Charles Parker, Sons and Co
of Victoria Foundry, Dundee
Manufacture of machinery for the textile industry
formerly Charles Parker and Sons
1881 Having failed in his efforts to buy back the Clepington Foundry, Robert Overend Parker entered into partnership with his former works manager David Nicoll Smith and built a new works – Victoria Foundry – on a green field site near Clepington Road.
1890 David N. Smith died on 7 May 1890 aged 57.
c.1896 Two of Robert O. Parker’s sons, William and Charles, became partners.
c.1908 R. O. Parker’s 3rd son, Robert Henry Parker, became a partner.
1914 Works was closed, but soon reopened for munitions work.
1916 May 22nd. The head of the company Robert Overend Parker died at the age of 81.
After the war the works returned to its machinery business, but trade was very bad, with intense overseas competition.
1924 In June Charles Parker, Sons and Co. was taken over by Fairbairn, Lawson, Combe, Barbour, Ltd. (FLCB), of Leeds and Belfast.
A new limited company was incorporated to take over the assets of the partnership – Charles Parker, Sons and Company Limited.
1924 Charles Parker, Sons and Company Limited was incorporated in 1924 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Fairbairn, Lawson, Combe, Barbour, to take of the assets of the partnership Charles Parker, Sons and Company.
1925 In October it was announced that Victoria Foundry was to be temporarily closed and the work transferred to other works owned by FLCB subsidiaries in Dundee.
The works stood empty until 1937 when it was repaired and re-equipped for manufacture of shells under contract to the Government.
After the war Victoria Foundry reopened for machinery business, but without the Parker name.
1960 Charles Parker, Sons & Co Ltd was wound up.
The Victoria Foundry site was bought by the Dayton Rubber Company of Dayton, Ohio in March 1956. They incorporated a UK subsidiary in April 1956 for manufacture of rubber and synthetic rubber textile machine parts, particularly printing blankets and renamed the site Dayton Works..
Dayton Works it closed in 2016 and has since been demolished.
Notes
- William Parker died on 15th July 1940 aged 75.
- Charles Parker died on 23 July 1943, aged 76.
- Robert Henry Parker died 17 Aug 1946.