Frederick Town

1925 'Mr. Frederick Town. Halifax Toolmaker's Death.
We regret to record the death, which took place to-day of Mr. Frederick Town, of 26, Gibraltar-road, who was 69 years of age, had only suffered a comparatively , short illness, and his passing away comes as a distinct shock to his many friends in both business and social circles.
Mr. Turner's[!] career can be summed up almost entirely in his business activities, for his business and home life occupied practically all his time. He was principal and joint founder with his son. Mr. Willie Town, of a firm of Messrs. F. Town and Sons, machine tool makers, of Mile Cross Works - an undertaking of which he was justly proud. A native of Halifax, he took up engineering as his calling as a youth, and his recollections went back almost to the very earliest days of the machine-tool making industry in Halifax. He was the first apprentice of Mr James Butler. the founder of the present large firm of the Butler Machine Tool Co., and at that time there was only Mr. Butler and himself.
Mr. Town, with his eldest son, founded the firm of F. Town and Son in 1903, and later his four other sons, Messrs. Percy, Harold Francis, and Hubert, were taken into partnership. The earliest days of the business saw the work carried out in small premises in Elmfield-terrace. The business flourished, and as it was found that new premises were needed to cope with expansion the firm removed to West-parade and later to New Brunswick-street. The present works at Mile Cross were opened in 1915, although arrangements for their erection were made just prior to the war.
Mr. Town always supervised the practical side of the firm's activities, and whilst his firm manufactured machine tools of all descriptions, he specialised in the production of radial drilling machines. He was constantly adding improvements, and to-day the firm turns out tools of most up-to-date types.
Mr. Town took little part in public matters. Whilst of a reserved, quiet disposition, he always generous, and held high in the estimation of all with whom he came in contact. Indeed, his passing will be keenly felt. He is survived by a widow, five sons and a daughter. All his children are carrying on the business which he worked no hard to raise to its present position.'

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