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A link in the Master's gold chain -
Fribourg & Treyer 1906 from Facebook via Getty Images
Roy H Bridgman-Evans MC
1966 - 1967
Captain Roy Harvey Bridgman-Evans MC (1908-1996) was a highly decorated officer in the British Special Forces, and the senior managing partner and sole proprietor of Fribourg & Treyer. Roy represented the continuation of a family legacy that had controlled the legendary establishment for over 150 years, celebrating his 50th year in the business in November 1977 while maintaining an uncompromisingly old-world atmosphere in the historic shop. Founded in 1720, F&T was the world's oldest and most historic tobacco and snuff shop and occupied its famous bow-windowed premises at No. 34 Haymarket, near Piccadilly Circus until in closed in 1981. Its trademark was acquired by Wilsons & Co of Sharrow. Fribourg & Treyer snuffs are still produced and are one of Wilsons' most popular collections.
Roy Bridgman-Evans' commercial life was interrupted by the outbreak of World War II. Initially serving in the Royal Regiment of Artillery, his resourcefulness led to his recruitment into the Special Operations Executive (SOE), after which he was attached to the elite 2nd Special Air Service (2 SAS) to conduct operations behind enemy lines. During a high-stakes mission he was captured in Sicily after a rushed parachute drop, and imprisoned in Fort Bismarck near Strasbourg. On 1 October 1943, under the cover of his fellow officers, he and a comrade successfully cut through the camp's barbed wire fence and made a daring escape. Utilising French resistance escape lines, he navigated occupied France using forged identity cards and eventually crossed the Pyrenees into Spain to secure his freedom. For his extreme gallantry, daring operations in the field and successful escape he was awarded the Military Cross by King George VI in February 1944.
Captain Bridgman-Evans very generously gifted the Company the Master's 9 carat gold chain which is still in use today. It is hallmarked with the initials P&B which denote Padgett & Braham, a prominent, London-based silversmith founded in the early 1920s. The assay mark is a leopard's head, denoting the London assay office, and it is date stamped with the letter 'l' indicating it was assayed in 1966. Renowned for luxury boxes, fine cutlery, and Art Deco cigarette cases, Padgetts closed in 2006. It is also stamped with the name of the designer, Theo C F Wise, a prestigious master engraver and craftsman of the period.