1860-1999 - Regent Street (West End)
Glassmakers & Mosaics & Trade & Italy & place: Vicenza
Murano’s reputation as a centre for glassmaking was born in 1291 when the Venetian Republic in fear of fire ordered glassmakers to move their
1860-1880 - Little Saffron Hill (Clerkenwell)
Instrument Making & Music & Trade & Italy & place: Paris
Barrel-organ manufacturer Giuseppe Chiappa was born in 1828. He served an apprenticeship in Paris under the famous mechanical organ manufacturer
1830-1883 - Charles Street (Clerkenwell)
Instrument Making & Trade & Italy & place: Como
Instrument maker Francis Augustus Pizzala was born about 1813 in Como. He moved to London in 1830. From 1840 to 1846 he ran his business as a maker
1830-1879 - Hatton Gardens (Camden)
Instrument Making & Royalty & Trade & Italy & place: Como
Maker of scientific instruments Enrico [Henry] Angelo Ludovico Negretti was born on 13 November 1818 in Como. His father operated a horse-drawn
1822-1854 - Oxford Street (Westminster)
Carvers & Gilders & Royalty & Trade & Italy & place: Milan
Carver and gilder Carlo [Charles] Nosotti was born in 1798 in or near Milan. He was working in London in 1822. In 1827 he married Amelia Garbanati,
1821-1908 - Granville Square (Clerkenwell)
Caricaturists & Trade & Italy & place: Como
Antonio Grego, a native of Como, settled in London before 1821 as a looking-glass manufacturer, the firm becoming Susan Grego & Sons in 1839, and
1799-1897 - Hatton Garden (Camden)
Instrument Making & Trade & Italy & place: Como
In 1799 instrument maker Caesar Tagliabue who originated from the Como area established a company in Holborn. Before the end of 1820 he had moved to
1780-1820 - High Holborn (Holborn)
Instrument Making & Trade & Italy
Instrument maker and barometer engraver Joseph Somalvico settled in London around 1780 working from no. 87 Holborn as a high quality barometer
1785-1839 - Pall Mall (Westminster)
Instrument Making & Printing & Royalty & Trade & Italy & place: Verona
Flautist, publisher, and instrument-maker Tebaldo Monzani was born in 1762 in Verona. Having moved to London in 1785, he appeared as first flute at
1777-1850 - Leather Lane (Holborn)
Sculpture & Trade & Italy
Plaster figure maker Dominico Cardosi was born in Tuscany some time during the first decade of the nineteenth century. He was in England by 1830, if
1932-1966 - Kings Road (Chelsea)
Entertainment & Trade & Italy & place: Formia
Club owner Reny U. de Meo was born about 1890 in Formia on the coast of Lazio. Having served in World War I, he sailed to New York, spent time in
1937-1950 - South Audley Street (Mayfair)
Clubs & Couturiers & Fashion & Trade & Italy
Couturier Bianca Mosca was born Bianca Lea Rosa Mottironi in Italy (further details are lacking). Not much is known about her early years, but at
1780-1981 - High Holborn (Holborn)
Instrument Making & Trade & Italy & Place: Como
Lake Como was part of the Grand Tour and the scientific skills of local instrument makers were communicated in writings of travellers to the region.
1926-1982 - Yeomans Row (Chelsea)
Clubs & Fashion & Taylors & Trade & Swiss & place: Locarno
Fashion designer Giuseppe Gustavo [Jo] Mattli was born in 1907 in Locarno where he grew up in a large family. Keen to develop a career in the
1740-1816 - Great St Helens (Bishopsgate)
Banking & Hatters & Jews & Trade & Italy & place: Ferrara
Merchant and financier Benjamin D’Israeli, grandfather of Prime Minister D’Israeli, was born in Cento near Ferrara on 22 September 1730. He moved to
1750-1768 - Haymarket (Westminster)
Art Dealers & Watch Making & Museums & Trade & Swiss & place: Yveden
Watchmaker Isaac Emmanuel Bourgeois was born in 1726 in Yveden in the canton of Berne. Details are lacking, but he must have arrived in London
1798-1870 - St John Street (Clerkenwell)
Instrument Making & Science & Trade & Swiss
Maker of barometers and thermometers Francesco [Francis] Amadio was born in Switzerland (details are lacking). He married his English wife Charlotte
1868-1971 - Cannon Street (City of London)
Watchmakers & Trade & Swiss & place: La Chaux-de-Fonds
Import & export company Dimier Brothers & Co. was based in London and La Chaux-de-Fonds, Neuchâtel. The firm was first recorded in 1868 at no. 46
1932-1992 Sloane Square (Chelsea)
Design & Trade & Wool & Swiss & place: Amriswil
Textile designer Marianne Straub was born on 23 September 1909 in Amriswil, Thurgau. Her father was a textile merchant. At fifteen she decided to
1642-1687 - Haymarket (Westminster)
Military & Royalty & Trade & Italy & place: Florence
Royalist army officer and merchant Bernard Gascoigne was born Bernardo Guasconi in Florence in April/May 1614. Having started his military career as
1565-1606 - Hart Street (City of London)
glassmakers & Jews & Trade & Italy & place: Vercelli
Glassmaker Jacob Verzellini was born in Venice in 1522 into a Jewish family. He moved to Vercelli (from where he took his name), located close to
1673-1712 - Strand (Covent Garden)
Beverage Industry & Glassmakers & Linguistics & Trade & Italy & place: Genova
English glassmaking was of poor quality until entrepreneur George Ravenscroft set up a glass house in the Savoy Palace, Strand, in July 1673. He was
1780-1784 - Devonshire Square (City of London)
Trade & Swiss
Merchant Johann [John] Jacob Zornlin was born in October 1712 in Switzerland (details are lacking). He settled in the City of London about 1740 and
1562-1571 - Not traced
Spies & Banking & Trade & Italy & place: Florence
Banker and conspirator Roberto di Ridolfi was born in Florence on 18 November 1531 into an aristocratic dynasty. His family operated one of the
1530-1713 - Lombard Street (City of London)
Milliners & Trade
The etymology of the term milliner points to Italy. According to the authorative Berg Companion to Fashion (2010), milliner derives from the word
1456-1457 - Broad Street (Soho)
Trade & Commerce & Xenophobia & Italy & Place: Piancenza
Merchant Alexander Palestrelli [Plaustrell] was born in Piacenza. By the mid-fifteenth century he had moved to London and was living in Broad
1513-1549 - Bishopsgate Street (City of London)
Banking & Finance & Church History & Trade & Commerce & Wool & Textiles & Italy & place: Lucca
Merchant and banker Antonio Buonvisi was born around 1470/5. He belonged to an ancient family of Lucca. His parents may have settled in England
1444-1454 - Lombard Street (City of London)
Academies & Universities & Banking & Finance & Collections & Trade & Commerce & Wool & Textiles & Italy & place: Florence
Merchant and banker Jacopo Salviati was born in 1417 in Florence, the third son of Alamanno Salviati, a prominent banker and politician. The family
1580-1600 - Bishopsgate Street (City of London)
Politics & Royalty & Trade & Italy & place: Genoa
Merchant and diplomat Horatio Palavicino was born about 1540 in Genoa where his family had made a fortune in handling the papal monopoly of alum, an
1370-1400 - Not traced
Trade & Commerce & Italy & place: Lucca
Merchant Bartholomew Bosan was a native of Lucca who had established a business in London by the early 1370s, trading to Bruges which was a common
1876-1903 - Howland Street (Fitzrovia)
Jewellers & Silver & Trade & Italy & place: Naples
Jeweller Federico Raimondo Giuliano was born around 1830 in Naples, the younger brother of the more famous Carlo Giuliano. Like his brother he
1870-1877 - New Charles Street (Clerkenwell)
Instrument Making & Music & Trade & Italy
Barrel-organ manufacturer Chiaro Frati was born around 1844. He served an apprenticeship in Paris under the famous mechanical organ manufacturer
1841-1898 - Queen Square
Societies & Medicine & Philanthropy & Instrument Making & Trade & Italy & place: Lecco
Giovanni Battista Ortelli was born in 1830 at Lecco in Lombardy. He arrived in England with his parents in 1841/2. At the time of the 1851 census he
1436-1439 - Lombard Street (City of London)
Banking & Finance & Trade & Commerce & Italy & place: San Miniato
The powerful Borromeo family were merchants at San Miniato on the main trade route between Florence and Pisa around 1300. After a failed rebellion
1335-1345 - Lombard Street (City of London)
Banking & Finance & Trade & Commerce & Wool & Textiles & Italy & place: Florence
The Florentine merchant-bank of Peruzzi came to prominence around 1275. Run by family members, it soon became one of Europe’s most efficient money
1306-1334 - Not traced
Banking & Finance & Trade & Commerce & Italy & place: Genua
Financier Antonio Pessagno was born around 1280 in Genoa. He married into the city’s powerful Fieschi merchant family. By 1306/7, he had settled in
1300-1345 - Lombard Street (City of London)
Banking & Finance & Trade & Commerce & Italy & place: Genua
Members of the Bache family descended from Genoa, before setting up as merchants in London’s Lombard Street. For several decades two dealers, both
1299-1309 - Lombard Street (City of London)
Banking & Trade & Wool & Textiles & Italy & place: Florence
Wool and cloth merchants Frescobaldi started off business in Bruges, before expanding into banking in their home city of Florence in the thirteenth
1290-1346 - Lombard Street (City of London)
Banking & Trade & Italy & place: Florence
The Compagnia dei Bardi was a Tuscan bank started by members of the Bardi dynasty. By 1310, they were the wealthiest family in Florence. They
1275-1294 - Lombard Street (City of London)
Banking & Trade & Wool & Textiles & Italy & place: Lucca
By the thirteenth century, English monarchs were hampered by the failure of traditional revenues to meet their ever increasing expenses. Edward I
1772-1813 - Little Newport Street (Soho)
Instrument Making & Music & Trade & Italy & place: Palermo
Violin maker Vincenzo Panormo was born Vincenzo Trusiano around 1734 in Palermo. He changed his surname (Panormo is the Latin form of Palermo) after
1317-1321 - Lombard Street (City of London)
Banking & Finance & Trade & Commerce & Italy & place: Florence
Merchant and author Francesco di Balducci Pegolotti was born around 1280 into a Florentine family. He worked for the Compagnia dei Bardi, one of the