist and in July 1910 was engaged by M. and Co. for nine months at a weekly wage to produce a specified series of formulæ for the manufacture of soaps and perfumes. The contract was to be considered as completed the moment B had produced all the formulæ, and if completed before the end of nine months. B. was still to be paid all his wages for the remainder of the nine months. B. had to attend on only three specified days of each week, but for regular hours. The remainder of the week being at his disposal, and he had in fact another regular engagement with another firm. And there were other special terms in the contract. B.'s wages fell into arrear, and in March 1911, a winding-up order was made against M and Co., and at that date there was due to B. 93l for arrears of wages. B. claimed 50l from the liquidator as a preferential creditor under sect. 209 (1) of the Companies (Consolidation) Act 1908. Held, that under the terms of this contract B. was a clerk or servant within sect. 209 (1) of the Act and was a preferential creditor for 50l.  

ADJOURNED SUMMONS. This was a summons taken out by Edgard Barthelemy Barboni asking that he be paid the sum of 50l. as a preferential creditor under sect. 209 of the Companies (Consolidation) Act 1908, and that the respondent, the official receiver, as liquidator of the above named company is liable to pay the sum in priority to other debts of the company. The company carried on a business of general perfume manufacturers. The applicant, E.B. Barboni, was an analytical chemist and was first employed by the company under an agreement dated March 1910, but that agreement terminated in July 1910. On the 12th July 1910, he was re-engaged by the company on the terms contained in the following letter:

12th July 1910 - Mr. E.B. Barboni, Carshalton, Surrey. Dear Sir, - It gives us great pleasure to inform you that the results of your experiments on our behalf during the past three months have been appreciably received by our shareholders, and we hereby accept your verbal offer of reappointment for a further period of nine months (or thirty nine weeks) to terminate on the 15th April 1911, subject to the following conditions, which we beg you to confirm: (1) You are to give us the benefit of your services for two full days in each week throughout this period, to commence work at 10:30 am and to finish at 6:30 pm, and the time is to be applied to the production of an entire series of those products usually vended by perfumers - a complete list of which is attached hereto. (2) The contract is to be considered as completed the moment you have produced and placed at our disposal formulas for the whole of these products to our entire satisfaction, and suitable for our class of trade, as well as having given as all the necessary practical instructions in the manufacture of the products and use of the formulas. (3) If the contract is completed before the 15th April 1911 we undertake to pay you the full and exact amount which you would have earned had you worked under a weekly wage of 4l. per week until the above specified date (4) If the contract is not completed before the date specified you must undertake to complete it without additional remuneration, in not more than three calendar months after the 15th April 1911. (5) We allow you to use your own discretion as to the order in which the articles specified in the attached list are produced, but we should consider it wisest for you to give your attention, firstly, to those products which give the least trouble to produce and leave the more difficult ones till later. (6) A diary must be kept for the inspection of our shareholders, showing each week the progress which has been made towards the completion of the contract. (7) In the event of our requiring before the completion of this contract any special product - not usually difficult to produce - this special product is to count as though it were on of the things on the attached list, and one of equal difficulty is to be struck off in its place. (8) Your remuneration for this work is to be 4l per week - payable by cheque each Saturday morning, the aggregate sum due thus amounting to 41 (four pounds) per week for thirty nine weeks, 1561 (one hundred and fifty six pounds) in all. (9) We shall expect to have at all times evidence that you shall expect to have at all times evidence that you can complete the contract, and we reserve the right to dispense with your services on one month's notice if it can be clearly shown that your part of the contract cannot be carried out. (10) The formulas supplied to us in carrying out this contract are to remain our exclusive property, and you must agree to keep perfect secrecy respecting them, or regarding any other information which may be of a nature private to our firm. (11) Finally, if the contract be carried out entirely to our satisfaction, we are to have first option of re-engaging you upon similar lines for a further period of one year. We shall be glad of your early acceptance of the above if you agree to same as we are desirous that you should enter upon your duties without further delay. - Yours faithfully, GH MORISON AND CO LIMITED. 

In September it was verbally agreed between one of the directors of the company and the applicant that the latter should attend on three specified days in each week - viz. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, from 10:30 in the morning till 6.30 in the evening - and his salary was increased to 61 per week. And it was understood that the company engaged the applicant as their chemist for all purposes which might arise. In the remainder of his time he was at liberty to employ himself as he wished, and he had a regular engagement with another form for half a day per week. His wages from the company fell into arrear, and on the 21st March 1911 a winding-up order was made against the company, and at that date there was due to the applicant the sum of 931. for arrears of wages. On the 15th Jan 1912, he took out this summons as a preferential creditor for 50.

JUDGMENT: Held that he was a clerk or servant within the entitled to 50l. "