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SYDNEY EDWARD MOON (1872-1961)
Sydney Edward Moon was born on October 5th
1872 to
Mr
George Winter Moon (1842-1911), one of the sons of Mr Edward Moon
(1804-1851) and a grandson of
Mr Thomas Moon (1765-1850), the
founder of the business that became Messrs Moon and Sons (Pianos)
Limited.
He had become an assistant to his father by
the time of the census on Sunday April 5th 1891 and at the time of
the census on March 31st 1901 he was a "music salesman" living in
lodgings with Mr Thomas Pooley, gardener, at Vigar's Lodge,
Tavistock.
Mr Sydney Edward Moon married Miss Rhoda
Frances Clarke in 1906 at West Ham, London. She presented him
with a son and heir, Robert Graham Moon, in 1909.
Since in the census on Sunday April 2nd
1911, when he was living at "Sunny Bank", Mary Tavy, Devon, he
declared himself as a "piano manufacturer" it is taken that he had
by then become a full partner. This also coincides with his
father's death. In 1913 Mr James Edward Moon died and then in
1924
Mr Harold Edward Percy Moon
(1868-1924) passed away. This left the
business in the hands of Mrs Muriel Moon, widow of
Mr James Edward
Moon (1838-1913), and Mr Sydney Edward Moon, who registered the business as a
private limited liability company on March 31st 1926. It had
capital of £100,000 in £1 shares, of which 25,000 were Preference
and 75,000 were Ordinary shares. Mr Sydney Edward Moon, who
was already living at "Stonifer", Reigate, Surrey, with his wife,
Rhoda, was to be chairman at an annual salary of £500. The
remaining directors, who were to be paid £50 per annum, were Mrs
Muriel Moon, of Cloudsley, Brixton; Mr J Dean, of 13 Smeaton
Terrace, Plymouth; Mr W M Bryant, of "Merrivale", Mannamead, Compton
Gifford; and Mr E J Mayne, of 2 Meadfoot Terrace, Plymouth.
The last three were only eligible to be directors so long as they
held shares to the value of £6,750 in the case of Mr Dean and £4,125
in the other two cases. Any other directors had to hold £1,000
in shares.
During 1927 the premises at number 6 and 7
George Street were remodelled
and number 8 added.
In 1934 Sydney's son,
Mr Robert Graham Moon
(1909-1983),
joined the Company as a director. By this time the business
had branches in Exeter, Exmouth, Barnstaple, Truro, and, for some
reason, Bugle, in Cornwall. In those days the Company also
sold gramophones and radios and a good radiogram sold for about £20.
It is said that five truck loads of radios were delivered to the
shop in one day and they sold out very quickly.
George Street was destroyed during the
Blitz of March 1941
along with their piano manufacturing factory on the western side of
Victoria Road, just outside
Millbay Docks. The business had to relocate
to 1 Queen Anne Terrace,
Tavistock Road; 2 and 2a North Hill,
Tavistock Road (radios); 6
Ebrington Street
(music shop) and 61/62
Old Town Street (house furnishings), to which was later added
number 1 Saint Andrew's Cross.
During the reconstruction of the city centre a
new double-fronted shop at 13-17 New George Street was opened on
Thursday October 11th 1956. Its most noted feature was a
television screen placed just inside the entrance upon which
customers could see themselves arriving at the store. This was
the earliest demonstration of what has become CCTV. 'The House
of Moon' also boasted a "Browserie", where gramophone record
enthusiasts could enter sound-proof boxes to listen privately to any
record they chose. Of course, it was hoped that you would buy the
record once you had listened to it. Another feature in the shop was
a large Venetian glass mirror that was hung on the ground floor.
Mr
James Edward Moon (1838-1913), a grandson of the founder, had bought three of them in
Venice in the 1870s but one of them was destroyed in the
Plymouth
Blitz. At the time the new premises were opened the Company had 27
staff who had been with them for over 25 years.
Moon's offered at least two models of PYE
transistor portable radios for the summer of 1959. Prices were
always quoted in guineas as this looked lower than it actually was.
The cheaper model was 21 guineas, which was in reality £24 0s 6d.
What was described as the luxury model cost 27 guineas (£34 7s
6d).
Captain Sydney Edward Moon, the senior partner,
died at "Stonifer", Reigate in Surrey on January 24th 1961. He was 88.
This left his only son,
Mr Robert Graham Moon (1909-1983), the sole
surviving member of the family involved directly in the business.
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