Ware and Hertford manufacturing history

The traditional industry of this Hertfordshire town was malting and Ware’s maltings supplied most of London’s breweries. The maltings, principally Henry Ward’s, and Henry Page & Company, attracted supporting industries.

With the availability of water and local labour, the pharmaceutical company Allen and Hanbury, which had been founded in the city of London in 1715, acquired a former mill in Ware in 1898 and there built itself into one of the major manufacturers of surgical instruments and medicines. The company became part of Glaxo and then GSK which still manufactures in the town. The Ware and Hertford website has an image of the factory from the twenties.

Another significant company was the railway passenger car builders D. Wickham & Co. The company had started as motor engineers and then moved into bottling equipment before identifying the opportunities in worldwide railways. They sent their rail cars as far afield as Peru and Zimbabwe. In the Second World War they repaired tanks.

Hertford had a history of paper making with Sele Mill, thought to be Britain's first.

William Addis is credited with inventing the modern toothbrush and he set up in business manufacturing these in 1780 in East London. The company provided toothbrushes to the forces in the First World War and this is thought to have introduced the habit of regular teeth cleaning. Demand grew and the company moved to premises in Hertford. Plastic brushes with nylon bristles were introduced under the Wisdom brand after the Second World War and the company expanded into household brushes and products. A factory in Swansea was added and later moved to Bridgend where it now carries on its business. The Hertford Museum holds the Addis archive. The factory was a 1930s icon.

Further reading:

Maurice Edwards, Ware’s Past in Pictures (Ware: The Rockingham Press, 1992)

Basildon manufacturing history

 The new town of Basildon was only eight miles from Tilbury Docks with good road links to the east of London. This location clearly attracted the Ford Motor Company, which was outgrowing its Dagenham site, to move its tractor manufacture to Basildon. The proximity to the docks also attracted cigarette makers, Carreras. In 1964 New Holland completed their first tractor factory in the town, followed by Standard Telephones, MK Electric and Yardley.

The development corporation produced a promotional brochure encouraging other businesses to the town. Highlighted were the availability of good housing and community facilities for employees and their families. The businesses mentioned in the brochure were not only the big names although Marconi was highlighted a building a factory for the ‘meticulously accurate construction of delicate precisions equipment’ for radio, radar and other electronics.

Albert Mann’s Engineering Company manufactured rolling mills, Nufloor manufactured floor sanders and polishers and Teleflex of Shadwell Heath built a new factory manufacturing conveyors and remote controls. The new town also attracted old skills such as Engineers Patternmaking and Thompson & Foster cardboard boxes and corrugated paper.

Further reading

Industrial Development in Basildon New Town (Basildon Development Corporation)

Harlow manufacturing history

 Harlow was a village to the north of the industrial areas of east London and on the London to Cambridge railway. It was chosen as one of the new towns designed to relieve the pressure on greater London.

As with other new towns, it sought a spread of industry to avoid the concentration that caused problems in Corby. Although it was not thought suitable for heavy industry, two of its early arrivals were on the heavy side : Johnson Matthey the precious metals company and United Glass manufacturer of bottles.

They were followed by Revertex resins, and Schreiber furniture founded by a Polish immigrant, which would compete with Lebus and Hille and become part of GEC Domestic appliances before moving to MFI and finally Sainsbury.

Shenval Press were an early arrival joined in time by book binders Dorstel Press. Publishing later received a major boost when Longman Green arrived in the late sixties.

Standard Telephones became the largest employer in the town with 3,000 at one time. They were joined by the Standard Telecommunications Laboratory. Another electronics business came to the town by default after de Havilland had to cancel a new factory as a result of cuts in defence spending. Cossor was moving out of valves into radar and so needed new premises; they later became a subsidiary of the American Raytheon Corporation. The AEI research division was based in the town but moved to Manchester when AEI joined with GEC.

American office equipment manufacturer Pitney Bowes moved their manufacturing in 1962 and head office a year later. They were joined by Minnesota 3M Research and educational suppliers ESA.

In the sixties, Gilbey's Gin built a striking new factory moving its production from London. The family had a long connection with the former village. Gilbey became part of International Vintners which was bought by Grand Metropolitan. The Gilbey brand is now within Diageo. Rank Hovis McDougal built an administrative headquarters. GSK has a research facility in the town.

Further reading:

Frederick Gibberd, Ben Hyde Harvey, Len White Harlow: The Story of a New Town (Stevenage: Publications for Companies, 1980)