H. C. Slingsby
of 142-145 Old Street, London and in Bradford
of 89/97 Kingsway, London, WC2. (Telephone: Holborn 2707/8. Telegraphic Address: "Truckman, Westcent, London". (1937)
1893 Company founded. The family firm of wholesale bottlers established themselves in Bradford. Harry Crowther Slingsby began to look into the invention of labour saving devices for the company. He had recognised that working practices in the local factories relied heavily on manual hauling and gravity for the movement of raw materials and products from floor to floor. However, this did not solve the problem of moving items horizontally around large buildings.
Slingsby set about creating robust trucks and trolleys to move heavy loads with relative ease. Different designs were created for different purposes - sack trolleys for moving large sacks of flour, sugar and dried fruit around grocery stores; high wheeled flat carts towed by one or two people; trucks fitted with wicker baskets carried fibres around textile mills.
1894 Patent. H. C. Slingsby of Bradford for bottles and barrels.[1]
1900 H. C. Slingsby of Bradford showed some patent trucks at the 1900 Paris Exhibition.[2]
1902 Issued 500pp catalogue on Trucks and address is 142-146 Old Street, London.[3]
1914 Stated that they are of London with works in Preston Street, Bradford.[4][5]
1920 April. Issued catalogue on ladders [6]
1933 Adress is shown as 97 Kingsway, London.[7]
1937 Listed Exhibitor - British Industries Fair. "Slingsby" Sliding Wheel Trucks, Sack Trucks, Platform Trucks, Handcarts, Stackers, Wheels, Castors, Barrows, Steelback Extension Ladders, Steelheld Extension Step Ladders, Sliding Stairways, Attic Ladders, Loft Ladders, Tower Ladders, Lifting Trucks. (Stand No. B.519) [8]
1942 Mentions H. C. Slingsby of Truck Works, Preston Street, Bradford.[9]
1948 Private company.
1954 Advert. 'ATTIC AND LOFT and Extension Ladders. Steps, Trucks, Barrows, Stackers, and Castors. Catalogue free on request.— H. C. Slingsby Ltd.. First International Truck and Ladder Builders. Wilbury Way, Hitchin, Herts (phone Hitchin 1234).'[10]
1961 The company went public and became H. C. Slingsby plc.
1961 Manufacturers of trucks, barrows and extension ladders designed for factory and warehouse work [11]
Several members of the Slingsby family remain on the board of directors.
2015 See H. C. Slingsby Website
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ Leeds Times - Saturday 13 October 1894
- ↑ Leeds Mercury - Saturday 07 July 1900
- ↑ Lincolnshire Echo - Monday 31 March 1902
- ↑ Hull Daily Mail - Friday 26 June 1914
- ↑ Yorkshire Evening Post - Tuesday 23 March 1915
- ↑ The Engineer 1920/04/30 p438
- ↑ Aberdeen Journal - Wednesday 01 March 1933
- ↑ 1937 British Industries Fair p414
- ↑ Yorkshire Evening Post - Wednesday 04 November 1942
- ↑ Bedfordshire Times and Independent - Friday 19 March 1954
- ↑ 1961 Dun and Bradstreet KBE