R. W. Crabtree and Sons
of Huddersfield.
of Water Lane and David Street, Leeds and London (1920)
Formerly Crabtree and Horsfield
1907 Plans were made to design and build a newspaper press as progress accelerated considerably.
WWI Business plans changed to produce munitions and it became necessary to extend the works.
1916 Water Lane works open and extended in 1917.
After the War newspaper printing machines resumed in production and more buildings were erected.
1920 Public company. Directors are Charles Henry Crabtree, Arthur Eastwood Crabtree, Arthur Terrey and Edward Gillett [1]
1920 The first press was produced.[2]
1930 The Elless Feeder Co, a subsidiary of R. W. Crabtree and Sons was formed.[3]
1931 The Crabtree Foundry was acquired.[4]
1938 Acquired Campbells and Hunter Ltd., and R. Hoe and Co, and American owned company of London.[5]
1939 By now, the total site area of the Leeds works amounted to over seven acres.[6]
During World War II the manufacture of all printing machines was restricted, except for those needed. A large number of lithographic machines was built for the Government for the producing of maps immediately behind the Front Line. They also produced complete tanks, tank components, guns, gun carriages, breech rings, breech blocks and aircraft parts.[7]
1949 Acquired Bell and Valentine Pty Ltd. of Melbourne.[8]
1951 Acquired W. H. Howson Ltd. of Leeds.[9]
1952 R. W. Crabtree and Sons (Canada) Ltd. was established.[10]
1953 Bren Manufacturing Co of Newcastle and International Tools Ltd. of Canada was acquired.[11]
1958 17th October. Visit by Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh. Read the commemorative booklet here.
1961 General engineers and manufacturers of rotary newspaper and lithographic offset printing machines. 2,000 employees.[12]
1965 R. W. Crabtree acquired the letterpress business of Dawson, Payne and Elliott. Subsequently Crabtree was acquired by Vickers to add to its printing machinery business[13]
- See: 1920s-1950s Collection of ca.900 photographs of printing machinery, chiefly presses, made by R. Hoe and Co, R. Hoe and Crabtree Ltd, R. W. Crabtree and Sons Ltd. [14]
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ Western Daily Press - Monday 23 February 1920
- ↑ Company Royal Commemorative Booklet
- ↑ Company Royal Commemorative Booklet
- ↑ Company Royal Commemorative Booklet
- ↑ Company Royal Commemorative Booklet
- ↑ Company Royal Commemorative Booklet
- ↑ Company Royal Commemorative Booklet
- ↑ Company Royal Commemorative Booklet
- ↑ Company Royal Commemorative Booklet
- ↑ Company Royal Commemorative Booklet
- ↑ Company Royal Commemorative Booklet
- ↑ 1961 Dun and Bradstreet KBE
- ↑ The Times, Aug 17, 1965
- ↑ [1] National Archives: Accessions to Repositories