Business records of Grimshaw Brothers Limited

Chemical manufacturer, set up in 1875. Its products included pure muriate of zinc, iron remover, sizing ingredients, Amazon rubber chemicals, Paton's soap economiser and woollen scourers. Grimshaw's remained in business until 1957.

Managing director of Grimshaw Brothers and local councillor in the Clayton and Bradford district.

1886, trade exhibition, Liverpool, England.

1835-1992, printer, Glasgow, Scotland
Stamp and print producer, acquired by J R Reid Printers of Blantyre, South Lanarkshire in 1992.

British National newspaper founded in 1900 by Cyril Arthur Pearson and bought by Lord Beaverbrook in 1916. It was printed in Manchester between 1927 and 1989 and also in Glasgow between 1936 and 1974. It was bought by United News Media in 1985.

Founded by Edward George Warris Hulton in 1937, Hulton Press produced several notable publications including Picture Post. Picture Post was discontinued in 1957 and Hulton Press was sold to Odhams in 1959.

Formed in 1924 as the Allied Newspapers consortium, owning The Sunday Times, The Daily Sketch, The Manchester Evening Chronicle, and The Sunday Graphic amongst its titles. It was renamed Kemsley Newspapers in May 1943 and bought by Roy Thompson in 1959.

Insurance company based in Edinburgh, known to have been active in 1899.

Papermaking firm founded in 1810 in Camberwell, London. The company was noted for its self-adhesive products and during the 1920s they held the contract to gum British postal stamps. The firm left Camberwell in 1982 and later became part of Wiggins Teape.

Flooring company based in London

The Great Central Railway (GCR) began its existence in 1837 as the Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway authorised to build a railway between Manchester and Sheffield via Woodhead. In 1846 it took over the Manchester & Lincoln Union Railway, the Sheffield & Lincolnshire Junction Railway and the Sheffield & Lincolnshire Extension Railway and changed its name to the Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway. It changed its name again in 1897 when it became known as the Great Central Railway Company.

Until the building of the London Extension in 1893 its area of operations was east from Manchester to Sheffield and the south Yorkshire coalfields, and North Lincolnshire. It expanded westwards as a member of the Cheshire Lines Committee. As a result of its rivalry with the Great Northern Railway, it became a member of the Euston Square Confederacy (an anti-competitive conspiracy of the LNWR, LYR, East Lancashire and MR) from 1851 to 1857, when it settled its differences with GNR.

The GCR expanded southwards into Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. Its purpose was to collect coal traffic which was then forwarded to the GNR for delivery over the GNR’s system. However, the ambition of its chairman, Sir Edward Watkin, was to extend to London and beyond. The London Extension was completed in 1897. It ran from Annesley near Nottingham to Quainton Road, where it joined the Metropolitan Railway, and terminated in its new London terminus at Marylebone. The GCR subsequently built a new route jointly with the GWR via Aylesbury, Princes Risborough and High Wycombe to give it a second approach to Marylebone.

Its main works were at Gorton in Greater Manchester.

Sir Edward Watkin was appointed general manager in 1854 but resigned in 1862. He was chairman between 1864 to 1894. He was ambitious for the GCR and turned it from a provincial railway into a national one.

Sir Sam Fay became general manager in 1902. J G Robinson became chief mechanical engineer in 1900. His 2-8-0 became the Railway Operating Department’s locomotive during the Great War.

The GCR became part of the London & North Eastern Railway under Grouping in 1923. The London Extension and the lines through the Woodhead Tunnel have now been lifted.

Department of the British Government responsible for the collection of direct taxation, including income tax, NI contributions, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, corporation tax, petroleum revenue tax and stamp duty. Merged with HM Customs and Excise in 2005 to form HM Revenue and Customs.

The General Post Office was established in England in 1660 by Charles II. It grew to cover telecommunications as well as the postal system. The GPO was abolished in 1969 and the assets were transferred to The Post Office, changing it from a Department of State to a statutory corporation.

Accountancy firm based in Mosley Street, Manchester. Known to be active in 1926-1928.

Auctioneers and valuers based in Manchester, known to have been active 1921-1923.

Valuers and auctioneers based in Manchester. Known to have been active 1913-1923.

Solicitors firm based in Manchester, known to be active 1927-1931.

Manufacturer of dyestuffs, founded in Clayton, Manchester in 1876 by Charles Dreyfus. On 1 May 1911, the Society of Chemical Industry in Basle (later known as CIBA), took control of the company and in 1913 Charles Dreyfus resigned.

Manchester was incorporated in 1838 under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 as the Corporation of Manchester or Manchester Corporation. Under the Local Government Act 1972 the council was reconstituted as a metropolitan borough council in 1974.

The North British Insurance company was established on 19 October 1809. The company obtained a royal charter in 1824, and in 1862, the company merged with the Mercantile Fire Insurance Company and became North British & Mercantile Insurance Company. The company was incorporated as a limited company on 1 November 1920 and became a subsidiary of the Commercial Union Assurance Company Ltd in 1959.

The Yorkshire Insurance Company was established in 1824 as the Yorkshire Fire and Life Insurance Company. On 27 May 1908, the company changed its name to the Yorkshire Insurance Company and was registered as a limited company on 3 June 1908.

The company purchased its first fire engine in November 1824 tackled fires in York until the city corporation assumed responsibility for all fire fighting in 1876.

The company was acquired by the General Accident Fire and Life Assurance Corporation Ltd in 1968.

Established in 1861 as the London and Lancashire Fire Insurance Company. In 1919 it acquired the Law Union and Rock Insurance Company Limited. In 1920 its name was changed to the London and Lancashire Insurance Company Limited. In 1961 it was acquired by, the Royal Insurance Company Limited.

Established as Customs and Excise for England and Wales during the English Civil War (1642-46) and following Long Parliament (1640-60). Merged with Inland Revenue to become HM Revenue & Customs in 2005.

The Ministry of Labour was established in 1916 with responsibility for labour exchanges, industrial relations and employment issues. In 1939 the department became known as the Ministry of Labour and National Service, a title it held until 1959 when National Service was abolished in the UK.

Printing firm based in King Street, Manchester.

Author.

Publishing company based on Deansgate, Manchester. Active c1900

Publisher based in Birmingham, England.

Company registration agents, printers and publishers based in London. Known to be active between 1900 and 1929.

Publisher based in London. Known to have been active in 1901.

Author. Known to have been active in 1901.

Publishing company based in London. Known to have been active in 1942.

Author. Known to have been active in 1924.

Created on 21 March 1918. Responsible for collating and disseminating overseas commercial intelligence and administering commercial services abroad. Abolished on 20 March 1946 with its functions transferred to the Board of Trade's new Export Promotion Department.

1936-1961, telephone and electrical equipment manufacturer, Liverpool
Formed in 1936 when the International Automatic Telephone Company took over the business, assets and liabilities of its wholly owned subsidiary Automatic Electric Co Ltd. The company was then renamed as Automatic Telephone & Electric Co. Ltd.
The company merged with Plessey in 1961.

Publisher based in London. Known to have been active in 1958.

Publisher based in Adelaide, Australia. Known to have been active in 1961.

The committe had existed since 1621 when James I set it up to discover why trade had disintergrated in financial crisis. The Board's formal title remains The Lords of the Committee of Privy Council appointed for the consideration of all matters relating to Trade and Foreign Plantations but was commonly known as Board of trade and it was formalised in 1861. Has had long periods of inactivity. Known as the Department of Trade and Industry since 1970.

1886-1985, publishers, Bath, England
Publishing company established in Bath in 1886 as Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons. Reincorporated as Pitman Ltd in 1975, becoming a public limited company in 1982. Purchased by Pearson Plc in 1985.

Established by an Act of 1844 duties for acceptance and registration of documents required from companies on their formation and holding records for public inspection, rail and canal co. required to submit annual returns between 1888 and 1962, ended 1970

Manufacturer of vulcanised fibre sheets, steel and fibre cans etc. Based in Crumpsall, Manchester from 1898 to c.1932.

Chemical manufacturer based in Lancashire. Known to have been active in 1936-1939.

Company, law and manufacturing stationers, based at Brown Street, Manchester

Chartered accountant based in Manchester. Known to be active between 1935 and 1946.

The Patent Office is responsible for the registration of designs and trade marks and was formerly known as the Patents, Designs and Trade Marks Office. The Intellectual Property Office became an operating name of the Patent Office on 2 April 2007.

Established in 1786 to arrange for the supply of stationery to central government departments. Its responsibilities later included printing of parliamentary publications and Crown Copyright. In 1972 responsibility was handed to the Lord Privy Seal. 1786-current (2010), publisher; printer, Norwich

H.M. Factory Inspectorate, which became part of the Ministry of Labour, was established in 1833 as part of the Home Office. The first factory inspectors were appointed by King William IV. The Inspectorate increased in size and scope throughout the 19th century, particularly as Parliament passed various Factory Acts in 1844, 1861, 1864, 1867 and 1871.

The Factory and Workshop Act of 1878 was significant, as it brought almost all of manufacturing industry within the scope of the law, defining three official categories of Textile Factories,Non-Textile Factories and Workshops. The Factory Inspectors were now responsible for ensuring a much greater degree of health, safety and welfare for workers across Britain. Inspectors took on an advisory role, and educating employers about improved fencing of machinery and methods of accident prevention became a defacto part of an inspector's remit.

As factory technology evolved and became more specialised, the Inspectorate created roles for specialists in particular types of machinery in the late 19th century. The first female factory inspectors, known initially as ‘Lady Inspectors’ were appointed at this time, taking office in 1893.

The Inspectorate was transferred temporarily from the Home Office to the Ministry of Labour in 1940, as part of wartime reorganisation. The government made the move permanent in 1946, as it made sense to unite responsibility for health and safety law with responsibility for employment law under one Ministry. The Inspectorate would remain part of Labour or Employment ministries, with the exception of a brief spell in the 1990s when it came under the Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions.

The influential Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974 led to the creation of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on 1 January 1975. The Factory Inspectorate transferred to HSE at this time, along with other bodies including Explosives Inspectorate, Employment Medical Advisory Service and Mines Inspectorate, amongst others.

Ancoats Chain and Testing Works, Manchester

Established by Act of 1871 with the merger of the Poor Law Board, the Home Office Local Government Act Office, and the Privy Council Office's Medical Department. The Local Government Board had primary responsibility for supervision of local government services. Its powers and duties were assumed by the Ministry of Health in 1919.

active 1919 -1968, department of the British government

In 1968 the Ministry of Health merged with the Ministry of Social Security to form the Department of Health and Social Security. The Department underwent further restructuring in 1974, following the National Health Service's own reorganisation. Currently named Department of Health.

The Department split again in 1988 to form the Department of Health and the Department of Social Security. It then began to devolve power to newly created arm's length bodies in 1989, with the creation of the Medicines Control Agency.

Insurance company based in Birmingham. Known to have been active between 1903-1961.

c1875-c1970, printers and publisher, England
George Edward Eyre and Andrew Spottiswoode were printers to the Queen's most excellent majesty for Her Majesty's Stationery Office in 1845. Their sons subsequently ran the business. The firm was re-appointed King's Printer after the accession of King Edward VII in May 1901. They became a publisher of the same name after 1929.
Became part of Associated Book Publishers and merged with Methuen in the 1970s.

Barrister

The Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce was established in April 1794 as the Manchester Commercial Society at Spencer's Tavern, St Ann's Square, Manchester. In 1810 it became known as the Manchester Chamber of Commerce, a name it held until 1970, when it became the Manchester Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Later it became the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce. As of 2024 it was the largest accredited Chamber of Commerce in the UK with over 4000 members. The Chamber enables its members to network and represents the interests of businesses locally.

In 1810 Waterlow and Sons was started by James Waterlow. The company sold copies of legal documents produced by lithography and printed stamps. James Waterlow's sons, Alfred, Walter, Sydney and Albert, joined the partnership; branches were opened at Westminster and London Wall. In 1876 the firm became a limited liability company. In 1877 a family dispute erupted and Aflred Waterlow and his sons formed Waterlow Bros. & Layton retaining the Birchin Lane premises. The other brothers, under the Managing Directorship of Sir Sydney, Lord Mayor of London continued Waterlow & Sons Limited operating from London Wall, Finsbury Market and other factories. In 1887, on the death of Alfred, Waterlow Bros & Layton became a company. In 1920 the two companies amalgamated. In 1961 assets of Waterlow & Sons Limited acquired by De La Rue & Co. Ltd.

The North Eastern Railway Company was formed in 1854 when the York, Newcastle and Berwick, York and North Midland, Leeds Northern, and Malton and Driffield Railways amalgamated. It acquired the West Hartlepool Railway in 1864, the Stockton and Darlington in 1865 and the Blyth and Tyne in 1874. As a result it almost had a monopoly in its area. Its area of operation covered the north east and north Yorkshire, and stretched from Berwick-on-Tweed south to Doncaster, with extensions into Westmorland and Cumberland and into Scotland. It exercised running powers over the North British line from Berwick to Edinburgh and a joint owner of the Forth Bridge. It was also a joint owner of the East Coast Joint Stock with the Great Northern and North British Railways.

Its main goods traffic was coal from the Northumberland and Durham coalfields. It was an early investor in electrification, initially to deal with a difficult approach to the docks but later extended to the Newcastle-upon-Tyne suburban area. It also electrified goods workings between Shildon and Middlesbrough and planned to electrify the York to Newcastle route (even building a prototype locomotive) but the first world war intervened and the work was not carried out.

The headquarters of the NER were in York where it also had its carriage works. The main works were at Shildon. Among its Chief Mechanical Engineers were Wilson Worsdell, Thomas Worsdell and Vincent Raven.

The NER became part of the London and North Eastern Railway under Grouping in 1923.

Publishing company based in Manchester. Incorporated 1910, dissolved c1932.

1843- , publisher, Cambridge
Founded in 1843 as a bookshop in Cambridge as Macmillan & Co. by Daniel Macmillan and his brother Alexander. The Macmillans began publishing textbooks in 1844, met with steady success, and published their first novel, Charles Kingsley’s Westward Ho!, in 1855. The firm went on to publish several important Victorian authors including Alfred Lord Tennyson, Thomas Henry Huxley, Lewis Carroll, Rudyard Kipling, and William Butler Yeats.

The Macmillan family formally ended its ownership in 1999, when the German media group Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH completed its acquisition of all the company’s shares. In the early 21st century, Macmillan had offices in more than 40 countries. Its headquarters are in London.

Author. Known to have been active in 1918.

Author. Known to have been active in 1918.

Publishing company based in Birmingham. Known to be active 1947-1954.

Publishing company based in Sheffield, active in 1928.

Railways in Britain were nationalised under the terms of the Transport Act 1947 which came into effect on 1 January 1948. The Railway Executive, a corporate body subordinate to the British Transport Commission, was created to manage and operate the railways. It divided them into six geographical regions, largely based on the areas served by the pre-nationalisation railway companies.

London Midland Region (LMR) was one of those territories. It comprised the railway operations in England and Wales of the former London, Midland and Scottish Railway Company (LMS) with the exception of the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway which was placed in Eastern Region and lines in central and south Wales which passed to Western Region. Subsequently, the area of operations was adjusted by the transfer of “penetrating lines” between regions

Between 1948 and 1952 the regional manager was responsible to the Railway Executive for day to day operations in his region. After the Railway Executive was abolished in 1952, he reported to the British Transport Commission (BTC). In 1963, BTC itself was abolished and replaced by British Railways Board (BRB). Between 1963 and 1968 LMR was a statutory board in accordance with the provisions of the Transport Act 1962, subordinate to and reporting to BRB. It ceased to be a statutory board in 1968, following reorganisation of the railways’ business along sectoral or functional lines. The name survived until 1992 when the railways were privatised.

There were two principal routes in the region. The first was the former Midland mainline which had several components: London St Pancras to Sheffield via Leicester and Nottingham, Rugby through Derby to West Yorkshire and Leeds and continuing over the Settle-Carlisle route, Derby to Manchester, and Birmingham to Derby. The other was the West Coast Mainline (WCML) from Euston to Carlisle, via Birmingham and Manchester with its branch to Liverpool.

There was one major “penetrating line”, the former Great Central London Extension from Annesley in Nottinghamshire to London Marylebone, via Leicester, and Rugby. Originally in Eastern Region, this line was transferred to London Midland Region in 1958.

The WCML which formed part of the major route from London to Scotland was electrified in stages between 1959 and 1974. Only the southern end of the Midland Mainline from Bedford to London Moorgate was electrified during the period that London Midland Region existed.

Like other regions London Midland experienced withdrawal of services and closures, especially following the Beeching report. The most notable casualty was the Great Central line, which, because it largely duplicated the Midland Main Line from Nottingham to London, was closed almost in its entirety. The line through the Derbyshire Dales between Matlock and Buxton was also closed thus severing the route from St Pancras to Manchester. Many branch lines and industrial lines were also closed

The Transport Act 1947 nationalised virtually all British transport, including the railways, waterways, and road haulage. These were transferred to a newly-created operating body, the British Transport Commission (BTC). The British Transport Commission began operations on 1st January 1948, under Chairman Sir (later Lord) Cyril Hurcomb. At this time, the British Transport Commission acquired the “Big Four” grouped railways, with virtually all minor railways as well, together with the London Passenger Transport Board. This automatically transferred the assets of the rail companies to BTC, including ships, ports, hotels, and investments in bus, coach, and haulage companies. Two bus companies, Tilling and Scottish Motor Traction, were soon added, as well as long-distance road hauliers. The Transport Act charged the British Transport Commission with the task of charged with “integrating” various forms of transport into single public service.

The British Transport Commission did not directly operate transport services. Operations were delegated to five separately appointed executives: Docks and Inland Waterways, Hotels, London Transport, Road Transport, and Railways. The Railways Executive operated under the name British Railways. In 1949, the Road Transport Executive was divided into two separate executives: Road Haulage and Road Passenger. The Commission exercised financial control over these Executives, and managed them through schemes of delegation.

The Commission attempted to fulfil its statutory duty to “integrate” public transport by introducing Area Schemes. These were designed to establish regional monopolies for road passenger transport, ports, and harbours. “Integration” was also to be promoted through Charges Schemes, in which the true costs of different modes of transport were to be reflected in the charges. This was designed to attract traffic to the most economic and efficient mode of transport.

The structure of Executives was dramatically altered by the Transport Act 1953, which abolished all Executives, with the exception of London Transport. Responsibility for the operation and maintenance of transport systems was delegated to the chief regional managers. The railways were reorganised into a system of area boards for each of its six regions. In September 1953, Sir Brian Robertson became Chairman. Disposal of the haulage fleet also began at this time, but a lack of buyers made this difficult.

Rising costs, industrial action and competition from road traffic meant that the British Transport Commission was in financial trouble by 1955. It sought relief from this by publishing The Modernisation and Re-equipment of British Railways, a plan which proposed an investment in the railways of £1,240m over fifteen years. The main features of this plan were the replacement of steam with electric and diesel traction, the electrification of principle routes, and the introduction of new coaching stock.

Despite the modernisation plan, the financial position of the British Transport Commission worsened. Two government reviews, in 1956 and 1959, concluded that the Commission was unwieldy and had an insufficiently commercial outlook.

Sir Brian Robertson retired in May 1961, and was replaced by Dr Richard Beeching.

The BTC was abolished by the Transport Act 1962. It was replaced with five new authorities that were answerable to the Minister of Transport: the British Railways Board, the British Transport Docks Board, the British Waterways Board, the London Transport Board, and the Transport Holding Company. Dr Beeching became chair of the British Railways Board.

Publishing company based in London. Known to have been active 1908-1969.

1907-1917, shipping company, British

Established in 1872 as the South British Fire and Marine Insurance Company of New Zealand. The company was incorporated on October 11 1907 and subsequently changed its name to the South British Insurance Company Ltd.

The company merged with the New Zealand Insurance Company Ltd in 1981, forming the New Zealand South British Group Ltd. This company was later acquired by the General Accident Fire and Life Assurance Corporation in 1989.

Imperial Chemical Industries plc came into existence in 1926, following the merger of Nobel Industries Ltd, Brunner, Mond and Company Ltd, the United Alkali Company, and the British Dyestuffs Corporation. The new company was called Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd. Its operations began in 1927, with 33,000 people employed in five main product areas: alkali products, explosives, metals, general chemicals, and dyestuffs. In 1928, its head office opened in Millbank, London. The former British Dyestuffs Corporation works at Blackley, Manchester became the home of ICI's Dyestuffs Division. The main factory for the General Chemicals Division was at Billingham, County Durham.

ICI's Research and Development Department developed a number of significant products in the early 20th century, including the acrylic plastic Perspex in 1932, Dulux paint (in partnership with DuPont) in 1932, polyethylene in 1937 and polyethylene terephthalate fibre (known as Terylene and PET) in 1941.

The work on polyethylene was led by the Dyestuffs Division at Blackley until a new Plastics Division was established at Welwyn Garden City in 1937. In 1971, the Dyestuffs Division merged with parts of the Nobel Division to become known as the Organics Division. Later mergers with other specialty chemical producers created ICI Colours and Fine Chemicals, which then became ICI Specialties.

From 1940, ICI Dyestuffs was involved in the manufacture of Nylon fabrics at its Huddersfield plant, and in 1964 the company established ICI Fibres to manage its successful textile, fibres and Nylon production. The Nylon part of the business was sold to DuPont in 1992.

In 1944, as Imperial Chemical (Pharmaceuticals) Ltd, the company was involved in the development of penicillin at its Trafford Park works. Because of its success with pharmaceuticals, the company established ICI Pharmaceuticals in 1957. In 1993, ICI Pharmaceuticals and other bioscience divisions became Zeneca, along with ICI Specialties. Zeneca merged with Astra AB in 1994 to form Astra Zeneca Plc.

General Chemical production continued until the acquisition of ICI by Akzo Nobel in 2007.

Born in 1834 in Darmstadt, German. Came to England in 1859 when he became the private assistant of Henry Enfield Roscoe, professor of chemistry at Owens College, Manchester. In March 1861 he was appointed as assistant in the college laboratory and in 1873 he was made lecturer. In 1874 he became the first professor of organic chemistry in England. He was naturalized on 20 May 1879.

In the course of his work, Schorlemmer isolated hydrocarbons from the paraffin, olefin and acetylene series for the first time and simplified the chemistry of the whole paraffin group. He also carried out some analysis of dyes with RS Dale.

Schorlemmer died on 27 June 1892 in Manchester.

In 1841, 77 scientists, including doctors, academics, manufacturers and entrepreneurs, formed the Chemical Society of London as a result of increased interest in scientific matters. It’s purpose was ‘the general advancement of Chemical Science’ and one of its aims was to hold meetings for ‘the communication and discussion of discoveries and observations, an account of which shall be published by the Society.’ It was granted a Royal Charter in 1848 and it eventually became a major published in the field of chemistry.

In 1980 the Chemical Society merged with the Society for Analytical Chemistry, the Royal Institute of Chemistry and the Faraday Society to become the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Manchester Lit & Phil, formerly The Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society, was founded on 28 February 1781 for "promoting the advancement of education and the widening of public interest in and appreciation of any form of literature, science, the arts and public affairs". It is the second oldest learned society in Britain. The earliest meetings took place in a room in Manchester's original Cross St Chapel, but in 1799 the Society moved to 36 George Street.

By the 1860s, its membership had expanded to over 200, and included prominent merchants, engineers and manufacturers. John Dalton was a member from 1794 until his death in 1844, and much of his original research was done in a laboratory at the Society’s George Street House. Other notable past members include James Prescott Joule, Peter Mark Roget, William Fairbairn, Henry Roscoe, Ernest Rutherford, Joseph Whitworth,Tom Kilburn and Alan Turing.

Since 1981, the Society has not had its own premises, but uses hired spaces for events. Manchester Lit & Phil offers a programme of events that explore a wide range of topics, including current innovations and scientific breakthroughs.

Local newspaper founded in 1864, circulating to Manchester, Salford, Lancashire and Cheshire. Became known as the City and Suburban news from 1955 to 1958. Later published as Lancashire County Express, County Express, and Manchester County Express until 1963.

Leaders in firefighting equipment established in London in 1914. The company was awarded the contract for fire extinguishers onboard London Omnibuses in 1924, and moved to Brentwood Essex in 1930, where they constructed a massive fire demonstration ground. The company was taken over by Chubb and Sons in 1967 and the name was changed to Chubb Fire Security in 1971.

The Manchester Guardian Limited was established in 1907 when C.P. Scott bought The Manchester Guardian from the estate of his cousin, Edward Taylor. In 1924, it bought The Manchester Evening News and became The Manchester Guardian and Evening News Limited. The Manchester Guardian newspaper became known as The Guardian in 1959 and the company name subsequently changed to Guardian and Manchester Evening News Limited.

It became the Guardian Media Group in 1993. The Group is owned by Scott Trust Limited.

The Society of Chemical Industry held its first meeting in London on 4 April 1881 at the offices of the Chemical Society, now the Royal Society of Chemistry, in Burlington House. Its members had first met the previous year under the societis earlier names - the South Lancashire Chemical Society and the the Society of Chemical Engineers�. The society's first president was Henry Roscoe and its membership included many leading chemists, chemical engineers and industrialists.

Publisher based in London, known to have been active 1870-1970.

(1855-1935) Analytical Chemist

Charles Frederick Cross was born on the 11th December 1855 at Brentford, Middlesex. He was educated at King's College, London where he graduated BSc in 1878 and spent some time at Zürich university and polytechnic and Owens College, Manchester. After early work on jute fibre in Barrow in Furness and Kew, in 1885 he set up in business in Lincoln's Inn in partnership with Edward J. Bevan, his fellow student at Manchester, as analytical and consulting chemists.

In 1892 Cross discovered viscose, which made the manufacture of artificial silk, afterwards called rayon, and also used for the manufacture of photographic film, possible. Initially, his interest in the fibre was not as a new textile but as a basis for the fine filaments needed for the newly developed electric lamp. Cross's patent remained a chemical master patent for its full term of years and was extended for a further term in view of its outstanding merit. It was soon worked throughout the world, and over the years 1893–1900 his process was developed through proprietary companies in London, Breslau, and Paris. With C. H. Stearn he founded the Viscose Spinning Syndicate, which developed the spinning of artificial silk. This was later acquired by Courtaulds.

Cross was also a pioneer in the production of transparent viscose films (cellophane), used in huge quantities by the packaging industry. Cross was actively interested in the theoretical and practical chemistry of Cellulose. When he began his research its chemical identity was obscure: by the 1920s his work had contributed largely to elucidating the basic features of its structure. He published his researches in book form as well as in contributions to scientific journals. His book Cellulose (written in collaboration with Bevan, 1895) is unique, full of imagination and stimulating ideas. He also published four volumes of Researches on Cellulose (1901–22), the first three in collaboration with Bevan, the last with Charles Dorée.

Cross was elected FRS in 1917, awarded the medal of the Society of Chemical Industry in 1916, the research medal of the Dyers' Company in 1918 and the Perkin medal of the Society of Dyers and Colourists in 1924. He married Edith Vernon in 1890; they had two sons and one daughter. He died at his home, 4C King's Gardens, Hove, Sussex, on 15 April 1935.

1856-1921, Analytical Chemist

Edward John Bevan was born on the 11th December 1856 at 8 Argyle Street, Birkenhead, Cheshire. After attending private schools he became a laboratory assistant at the Runcorn Soap and Alkali Company. He was advised to continue his education and went to Owens College, Manchester, between 1877 and 1879. He then worked for three years for Alexander Cowan & Co. at Musselburgh Paper Mills. At Owens College he had met Charles Frederick Cross and the two chemists joined forces at the Jodrell Laboratory, Kew Gardens, with the aim of exploring the chemistry of cellulose. They went into partnership as analytical chemists at Lincoln's Inn in 1885. Bevan was appointed public analyst for Middlesex county council in 1892. He was president of the Society of Public Analysts in 1905–6, and vice-president of the Institute of Chemistry in 1905–8 and 1914–17.

The interest of Cross and Bevan in the chemistry of cellulose led them to a key patent in May 1892, with their colleague Clayton Beadle (1868–1917). The three partners set up the Viscose Syndicate in 1893, with the aim of producing adhesives, films, coatings for natural fibres, and mouldings, and British Viscoid Ltd followed in 1896. In May 1894 Cross and Bevan patented the manufacture of cellulose acetate, which was later developed and sold as a fibre by the British Celanese Company, in competition with viscose rayon.

He died, unmarried, at 18 Dorset Square, Marylebone, London, on 17 October 1921.

1854-c1900, publisher, London, England.
Established by John S. M. Churchill, in 1854, specialising in medical literature. Known to have still been active as J & A Churchill in 1900

Author of chemical texts, active 1892.

c1800-1972, publisher, London
Established as Lockwood & Co. by Mark Lockwood at 7 Stationers' Hall Court, Ludgate Hill, London, England. In the 1850s, Mark Lockwood died, and his son Crosby Lockwood took over and the company became Crosby Lockwood & Co, and later Crosby Lockwood & Son Ltd
The firm merged with Staples Press in 1972 to become Crosby Lockwood Ltd.

Author and chemist. Known to have been active in 1893

1724-1970, publisher, London, England.
Founded by Thomas Longman in 1724, Longmans is the oldest publishing house in the United Kingdom. The firm had many imprints including (but not limited to) T. Longman (1724), Longman and Rees (1800), Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green (1825), Longman Green & Co. (1880).

Longman remained a family business until 1970, when it merged with Penguin Books.

British chemist who conducted research on a wide range of subjects. He contributed to the understanding of the relationship between substances' molecular weights and their specific gravities, and his work on phosphorus compounds led to a better understanding of phosphorus and the prevention of the illnesses it caused to workers in the match industry. Thorpe's work on the atomic weights of metals led to the award of a Royal Medal in 1889. He also took part in four eclipse expeditions, and a magnetic survey of the British Isles.

The company's origins date back to 1733, when James Whatman set up a papermill in Maidstone, Kent. William Balston was apprenticed to Whatman in the 1780s, and later founded Springfield Mill in 1806. William and Richard Balston took over the running of the mill in 1861.

In 1974 the company merged with Angel Reeve International to form Whatman Angel Reeve, this was later restructured and renamed Whatman PLC

Chemist, fellow of the Royal Society and chair of chemistry at University College, Nottingham from 1897 to 1936.

William Henry Perkin was born on 17 June 1860 in Sudbury, the elder son of Sir William Henry Perkin (1838–1907).
Perkin was the first professor of chemistry at the Heriot-Watt College, Edinburgh and became professor of organic chemistry at Owens College in 1890, where he created an internationally renowned school.

Author and consultant chemist. Known to have been active in 1900.

Author and chemist, known to have been active in 1900.

Author and chemist. Known to have been active in 1900.

1807-current (2016), publisher, New York, USA.
Founded in 1807 by Charles Wiley. Taken over by his son John in 1826, the company name was later updated to John Wiley and Sons in 1876. Later renamed as Wiley.

1834-c1939, publisher, London, England
Founded in 1834 by Edward Chapman and William Hall. Merged with Methuen in the 1930s and eventually became part of CRC Press, where the name is still used as an imprint.

Author. Known to have been active in 1901.

London based publisher founded in 1890, focusing on books and journals for students and academics. The company was sold to Hodder Education Group in 2001.

Author. Known to have been active in 1903.

1898-1948, publisher, Glasgow, Scotland.
Founded in 1898 by Blackie & Son Ltd, incorporated in 1917 as Gresham Publishing Co Ltd.

German author. Active c1903.

Chemical and general merchant based in Todmorden.

Author and industrial chemist. Known to have been active in 1918.

Paint manufacturer based in Ambler, Pennsylvania, USA. Known to have been active in 1924.

1785-1998, electroplating equipment manufacturer, Birmingham, England.
Established in Birmingham in 1785, manufacturing equipment for electroplating and polishing. The company also had offices in London and Sheffield. They were taken over by MacDermid Incorporated in 1998.

Author. Known to have been active in 1929.

1759-current, museum, London, England

Active 1939. Development council, London.

Active c1939, cement manufacturer, Birmingham, England

Active 1923-1950, manufacturer of concrete products, Grays, Essex.

Publisher based in London, known to have been active in 1952.

Publishing company based in London, known to have been active in 1954.

Manchester based publishing company, publisher of The Textile Weekly. Known to have been active in 1954.

1894-current(2016, polymer material manufacturer
Established in around 1894 as British Cyanides Co. It is the oldest polymer material manufacturer in the UK, and amongst the oldest in the world. In 1924, the company patented the world’s first ‘water-white’ thermoset resin, and in 1926, they produced the world’s first white commercial moulding powder. 1929, the company purchased the Streetly Manufacturing Co (SMC) to serve as its own moulding plant.

In 1936, the company name was changed to British Industrial Plastics (BIP). BIP was taken over by Turner and Newall in 1961. They now trade as BIP (Oldbury) Limited.

London based publisher, produced the Chemical Trade Journal & Chemical Engineer. Known to have been active in 1962-1963.

Publishing company based in London. Produced The Dyer, Textile Printer, Bleacher and Finisher periodical. Known to have been active in c1903-1962.

1859-1926, police officer, England
Chief Constable of Oldham, Lancashire from 1892-1898, Chief Constable of Manchester from 1898-1926.

The Ministry of Supply was established in 1939 with responsibility for the Royal Ordnance Factories and for the supply of munitions, clothing etc to the War Office and Air Ministry. In 1946 it took over the responsibilities of the Ministry of Aircraft Production after it was abolished.

In October 1959 the civil aviation functions of the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation were transferred to the Ministry of Supply, which was simultaneously disbanded and reconstituted as the Ministry of Aviation; at the same time supply functions, with the exception of those relating to aircraft, guided missiles, radar and electronic equipment, were returned to the Air Ministry and War Office.

1939-1955, Government department, England.
The Ministry of Food was set up in September 1939 following the outbreak of the Second World War. In wartime its activities were associated with rationing and state trading. It also carried out research into food preparation, marketing and preservation, was responsible for food standards and represented the UK on international food bodies.
In April 1955 it was merged with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries to become the new Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF).

1680-1984, insurance company, England.
Acquired by Sun Alliance & London in 1984.

Author.

Ironworks founded in Kaiserslautern, Germany in 1864.

c1864-c1980, Sheet metal manufacturers and engineers

1863-?, ironmongers and plumbers merchants, Manchester, England.
Founded in Salford in 1863 by Laban Baxendale and his future brother-in-law, Alfred Innes. In 1892, the company moved to Shudehill Mill (commonly known as Arkwright's Mill) in Miller Street, Manchester. The mill was later destroyed in the 1940 Manchester Blitz.

A listing in 'Whitaker's Red Book of Commerce or Who's Who in Business' published in 1914 identifies Baxendale's as being 'Lead manufacturers, brass founders, furniture manufacturers, electrical manufacturers, glass bevellers and silverers, embossers and lead light workers, sanitary, gas, water, steam and electric fittings, hardware merchants, oil and paint warehousemen, plumbers', decorators' and builders' merchants etc.' At the time, the firm had 1,250 employees.

1795-?, ironfounders, Wolverhampton, England. Known to have been active in 1922.

Publisher based in London, active in 1928.

Chemical equipment manufacturer based in Manchester and Salford and known to have been active in 1940.

Publishing company founded by Walter Lindley-Jones in 1887 and based in London, known to have been active in the 1940s and 1950s.

Publishing company based in London. Known to have been active in 1933.

1924-? Chemical supplier, New York, USA. Known to have been active in 1939.

Stationery company based in Glasgow. Active 1949.

1930-1997, chemical distributor, Glasgow, Scotland.
Established in 1930, when Tennants (Lancashire), Charles Tennant and Co. and C. Tennant Sons and Co Ltd were consolidated under the name of the Tennant Group. Became Tennants Distribution Ltd in 1997.

1901- current (2016), producer of standards, UK
Founded as the Engineering Standards Committee in London in 1901. It extended its standardization work and became the British Engineering Standards Association in 1918. A Royal Charter was received in 1929 and it was renamed the British Standards Institution in 1931.

In 1998 a revision of the Charter enabled the organization to acquire other businesses, and the name changed to BSI Group. They now operate internationally in 172 countries.

Author.

Publishing company based in Blandford, Dorset, England.

Chemical company established in 1929, converting feedstocks derived from oil and gas production into petrochemicals and intermediates for sale in bulk to other chemicals companies or industries.

Publishing company based in London, known to have been active in 1895

Clog manufacturer based in Manchester. Active c1923-1960

1945-1989, industrial, optical and chemical glassware products, Jena and Mainz, Germany

Manufacturers and merchants of textiles and haberdashery goods, based in Leeds. Known to have been active in 1959.

Nickel alloy manufacturer based in Birmingham and London. Became part of the International Nickel company in 1929.

Established in 1948 as the Marie Curie International Memorial, soon becoming the Marie Curie Memorial Foundation. Renamed as Marie Curie Cancer Care in 1995.

Manufacturer of nylon overalls based in Stockport. Known to have been active in 1958-1961.

Publishing company based in London. Known to have been active in 1962.

The Municipal Corporations Act of 1835 enabled towns to be granted a charter of incorporation after the inhabitants and householders had made an application to the Privy Council. The Charter of Incorporation was given to the town on the 23 October 1838 and allowed the six townships of Manchester, Cheetham, Hulme, Ardwick, Chorlton on Medlock and Beswick to become incorporate and provide the mechanism to set up the Borough of Manchester, made up of a Mayor, 16 aldermen and 48 councillors.

In 1844 the council resolved by an Act of Parliament for the good governance, regulation and policing of the borough by purchase the manorial rights of the Manor of Manchester from the then Lord of the Manor, Sir Oswald Mosely. This was duly done and although the council had a greater control over the well-being and safety of its inhabitants it was still a town. Manchester did not achieve city status until 1853, only the second one to be granted since the Reformation.

Publishing company based in Manchester, known to have been active 1890-1965.