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In 1864 John Lewis opened his own small drapery shop, John Lewis & Co., at 132 Oxford Street (later renumbered), on part of the same site as the present John Lewis department store. The business flourished and expanded and was rebuilt in the 1880s to form an all-encompassing department store.
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Lewis was regarded as an autocratic employer, prone to dismissing staff arbitrarily. The stores had difficulty retaining staff (there was a strike in 1920) and performed poorly compared to his rivals such as
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In 1884 John Lewis married Eliza Baker, a schoolmistress from a family of West
Country drapers and alumna of Girton College, Cambridge (1873–1877). They had two children,
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following his erection of placards at his stores. The case was eventually settled amicably.
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Vestry, and remained a member of that body, and the successor
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until 1919. From 1901– 1907 he was a member of the
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Lewis engaged in a protracted legal dispute with the
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Stories about John Lewis (the historical person) at
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220:with twenty £1000 notes in his pocket and bought
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381:(online ed.). Oxford University Press.
471:"County Council By-Election -The Polling".
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420:"Obituary: Mr John Lewis".
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372:"Lewis, John (1836–1928)"
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60:(1928-06-08)
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222:Peter Jones
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58:8 June 1928
535:Categories
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333:References
170:Early life
164:John Lewis
149:John Lewis
145:John Lewis
35:1836-02-24
23:John Lewis
491:The Times
474:The Times
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440:The Times
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327:Hampstead
267:Owen Owen
263:Whiteleys
81:Founder,
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392:16 June
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