During 1892 Pamment & Smith open a Musical Instrument & Piano shop at no 90 High Street, King’s Lynn, Norfolk.
The following advert appeared in the Lynn News & Advertised on 31st Dec 1892.
HANDEL HOUSE, 90, HIGH STREET, KING’S LYNN. PAMMENT AND SMITH Beg to draw attention to their Large and Varied Stock of MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, Especially to their HIGH-CLASS IRON-FRAMED PIANOS by leading English and Foreign Makers. Their
Instruments being recently purchased contain the LATEST improvements. PIANOFORTES TUNED AND REPAIRED. Old Instruments Thoroughly Renovated. Lessons given on the Organ and Piano. Also, in Harmony and Counterpoint. Candidates prepared for Local Examinations.’
On 28th October the following year, they advertised accordions for sale: -
‘ACCORDIONS, ACCORDIONS, ACCORDIONS. HAVING received large consignments of Musical Instruments DIRECT FROM ENGLISH and FOREIGN MANUFACTURERS, we are able to offer them at prices which cannot be beaten. Every instrument guaranteed. For many of this season’s novelties we have been APPOINTED SOLE AGENTS for Lynn and district. The largest variety of Musical Instruments in West Norfolk. Note the Address – PAMMENT & SMITH, HANDEL HOUSE, KING’S LYNN.’
Pamment & Smith was a partnership between Robert William Pamment (1864 – 1935), variously listed as a teacher of music, organist and music seller, and Thomas Henry Meadows Smith (1858 – 1940), who was listed as a professor of music in Kelly’s Directory for 1892. Thomas Smith was blind but had pursued a successful career for many years as a piano teacher and tuner.
On Monday 12th March 1906 at about 11.30pm a fire broke out in the living quarters of Handel House. Thomas and his wife Charlotte escaped but the Fire Brigade could not stop the fire from destroying the house. The stock of highly flammable gramophone and phonograph records and piano varnish created clouds of toxic smoke that made fire-fighting difficult.
The shop was rebuilt but set-back in order to widen the street.
In 1910, Robert Pamment and his wife emigrated to Canada and the partnership was dissolved.
In January 1911, Thomas Smith moved the business to number 9, High Street.
Images & text Tony Langford (2024)
... and this advert in the 23rd December 1932 edition: “MILLERS (Late Pamment & Smith). Pianos, Gramophones, Records, Music, Radio-Gramophones. MRS. MILLER, for 10 years Manageress for Pamment & Smith, wishes her numerous customers a Happy Christmas.”
... plus this advert in the 22nd December 1933 edition: “MILLERS, 9, HIGH STREET, KING'S LYNN. RADIO, MUSIC and GRAMOPHONES.”