Wm Denby & Sons
William Denby and Sons - Dyeworks at Tong Park
Early references
On page 37 of Baildon and the Baildons, Vol 1, Paley Baildon says:-
The extensive mills of Messrs. Denby & Sons, Limited, are the chief feature of Tong Park. Mr. Cudworth thus wrote of them in 1876 : — The original name of this factory is [sic] Gill Mill, and it is the oldest in the neighbourhood, having been first used for the woollen manufacture by Messrs. Halliday and Watson, about 1778. It continued as a woollen mill until 1790, when a Mr. Cockshott commenced worsted spinning, and had an engine [1] put up so that it could be worked when water was scarce. It is said this was the first engine used for propelling machinery either in Bradford or the neighbourhood. In 1804 the mill became the joint property of Messrs. Samuel Margerison and Thos. Gill, and in 1824 was purchased by Mr. Gill, who set a combing machine to work The business of worsted manufacture was carried on by the Messrs. Gill a long time, and after remaining unoccupied several years, Gill Mill was purchased by Messrs. Wm. Denby and Sons, who have made very large additions to the works, have built a large number of cottages for the workpeople, a chapel and school, a co-operative store, and have also made numerous other improvements.[2][3].
The entry in the 1964 Baildon Official Guide reads:- William Denby & Sons Limited was established in the year 1820 by the late William Denby, as Wm. Denby & Sons, manufacturers of textiles from the raw wool to the finished products. In 1925 the company was converted into a private limited company and in 1927 ceased manufacturing in order to devote the whole of its resources to commission dyeing, finishing and proofing.
The private limited company was, in 1946, formed into a public limited company and is now considered to be a leading firm of textile dyers, proofers, and finishers in the trade, and is well known by the following registered trade marks: "Denbirayne, "Denbidry", Denbilux" and "Denbisil"[4]
Note that the labour dispute would have been ongoing at the time of this advert but the Denby family had long since sold the company and in fact were mostly deceased.
Labour Disputes
Feb-May 1937
Between Feb and May 1937 there was a strike by workers looking for union recognition.
Oct 1963-Feb 1965
In October 1963, a workforce of two hundred and fifty at William Denby and Sons spontaneously went on strike in response to a management breach of union rules. They had not consulted their union. The next day, the union announced their support of the strike but the workers were sacked and the management declared that the works would not be a closed shop any more. The dispute lasted eighteen months.[5]
Some of this information is taken from a PhD thesis by Laura Christine Price that could be found here and has been archived on this site here
The West Yorkshire Archive Service have a photocopy of the 1963 circular letter from Wm Denby & Sons Ltd to striking workers.[6]
.... but locals say that ill feeling lasted much longer than the 18 months and relationships between the company, workers and unions were affected. Some workers being refused union membership in later years.
Barrie Halliday (via facebook 2019) [It lasted from] 63 to 65 but I think the aftermath went on much longer. Do you remember the grey Denby picking up the" scabs" split a few families - I knew 2 brothers who never spoke to each other since.<ref>
Georgia Elizabeth (via facebook 2019, account used by a relative of Georgia) [It] Went on a lot longer in peoples minds than the actual strike i remember being terrified as a youngster hiding in the bedroom because a gang of strikers were on Southdown Rd hurling stones over the wall at the windows of "scabs" lots of very bad feeling at that time.
ABRACRAFT 1997 onwards
Company number 03316112
1997 a company incorporated as ABRACRAFT, Tong Park. Industry - Finishing of Textiles. Director Daniel John Dwyer
Oct 1997 name changed from ABRACRAFT to William Denby & Sons Lyd
Last accounts Sept 1998
Receiver appointed July 2000
Company dissolved in April 2016
Company Directors
| Name | Role | Date Of Birth | Appointed | Resigned |
| James Ruddy | Director | 19 Mar 1940 | 16 Apr 1997 | - |
| Mrs Betty June Doyle | Director | Jun 1936 | 11 Feb 1997 | 14 Feb 1997 |
| Mr Daniel John Dwyer | Director Company Secretary | Apr 1941 | 11 Feb 1997 | 14 Feb 1997 |
| Mr Keith Froud | Director | Sep 1970 | 14 Feb 1997 | 27 Mar 1997 |
| Ms Claire Nicola Rogers | Director Company Secretary | Dec 1969 | 14 Feb 1997 | 27 Mar 1997 |
| MR PETER GRAHAM LINDLEY | Director | May 1956 | 16 Apr 1997 | - |
| Mr Brian Hewitt | Director | Sep 1945 | 16 Apr 1997 | 12 Jun 2000 |
| Mr Samuel Lewis Howcroft | Director Company Secretary | Jan 1949 | 16 Apr 1997 | 10 Apr 2000 |
| DEWHIRST, John Philip | Secretary | November 1962 | 10 April 2000 | - |
| BEAUMONT, Brian Edward | Director | June 1953 | 1 February 1999 | - |
References
- ↑ Presumably a steam engine
- ↑ Baildon and the Baildons. Vol 1. Paley Baildon
- ↑ Round About Braford. William Cudworth
- ↑ Baildon Urban District Council Official Guide. 1964.
- ↑ Laura Christine Price PhD Thesis titled Wool Textile Workers and Trade Union Organisation in the Post-war Woollen District of Yorkshire
- ↑ West Yorkshire Archive Reference:5D84/7
