| Administrative History | Peak Trust Limited is an umbrella company for various firms, and has its origins in an optical practice in Derby. The original optical practice was established in Derby by Mr F W Lancaster in 1884. He became one of the founder members of the national British Optical Association. Following Mr. Lancaster's death in the early 1900s, Bertram Samuel Thorpe initially managed the practise, before later founding Lancaster & Thorpe in Derby.
As the business expanded, and further optical practices opened in many towns across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire, Mr Thorpe was then joined by his sons, Harold, Norman and Richard. The business also expanded into different fields of activity including photography (Camara Thorpe Ltd.); advanced photography, video and tv (PTS Electronics Limited); optical manufacturing (The Derby Optical Company); property management and development (Hanord Derby Investment Company & Tirat Developments); photography and fancy goods (Cyril Howes of Bath Ltd.); together with a number of smaller companies which were acquired along the way all. All these eventually coming under the holding company, Peak Trust Limited, based in Derby.
In the 1960s and 1970s, a third generation of the Thorpe family joined the Group. At its largest, there were optical practices from Halifax, Bradford and Leeds in the North; to Wolverhampton, Birmingham and Coventry in the South; Stoke and Hanley in the West; and Leicester, Nottingham and Sutton in the East. There were also further photographic and other outlets in London, Windsor, Bath and even as far as Devon. |
| Custodial History | These records were donated to Derbyshire Record Office at various dates: May 2001, Jun 2004, Jun 200 (all re-accessioned in 2016), and Aug 2011, Jan 2012, Feb 2013, Jun 2015, Aug 2015, Jun 2016, Oct 2016. |