Established over 115 years ago by Walter Harvey and Charles James Thompson, it’s unlikely that the entrepreneurial duo imagined their first store on Vauxhall Bridge Road would lead to almost 180 more stores, up and down Great Britain.
Since the first Harvey and Thompson store in 1897 the business has become a permanent high street fixture, with 179 stores and over 50 GoldBars in the UK providing pawnbroking, short-term loans, gold purchasing and cheque cashing to 100’s of communities.
Having been engrained in British history for over 100 years, H&T has been affected by a number of key historical events. On May 20 1920 all Harvey and Thompson stores were closed as a mark of respect for the funeral of King Edward and during August of 1914, with the outbreak of World War One, all pawnbroking activity was curtailed and retail was entirely suspended.
Harvey and Thompson has undergone a number of changes too. In 1914 Charles James Thompson withdrew from the business and sadly passed away the following year. The company continued to expand and grow until 1992 when Harvey and Thompson was acquired by Cash America, the second largest pawnbroker in the US. With Cash America’s investment Harvey and Thompson were able to pursue their growth plans with more fervour, growing from 26 shops to 57. By the millennium Harvey and Thompson’s stores spread across the UK and the company was well on its way to being labelled the ‘largest pawnbroker in the UK. In 2004, current CEO John Nichols led a buyout of Harvey and Thompson and the group was listed on AIM.
In 2005 Harvey and Thompson changed its trading 
name to H&T Pawnbrokers, the name change honoured the founding partners but acknowledges the changing landscape and the need to constantly evolve and adapt in the modern market. This adaptability combined with the knowledge and experience of over 100 years has uniquely positioned H&T as the largest pawnbroker in the UK and as the friendly local pawnbroker providing customers with access to cash in a safe and welcoming environment.