Elliott Brothers

After his 1826 advertisement announcing his relocation, Robert Young had never advertised his business and it had remained small. However, when Thomas Elliott took over the business an advertisement to that effect did appear in the Hampshire Advertiser of 17 October 1840.

Young's stores and works in Godfrey's Town had been on the west bank of the lower reaches of the River Itchen. During his first two years, Elliott also based his operations there. But he was determined to expand and, in the late summer of 1842, the opportunity arose to purchase the business of the London Cement Works. The proprietor was one William Hale and, as implied by his 1841 advertisement, the cement was not produced in London but rather was manufactured on the 'London principle'.

Elliott took the opportunity to purchase the cement works and, on 17 September 1842, an advertisement to that effect appeared in the Advertiser. They were situated on the banks of the River Itchen adjacent to Millbank Wharf, Northam, only 0.5 km (0.31 mi) north of the Godfrey's Town stores that Elliott had purchased from Robert Young. Godfrey's Town was also known as Crabniton and is marked as such on the 1871 Ordnance Survey town plan of Southampton. With the acquisition of Hale's works, Elliott could add Roman cement, Plaster of Paris, various types of lime and gypsum to his stock list. The Millbank works became the base of Elliott's operations and has remained as such ever since.

In his bid to expand the business, Elliott inserted frequent advertisements in the Advertiser and also in the Southampton directories of 1843, 1845 and 1847. The 1845 advertisement, perhaps for the last time also mentions the commission agency that he and John had been operating both in Southampton and Chichester. Soon after, that activity was discontinued.

In 1843, Thomas Elliott took a lease out on a property just across the river at 2 Bridge Road, Itchen. It became the home not only of Thomas himself, but also for John and Maria. It was also used as an office by both brothers. To get to the Millbank site, Thomas would have crossed the river by means of the Itchen ferry and the Woolston Floating Bridge that had been constructed in 1836. By the time of his marriage in 1847, Thomas Elliott had moved to Portswood Villa in Portswood leaving the use of the Bridge Road property. to John, Maria and Agnes, the daughter who had been born to them in 1844.

By 1849, Thomas Elliott had extended his business to the sale of bricks, tiles, chimney pieces, dairy fittings, baths, washstands, cattle troughs and paint. Meanwhile, John was engaged in a survey of old churches for the diocese of Chichester. He had become honorary architect to the Sussex Diocesan Association and had already participated in the rebuilding of several churches in Sussex.

In the late 1840s, Thomas was involved in the building of about 30 houses on Millbank Street, a road that ran north-east from the wharf. It is very likely John too partook in the project as he had already published an essay on the construction of cottages. Also in the late 1840s, by taking out leases on adjoining land, Thomas doubled its original acreage of the Millbank site. In the 1850s and 1860s both Thomas and John Elliott were involved in the sale and rent of property.

When, in 1859, there was a fear of a French invasion, Thomas Elliott became an officer of the 2nd (Southampton) Hampshire Rifle Volunteers, a battalion of the Royal Hampshire Regiment. His son, water, served in the same regiment from 1881 to 1912. At the outbreak of WWI, he founded and commanded the Southampton unit of the Volunteer Defence Corps.

Several of Thomas's descendants gave voluntary military service in units that became part of the Territorial Army after its formation in 1907.

Mason Elliott joined the Hampshires in 1908 and transferred to the Hampshire Royal Horse Artillery on its formation in 1910. He was commissioned in 1912 and served in Egypt and Palestine throughout the war rising to the rank of major. He was awarded the DSO in 1918. After the war he joined the Hampshire Yeomanry, a unit of the Territorials. Rising to the rank of brigadier, in 1937, he took charge of the 72nd (Hampshire) Anti-Aircraft Brigade a unit of the 35th Anti-Aircraft Brigade (United Kingdom). He remained in command throughout WWII and was awarded a DSO and OBE in recognition of his long and distinguished service.

During World War I, Mason's younger brother, Christopher, served in India, Mesopotamia and on the Western front. Between the wars he served in the Hampshire Regiment and, in 1935, rose to the rank of colonel.