Grace's Guide To British Industrial History

Registered UK Charity (No. 115342)

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 162,258 pages of information and 244,500 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 147,919 pages of information and 233,587 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Carrington and Dewhurst

From Graces Guide

of Eccleston, Chorley

Formerly Carrington, Woods and Co

See Arthur Walter Carrington and Joseph Mullineaux Dewhurst

1909 Formal transfer to Carrington and Dewhurst Ltd

1928 Incorporation of Carrington and Dewhurst Ltd, controlled by H. W. Carrington ( - 1950) and S. H. Sagar - Carrington and Sagar Ltd

1929 Decision to stop cotton weaving in favour of rayon weaving

By 1934 the conversion to rayon had been completed

WWII Produce balloon fabric, nylon parachute cloth and utility rayon cloth; New Mill was closed from 1941 to 1944

Postwar: established Carrington and Dewhurst (Engineering) division because of the shortage of machinery[1]

1950 Incorporated as a private company. Converted into a public company Carrington and Dewhurst. Facilities were:

1961 Acquired B. Cohen and Co; and Collins and Cawthron.[2]

1962 Carrington and Dewhurst was the largest maker of filament fabrics in Europe[3]. As part of a policy of developing a vertically integrated group of companies involved in man-made fibre cloths, acquired Grout and Co[4]

1963 Further vertical integration was achieved when Bradford Dyers Association acquired a stake of 7.5 percent in the company as part of an agreement to work closer on development of new fabrics and finishes; the cash would be used to reduce the overdraft[5]. Soon after Courtaulds acquired 10 percent of the company, helping to ensure use of their fibres by the largest of the British specialist weavers in man-made fibres[6]; ICI followed suit in November taking a 9 percent interest[7] which put the company finances in a good position for expansion.

1964 Acquired William Tatton and Co.[8]

1964 Continued acquiring related companies. Name changed to Carrington and Dewhurst Group[9]

1965 Further funding by loan from ICI. Acquired 30 percent of Irving Air Chute of Great Britain[10]

1966 A joint company might be formed with the Airborne Industries in connection with use of balloons for logging in Canada[11]. Acquired J. Mandleberg (Dyers)[12]. Further loan from ICI. Margins were constrained by lower priced imported goods[13]

1967 Bought the Falcon Mill and Prospect Mill of Barlow and Jones, mainly spinning Terylene-cotton blended yarn, from English Sewing Cotton Co[14]

1967 With the success of the balloon logging in Canada, a joint venture Carrington Airborne Developments was formed with Airborne Industries [15]

1968 Acquired Jersey-Kapwood, warp knitters[16]

1968 Courtaulds sold its shares in the company[17]. Acquired Robert Hirst and Co, coat makers[18] and Quelrayn Holdings. Ended textile engineering activity[19]. Acquired Dhobi Waterproofs Ltd.

1969 ICI announced a bid for Viyella and planned to merge it with Carrington and Dewhurst[20]

1970 Recognition that the company's foray into Europe, in support of ICI's strategy for its fibres, had been a costly mistake[21]. ICI acquired Viyella and later in the year Carrington and Dewhurst, forming Carrington Viyella of which ICI owned 64 percent[22].

See Also

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Sources of Information

  1. The Times, Jun 26, 1968
  2. The Times, June 22, 1961
  3. The Times Jan 06, 1962
  4. The Times, Jul 26, 1962
  5. The Times, Jun 13, 1963
  6. The Times, Jun 22, 1963
  7. The Times, Jan 29, 1964
  8. The Times, December 16, 1964
  9. The Times, Dec 11, 1964
  10. The Times Dec 13, 1965
  11. The Times, Jun 06, 1966
  12. The Times, Aug 22, 1966
  13. The Times, Dec 09, 1966
  14. The Times, Feb 14, 1967
  15. The Times, Jun 06, 1967
  16. The Times Nov. 27, 1968
  17. The Times, Jan 04, 1968
  18. The Times, May 13, 1968
  19. The Times, Jun 07, 1968
  20. The Times, Dec 24, 1969
  21. The Times, Sep 28, 1970
  22. The Times Aug 08, 1970