Rose, Downs and Thompson

August 1899.

September 1902.

1932. A Large Hydraulic Scrap Baling Press.

December 1929.

1937.

March 1946.

Rose, Downs and Thompson of Old Foundry, Hull, maker of plant for processing edible oils and for making animal feeds.

1777 Company established.

1871 Christiana Rose, of Rose and Downs, died

1874 Christiana's grandson, John Campbell Thompson, joined the partnership.

1870s James Downs visited America, returning with the plans for new machinery in the form of Anglo-American presses; these could press larger numbers of oil cakes than before and the firm soon became the principal British firm for oil mill machinery. Most of their customers were the seed-crushing firms.

By 1876 the company's name had changed to Rose, Downs and Thompson (see advert)

1878 "NOTICE is hereby given, that the Partnership formerly subsisting between us the undersigned, William Johnston, Milson Rhodes, James Downs, and John Campbell Thompson, at the borough of Kingston-upon-Hull, as Engineers, Millwrights, Boiler Makers, and Iron and Brass Founders, under the firm of Rose, Downs, and Thompson, has been determined as from the 30th day of June last. The business, in future, will be carried on, on the same premises, by the said James Downs and John Campbell Thompson, under the said firm of Rose, Downs, and Thompson. Dated, this 20th.day of November, 1878. Wm Johnston., J. Downs. Milson Rhodes., J. C. Thompson."^[1]

(NB William Johnston of Hull was a hosier; Milson Rhodes, of Glasgow, was a commission agent - both were executors of Christiana Rose, who died in 1871^[2])

1879 The business had been established for over a century; hydraulic engineers of Hull^[3]

1880s Diversified into winches, grab cranes and other pieces of steam machinery for trawl fishing. This move helped them survive a period of debt in the 1880s and their financial position improved in the 1890s

1886 Description and illustrations of belt-driven hydraulic pump, as supplied to Stewart Brothers and Spencer, Rochester, for an oil mill ^[4]

1886 Description and illustrations of the new oil mill equipment supplied by Rose, Downs, and Thompson for the Union Oil Mills Co of London.^[5]

1893 Incorporated as a Limited Company when difficult times forced the firm to become a limited company

1894 Catalogue of Oil Mill Machinery. ^[6]

c.1906 Charles Downs became managing director

1910s The firm expanded, buying a gear wheel firm in Leeds and opening branch offices in Shanghai and Hong Kong.

1914 Engineers, Iron Founders and Boiler Makers. Specialities: Oil Mill Machinery, Makers of the Kingston Dredger. Employees 350. ^[7]

1916 Death of John Campbell Thompson, of Hull, the chairman^[8]

1937 Engineers. ^[9]

1939 Robert Apsland Bellwood was technical director.

1951 After 3 years collaboration, the Power-Gas Corporation exercised its option to buy a controlling interest in Rose, Downs and Thompson^[10]

By 1961 was part of Davy-Ashmore

1970 Acquired by Tremletts

1974 Acquired by Simon Engineering^[11]

Sources of Information

Archives of Rose, Downs and Thompson Ltd. Makers of Oil and Mill machinery, Hull. Hull History Centre.

↑ The London Gazette 3 December 1878
↑ National Probate Calendar
↑ The Times, May 05, 1879
↑ Engineering 1886/01/22
↑ Engineering 1886/12/17
↑ The Engineer 1894/04/27
↑ 1914 Whitakers Red Book
↑ The Times, Mar 29, 1916
↑ 1937 The Aeroplane Directory of the Aviation and Allied Industries
↑ The Times, Feb 01, 1951
↑ The Times, Mar 01, 1974

[1] The London Gazette 3 December 1878

[2] National Probate Calendar

[3] The Times, May 05, 1879

[4] Engineering 1886/01/22

[5] Engineering 1886/12/17

[6] The Engineer 1894/04/27

[7] 1914 Whitakers Red Book

[8] The Times, Mar 29, 1916

[9] 1937 The Aeroplane Directory of the Aviation and Allied Industries

[10] The Times, Feb 01, 1951

[11] The Times, Mar 01, 1974

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

Grace's Guide To British Industrial History

Rose, Downs and Thompson

See Also

Sources of Information