Spiegelhalter brothers jewellers shop 1828-1982
These pictures show the most famous Spiegelhalter shop at 81 Mile End Road. The left picture dates from about 1900. The sketch on the right shows the new shopfront in 1925. This was just about the time of the dispute with Wickhams.
Family members involved in running the shop at 81 Mile End Road were:
Before that the shop had been at 75 Mile End Road: we think it moved to number 81 in September 1892 to allow for an earlier expansion by Wickhams. Originally the Spiegelhalter shop had been at 6 Mount Place, Whitechapel. The alternative number of 6 Mount Place is 164 Whitechapel Road, as shown in the picture.
Otto Spiegelhalter had worked at 6 Mount Place, as had his uncles, father and grandfather. The man in the doorway is Beda Spiegelhalter. brother of George and therefore great uncle to Otto. For a detailed history of the coming and goings at 6 Mount Place, 75 Mile End Road, 81 Mile End Road and a further shop at 6 St Colet Place (272 Commercial Road East), please see the Spiegelhalter/Fehrenbach dynasty.
In the 1960s Raymond and Michael Salter opened a second shop in Ilford. This had not last long but they then opened a shop in Loughton, Essex. For a while Raymond and Michael worked alternate weeks at the two shops, after which Michael took charge of Mile End and Raymond of Loughton. In 1982 they closed 81 Mile End Road and concentrated on the shop in Loughton. Michael Salter said 'We are closing down because of the changing times really. The area has changed and most people are doing the shopping further up towards Whitechapel.'
The shop in Loughton has since closed. This does not quite bring to an end the family connections with the jewelery business in the UK because there is still a Spiegelhalter shop in Penzance run by Mark Spiegelhalter. That business has its origins in the Kensal Rise business, run by Josef Spiegelhalter, who was a grandson of Simon Spiegelhalter. Simon was the brother of George Spiegelhalter, who started the Mount Place business.