Head Wrightson - History

History

  • 1724 to 1839: Land called Thornaby Carrs was used intermittently for horse racing.
  • (afterwards): There was a shipyard on Thornaby Carrs.
  • about 1840: Mr. Skinner settled in South Stockton.
  • 1840: The Teesdale Iron Works (also named Teesdale Ironworks) was founded.
  • 1851: Teesside's first blast furnace was built, after iron ore was discovered in the Cleveland Hills.
  • 1859: Mr. Skinner bought the Teesdale Iron Works. Thomas Head and Joseph Wright took over the Teesdale Iron Works.
  • later: Joseph Ashby and Thomas Wrightson joined the firm and Joseph Wright retired.
  • 1860: Mr. Skinner bought the Cotton Mill.
  • (later): The firm became Messrs. Head and Wright, and later Messrs. Head and Ashby.
  • 1865: The firm became Messrs. Head Wrightson & Co Ltd. It made cast iron and wrought iron for boilers, railway chairs, naval ships, and many bridges across the world, the largest being in India. The firm employed 450 people.
  • 1866: The firm became Head Wrightsons.
  • 1889: The firm completed Fulham Railway Bridge
  • 1890: The works was three times as big as in 1860, and covered Thornaby Carrs.
  • 1892: The firm employed 1200 people.
  • 1893: The firm completed Newburn Bridge
  • 1895: The firm completed Barnes Railway Bridge
  • 1939-45: Manufactured the Bellman hangar, a 1936 design for a standard transportable aeroplane shed for the Air Ministry
  • 1965: Building of the ice rink structure for the Billingham Forum.
  • 1968: The firm employed nearly 6000 people and mostly made boilers and other heavy engineering. Its factory covered 68 acres.
  • 1977: Davy Corporation acquired Head Wrightson.
  • 1979: Davy Corporation was renamed "Davy McKee"
  • June 1987: Head Wrightsons closed.

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