Joseph Terry (1793-1850), confectioner.
1767 The confectioners Bayldon and Berry opened in St Helen's Square, York.
1793 Joseph Terry was born on 11 November, at Pocklington, Yorkshire, the son of Thomas Terry, a farmer, and his wife, Elizabeth Dales.
He served an apprenticeship and then opened an apothecary's shop in Walmgate, York.
1823 He married Harriet, the daughter of William Atkinson, of Leppington Grange, near York; they had five sons and three daughters. Harriet was the sister-in-law of Robert Berry, of the confectioners Bayldon and Berry. After Berry's death, Joseph joined his son to form the partnership of Terry and Berry.
1828 Joseph Terry's second son, Joseph (later Sir Joseph), was born in York on 7 January, and educated at St Peter's School.
1830 Joseph senior was in sole charge of the business, making cakes and sugar confectionery, marmalade, mushroom ketchup, and medicated lozenges.
1830s Terry's established retail agencies in seventy-five towns, mostly in northern England and the midlands, but also in London and Luton.
1836 Joseph Senior helped to form an association in London, in order to protect the consumer against adulterations to confectioners' and lozenge makers' products.
1850 Balding and rotund but with plenty of side hair and mutton-chop whiskers, Joseph Senior died at West Huntington, York, on 8 June, survived by his wife.
1851 His son, Joseph Junior, joined the family firm, which had 127 employees.
1854 After a period during which the business was run by executors, Joseph and his two younger brothers took control of the firm.
1854 Joseph junior married Frances, the daughter of Dr Joseph Goddard of London; they had three sons.
1862 Joseph Terry Junior opened a chocolate factory at Clementhorpe (an area of York near the river)
1864 Joseph Terry was always the dominant partner and he concentrated his energies on expanding the firm. He transferred manufacturing to a new site in York, where he erected a steam-powered factory.
1866 Frances Terry died.
1870 On York city council from 1860, Joseph Terry served as sheriff of York in 1870, and was later lord mayor four times. He assisted all the main societies and associations in York, from the school of art to the city's cricket club and the asylum. His craggy and bearded face hid a genial and benevolent disposition. He was a freemason, a member of the York Sunday school committee, and president of the York Conservative Association.
1871 Joseph married again; this time to Margaret, the daughter of William Thorpe of Aldborough House, Malton, Yorkshire, with whom he had a son and three daughters.
1876 Joseph Terry and Sons applied for its first trademark.
1880s Their eldest son, Thomas, a partner after 1880, built up exports to Australia and New Zealand. During that decade the firm received a number of exhibition awards for its confectionery.
1886 Joseph Terry built a separate factory for making chocolate products.
1887 Joseph was knighted.
1895 The business was incorporated as Joseph Terry and Sons Ltd, when it had 300 employees.
1898 Sir Joseph overexerted himself in a by-election in the city, and died of heart failure at the Royal Station Hotel on 12 January 1898. He was buried at York cemetery on 15 January 1898. He was survived by his wife.
1923 The company was now run by Frank and Noel Terry
1963 The family no longer ran the business.
2005 The last company factory in York closed.
See Also
Sources of Information
- [1] Oxford DNB
- Trademarked. A History of Well-Known Brands - from Aertex to Wright's Coal Tar by David Newton. Pub: Sutton Publishing 2008 ISBN 978-0-7509-4590-5