Darlington and Middlesbrough Sail Cloth, Shoe Thread and Patent Ropemaking Co
of Middlesbrough
1839 Incorporated with a capital of £20,000 in £50 shares. The stated intention was that the spinning and bleaching of yarns and shoe thread would be carried out in Darlington and the manufacture of sail cloth and rope in Middlesbrough. Directors - Richard Otley (Darlington); William Janson (Darlington); John S. Peacock (Darlington); Henry Taylor (Middlesbrough); Ferdinand Raine (Little Hutton); Anthony Harris (Middlesbrough); Managing Director – Charles Parker (Darlington).[1]
1840 September. Tenders were sought to build a new sail cloth and rope works in Middlesbrough. The site of the works was close by the new dock railway branch. Once built, this works was equipped with 40 mathematical power looms built to a patented design by Charles Parker.
1840 Dividend of 7½% was paid.[2]
1842 Company capital was increased to £50,000 by issue of further shares.[3]
1843 Priestgate Mill was offered for sale in May (probably unsuccessfully) and in August the Middlesbrough sail cloth business was disposed of to a new company, the Middlesbrough Sail Cloth Company, though it appears that ownership of the factory, now called Victoria Works, was retained, with this new firm as a tenant. Very little has come to hand about this company, though one of its investors was Thomas Young Hall, a wealthy coal mine owner. The Middlesbrough Sail Cloth Company seems to have failed in about 1847, though there is no record in The Gazette. The mill machinery was sold in 1850.[4]
1844 Priestgate Mill was again offered for sale as a fully operational facility, together with the sail cloth and rope works in Middlesbrough (in the occupation of a tenant). It seems probable that these sales were successful as it was announced in July that the partnership was dissolved effective from 30 Jan 1844 without any indication of liabilities. Priestgate Mill passed into the hands of James Overend.[5]