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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => London and Middlesex => Topic started by: bertyoung on Saturday 10 April 10 16:24 BST (UK)
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I have found a number of relatives who appear to have worked at this factory in the early 1900s. Does anyone have any idea where I might find information about the factory, its workings or its staff?
All help gratefully received
Bert
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Hi
It seems to have become part of Rowntree
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra/searches/subjectView.asp?ID=B26129
Otherwise I would contact Southwark Local History Library, they might hold photographs of the factory.
Regards
Valda
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Thanks Valda
I am planning a trip to London to visit the LMA so maybe a detour is needed to Southwark too.
Bert
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Hi
The LMA may have something as well. You might want to check with Southwark first what they have if anything. e.g. they might have indexed newspaper articles
http://hwj.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/66/1/62
further information around surviving records
Life policies for employees of Associated Chocolate Manufacturers Ltd, W.S. Shuttleworth and Co, Whitefields Ltd and W. and M. Duncan Ltd. Rowntree/Acm/L/2 1960 - 1962
These documents are held at York University, Borthwick Institute of Historical Research
Try A2A for any further records but it all looks like anything will be held in York not London.
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/A2A/default.aspx
Regards
Valda
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I recall Shuttleworths factory in Galleywall Road, Bermondsey. Unfortunately there is nothing now left of the factory, like another large local busicuit manufacturer Peek Freans (just around the corner) it was taken over and the work moved out of London. There does remain however, a small park donated to the council, where the staff often would eat their lunch etc:
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/468121
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Thanks for the information and the link it all helps me to create a full picture of their lives, coincidently ancestors worked at Peek Freans too.
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Hi
There seems much more on Peek Frean
e.g.
http://www.msdm.org.uk/texts/bermondsey_gallery.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peek_Freans
The records including list of employees are held at the University of Reading
http://www.reading.ac.uk/special-collections/collections/sc-peek-frean.aspx/
Plus a museum in Rotherhithe
http://www.thepumphouse.org.uk/enter.shtml
Regards
Valda
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Thanks for the information and the link it all helps me to create a full picture of their lives, coincidently ancestors worked at Peek Freans too.
I have quite a bit on Peek Freans, my Mum, Dad, an uncle and at least six aunts all work there. At one stage whilst out of work I researched and started to write a history, but that has now been relegated to boxes and files. There is however a DVD of two films of the company: the first a Victorian silent tour around the Drummond Road factory and another from c1989 when it closed. A recent publication and from memory it was only about £7. Made by Sands Studios (?) it is available on the internet direct from them or on Amazon. If you decide to get it and can't find it, let me know and I find the address for you.
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Extract from the 1914 OS Map. Shuttleworths marked in pink and part of Peek Freans in green. As you can see, Shuttleworths was actually in Rotherhithe!
Moderator comment: image removed because of copyright
Ordnance Survey maps have strict copyright regulations
http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/business/copyright/
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My Grandfather moved down from Terrys of York to work for Rowntree at Shuttleworth factory as works manager. He was a toolmaker who held patents for several tools for making chocolates. He even went to Suchard to teach their staff how to use certain machines.
This was before the 2nd World War and I understand he was responsible for the design of the pool in the gardens that allowed the fire service to drain the water for their use during the war.
I have a brochure in colour of the "Shuttleworth Gardens. Dont know too much else as my Father is dead and he died in around 1956 - 58. His name was Albert Thomas.
If anyone is interested in seeing the photos I can put them on the site (I think)
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That would be great thank you.
My great grandfather was the timekeeper and 1st aider ( if the stories are true) Benjamin Knight who died in 1933.
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I started working at Shuttleworth's in the 1960's, I started as a Contract Fitters mate my company was Stanley Engineering and was based in East London. We later became Newham Engineering, our main work was moving machinery from the factory in east London to Shutt's. The Whitfields factory was situated where the Dairy Box was produced before moving to Shuttleworth's and then to York.
My company moved a lot of machines to Shuttleworth's and I was working on this for five years.
I then decided to join Shuttleworth's as a sweet maker as I had been made redundant with Newham Engineering. I worked on the famous spearmint chew sold in Woolworths as part of their pick and mix. The factory was also home to the Lindt Chocolate and was were after eight mints was first produced. As a fitters mate one of the machines I worked on was the fondant maker. This machine made all the fondant used in the factory. We had to dismantle it and move it to the other side of the factory, before we did this it produced about half a ton a day and after we moved and serviced it, it produced five tons a day so much so that it started to be sent to York. This is also where Cadbury's Easter eggs were made and this was where I started by putting the cream in to the chocolate egg. I worked on most floors helping different areas off production it was a great place to work. I worked with a group of people whom came from Whitfields and where bused over from East London ie., Plaistow they were a great bunch. The factory was undergoing much change and had nowhere to expand to so the company decided to move everything to York. It took just over a year to move all the machines to York and was a sad day for the workers their. Shuttleworth's had a large number of people working there I think it was about near a thousand, it stood with five floors and offices in the yard, there was also railway yard's at the back and they where used for storage and one was used as a washing room for the trays and mould's.
When they decided to make after eight mints a production run was set up that from start to finish measured almost one hundred yards, a complete floor was cleared for this and when it started it's run it produced so much that it was decided to bring the launch forward by a few weeks.
As well as top Lindt chocolate, Melba chocolate was made here and many other sweets.
It was a few years later that peek freans biscuit factory closed and with other factory's closed the area lost a lot of jobs Southwark became a ghost town. I still live in the area and have seen many changes new houses new shops and businesses opening all the time its completely changed now.
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Hello Matyann,
I am a local history writer and I am very interested in adding your story to a book I'm working on. Would it be ok to use it?
And would you have any photos too?
Thanks