Appleton, French and Scrafton
of Cleveland Flour Mill and others
1871 Mill built by Mr. R. H. Appleton,
1890 Appleton, French and Scrafton Limited incorporated with capital of £160,000. Formed to acquire the following milling properties, together with the stock-in-trade, business and goodwill thereof:- R. H. Appleton's freehold Cleveland Steam Flour Mills, South Stockton-on-Tees, and his leasehold North Shore Mills, Stockton-on-Tees. Thomas French and Co's freehold Tees Steam Roller Flour Mills, Stockton-on-Tees, and their leasehold Priestgate Mills, Darlington. Scrafton Brothers copyhold Holdforth Roller Flour Mills, Bishop Auckland, and their leasehold Packet Wharf Roller Flour Mills, Middlesbrough. Directors:- Richard Henry Appleton (chairman), Thomas French, Robert Scrafton, John James Scrafton (sole partners of the vendor firms) and Arthur William Walker (of Robert Procter and Sons, corn merchants.[1]
1898 January; Creditor's petition for winding up lodged and voluntary winding up initiated. [2]
1898 December; The Cleveland Flour Mills Limited formed to take over as a going concern from the receiver the business of Appleton, French and Scrafton. Comprised the freehold Cleveland Steam Flour Mills at Thornaby-on-Tees, the freehold Tees Steam Roller Flour Mills at Stockton-on-Tees, and the copyhold and freehold Holdforth Steam Flour Mills at Bishop Auckland (part of which has been burnt down).[3]