John Nicholson and Sons (of Leeds)
of Hunslet and Barnsley, maker of sulphuric acid
c.1804 Company formed[1]
c.1890 The feedstock used for making sulphuric acid was changed to pyrites from the (more expensive) sulphur.
1901 Brothers John Carr Nicholson and Joseph Nicholson represented the company at an inquest concerning supply of sulphuric acid which may have been contaminated with arsenic to a sugar refiner (Bostocks of Liverpool)[2] who supplied brewing sugar to brewers, some of whose customers were poisoned by it.
1904 of Hunslet Chemical Works, Leeds; in court it was stated that their clients, Bostocks, had assumed the sulphuric acid was made from sulphur rather than pyrites, and hence would be pure; however analysis was done by Bostock's chemist very infrequently [3]. Nicholson's had about 1000 customers and knew of only 2 who used their acid for making food. The case was determined on the basis of the terms of the contract [4]with fault on both sides of not being clear about what they were supplying to their respective customers[5]
1946 Acquired by B. Laporte[6]