MANUFACTURER BRISTOL TRACTOR COMPANY
1932
Made at Douglas Motors Ltd, Kingswood Bristol (patent applied for by Cyril George Pullin July 1932) for the Bristol Tractor Co, Head Office at Byron House, 7-9 St James Street, London SW1
1933
The Bristol Tractor Co, (originally an offshoot of Roadless Traction Ltd and founded by Walter Hill [patent applied for August 1932] later of Muir-Hill and Rushton)
Quality Court, Chancery Lane, London WC2
Company Registered in March 1933 and Bristol Tractors Ltd moved to new London Depot
Sunbeam Road, Chase Estate, Park Royal, Willesden, London NW10
July 1935
Bristol Tractors Ltd (bought by Jowett)
Manufacturing operation at: Blake Hill Works, Bradford Road, Idle, Bradford. Telephone: Idle 461
(Overseas Sales still dealt with by Quality Court in London.)
Benjamin Jowett (Director)
1936 - ? Eric Field (Chief Designer)
later Technical Director and finally Managing Director
Moved to Earby December 1945/January 1946 Workforce increased to 350
Bristol Tractors Ltd (taken over by H A Saunders - Austin Car Distributors) Sough Bridge, Earby, Via Colne, Lancs Telephone: Earby 3167/8 Own foundry (Forecast Foundry) set up by former casting suppliers (Smith and Fawcett of Idle, Bradford). Own sheet metal and fabrication works (Kelbrook Metal Products)
May 1948 Directors: The Hon Sir Archibald Cochrane, G CMG, DSO (Chairman)
John Stubbs (Experimental Engineer)
October 1955
Bristol Tractors Ltd
Sough Bridge Mills (old Rover Works)
Earby, Via Colne, Lancs Telephone: Earby 3167/8/9
Directors: The Hon Sir Archibald Cochrane, G CMG, DSO (Chairman)
C W Jowett, AMI MechE, AMIAE (Managing)
W E Butler, MA
Lt Col Paterson, TD, AMIPE
W R Gallemore (Sales Manager)
(still there in September 1958)
September 1958 Sir Archibald Cochrane not listed as a Director
Harry Watson (Driver/Demonstrator)
7 June 1960 PRESS RELEASE (info from Geoffrey Stannard)
by Basic Butler Co Ltd (London PR Company for Bristol Tractors)
W R Gallemore, Sales Director of Bristols, is visiting New York re export drive and then extensive tour of Canada to establish sales and service coverage (developed over the last two years and already established in Hamilton and Vancouver).
1 April 1963
Bristol Saunders Sales Limited (one of the HA Saunders Group of Companies)
Spare Parts Division
PO Box NO 3
Earby, Via Colne, Lancs Telephone: Earby 2311
1 April 1963 Directors G W Saunders (North Finchley) (Chairman)
E Tinkler (Worcester) (Managing)
K A Bradbeer
J A Ellis
N G Finch (North Finchley)
W Preston (Spares Manager)
Other past personnel Peter Williams (North Finchley) (Finance Director)
The following information plus the 1960 Press Release was provided by Geoffrey Stannard (author of the book History of the Bristol Tractor 1932 - 1947), who has the originals of the articles. He obtained this information from Eric Field in 1992.
January 1965 Article and Photos in the Times 22 January 1965. Export drive.
350 men employed in factory - from Colne, Barnoldswick, Skipton, Earby. Factory working 7 days a week
Eric Field (Managing Director)
Arthur Wellbank (Financial Director and Secretary)
J Smith, Birwains Ave, Foulbridge (Works Manager)
In 1965 Bristol was made up of three companies - Bristol Tractors, Kelbrook Metal Products and Forecast Foundries.
Employees in 1965 H K West, 46 Kenilworth Drive, Earby (Foreman on the shop floor - 34 years with Bristol in engineering capacity)
John Michael West (son) (17 yrs old) (Apprentice in tool room)
J Wilkinson, Newton Street, Colne
W Pickover, Longwood Road, Earby
J Maxwell, Salterforth Road, Earby
Arthur Wood, Skipton Road, Colne (Skilled Tractor Driver)
22 January 1965 Article in Craven Herald and Pioneer
Picture Eric Field at his desk (reported that he has been all over the world to drum up sales for Bristol Tractors - going to South America). Report similar to that in the times. Report of Bristol Taurus being shipped to France.
15 October 1965 Article in Craven Herald and Pioneer with picture. Bristol Taurus tractor presented to Basuto Government.
15 December 1965 Common Market Supplement of the Burnley Evening Starr
Advert for Bristol Tractors and picture of Eric Field with comment in favour of joining Common Market.
1969Bristol Tractors sold assets to Marshals of Gainsborough (owned by Thomas Ward). Marshals built the Bristol Taurus (the last Bristol)
Names: Sir Archibald Cochrane (name first appeared at a Director in 1948)
Basic Butler (Public Relations?)
Patterson (Army Colonel)
1970’s Reginald William Douglas (Director and Secretary)
1977 Brian Philip Back (Mann Egerton) (Secretary)
(company wound up in 1978 with Mann Egerton* holding documentation)
Mann Egerton were an Austin Distributors during the 1960’s and 1970’s.
Other employees discovered:
Francis Clarke 1950 - ?
17 Barnwood Crescent, Earby, Barnoldswick, Lancs. 01282 842352
John Brookes 1948 - 1953 Apprentice Toolmaker
Ex 43 Warwick Road
Now lives in Nancumo, British Columbia, Canada
Name? Late 40’s - 1968 Milling Setter then Office
48 Colin Street, Barnoldswick
Jennifer Rigby Employed in the factory in the early 1960’s
BRISTOL TRACTORS 01
- Stanley
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BRISTOL TRACTORS 01
Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
- Wendyf
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- Posts: 9443
- Joined: 23 Jan 2012, 12:26
- Location: Lower Burnt Hill, looking out over Barlick
Re: BRISTOL TRACTORS 01
I have been contacted on behalf of Carole Clarke (nee Bennett), whose father worked at Bristol Tractors. She would like to add some information about him to this topic:-
Desmond 'Des' Bennett, Earby. Milling Setter; Time and Motion (in office)
1968, age 54, left Bristol Tractors to live in Canada for short time. Returned to Barnoldswick and worked at Rolls Royce until he retired.
Died in 2002.
Also, correction for Jenifer (correct spelling of first name) Rigby
Jenifer Rigby
Worked in office in early 1960s
Moved to Canada in 1964 with Carole Bennett
Now lives on Vancouver Island, British Columbia
I see Carole has registered as a member on the site, hopefully she will see this.
Desmond 'Des' Bennett, Earby. Milling Setter; Time and Motion (in office)
1968, age 54, left Bristol Tractors to live in Canada for short time. Returned to Barnoldswick and worked at Rolls Royce until he retired.
Died in 2002.
Also, correction for Jenifer (correct spelling of first name) Rigby
Jenifer Rigby
Worked in office in early 1960s
Moved to Canada in 1964 with Carole Bennett
Now lives on Vancouver Island, British Columbia
I see Carole has registered as a member on the site, hopefully she will see this.
- Stanley
- Global Moderator
- Posts: 90319
- Joined: 23 Jan 2012, 12:01
- Location: Barnoldswick. Nearer to Heaven than Gloria.
Re: BRISTOL TRACTORS 01
Nice additions and corrections Wendy.....
Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!