J. N. Richardson, Sons and Owden
of Donegall Square North, Belfast
1830 John Grubb Richardson entered the firm
1846 John Grubb Richardson, his father and brother, Jonathan, acquired the Bessbrook mills
1853 'THE ECONOMY OF WATER-POWER - MESSRS. M'ADAM'S TURBINE.
A Paper under this title in the Practical Mechanics' Journal of this month (April) details some extraordinary results which have just been obtained from a turbine erected at the works of Messrs. Richardson, Sons, & Owden, of Bessbrook, Newry, from the designs of, and made by Messrs. M'Adam, of the Soho Foundry, Belfast. The works at Bessbrook are driven by the combined power of two steam-engines and the turbine in question; and a set of experiments have recently been made under the direction of Mr. Dempster [Robert Dempster], the manager ......'
Belfast News-Letter, 13 April 1853
1863 John Grubb Richardson bought out the entire business, works, and village of Bessbrook from its parent company, J. N. Richardson, Sons and Owden, and formed the Bessbrook Spinning Co.
1876 Dissolution of the Partnership between James Nicholson Richardson, Joseph Richardson, Robert Thompson, Thomas Greer, and John Scambler Owden, as Linen Manufacturers, Bleachers, and Merchants, under the style of J. N. Richardson, Sons, and Owden. The business is being continued by J. N. Nicholson, Sons, and Owden Limited, to whom it has been transferred, as of the 1st day of March, 1876.[1]
1876 The company was registered on 28 March, to take over the business of linen manufacturers of the firm of the same name. [2]
1929 Listed Exhibitor - British Industries Fair. Richardson, Sons and Owen. Manufacturers of Linen Damask, Housekeeping Linens, Fancy Linens, Piecegoods, etc. The Irish Linen Guild. (Stand Nos. T.9 and T.22) [3]
1949 Chairman is R. H. Stephens Richardson.[4]
1960 'J N. RICHARDSON, SONS & OWDEN, LTD., are linen manufacturers and bleachers with freehold and leasehold works at Belfast and Glenmore, and a growing interest in cotton and man-made fibres. The company also directly controls Bessbrook Spinning Co. Ltd., and Robert McDade (1931). Ltd.'[5]