Grace's Guide To British Industrial History

Registered UK Charity (No. 115342)

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 165,078 pages of information and 246,459 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 147,919 pages of information and 233,587 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

William Douglas and Sons

From Graces Guide
1905. Milk refrigerating plant.

Makers of food processing equipment, of Douglas Wharf, Putney, London, SW.

1888 Company founded by William Douglas and his 3 sons.

1900 of 29, Farringdon-rd., E.C. Regd. Feb. 6, 189.9, Cap. 250,000; in 21 ohs. 38,607 shs. taken up, 38,600 shs. issued as paid, 21 called on 7, £7 paid. Purchase consideration, £39,886 2s. Old. Dirs., W. Douglas, T. Douglas, J. Douglas, L. M. Douglas.

Applied shale oil techniques to lower the temperature of lard

1898 Company purchased premises at Putney.

Patented Douglas-Conroy Refrigerating Machinery.

1914 Engineers, merchants and manufacturers of food appliances. Specialities: everything in connection with the slaughtering of animals and preparation and preservation of pork and meat, Douglas-Conroy refrigerating machinery, egg testing and milk cooling machinery and appliances. Employees 100. [1]

1920s Developed refrigeration equipment

WWII Built cold store for the Ministry of Food and ice plants for the War Office

Post-War: developed business based on the Douglas Pump, an accurate metering device, which led to formation of Bulk Handling Division

1959 The engineering part of the business was acquired by Baker, Perkins Ltd who had previously purchased equipment from Douglas. The spices and food ingredients part of the business remained separate.

1961 Merged with Alfred Porter and Co Ltd, makers of packaged chilled liquid units used for air conditioning, which had rights to sell the Trane compressor which was of interest to Douglas.

1964 Formation of Douglas Rownson Ltd together with Rownson (Conveyors).

1965 Moved to Basingstoke

See Also

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Sources of Information

  • History of William Douglas [1]