Head Wrightsons

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Head Wrightsons was a big heavy industrial firm based at Thornaby-on-Tees on Teesside in England. They made many very big objects such as fractional distillation columns that needed special transport to get them to site. It has now closed.

[edit] History

1724 to 1839: Land called Thornaby Carrs was used intermittently for horse racing.
(afterwards): There was a shipyard on Thornaby Carrs.
about 1840: Mr. Skinner settled in South Stockton.
1840: The Teesdale Ironworks was founded.
1851: Teesside's first blast furnace was built, after iron ore was discovered in the Cleveland Hills.
1859: Mr. Skinner bought the Teesdale Iron Works. Thomas Head and Joseph Wright took over the Teesdale Iron Works.
later: Joseph Ashby and Thomas Wrightson joined the firm and Joseph Wright retired.
1860: Mr. Skinner bought the Cotton Mill.
(later): The firm became Messrs. Head and Wright, and later Messrs. Head and Ashby.
1865: The firm became Messrs. Head Wrightson & Co Ltd. It made cast iron and wrought iron for boilers, railway chairs, naval ships, and many bridges across the world, the largest being in India. The firm employed 450 people.
1866: The firm became Head Wrightsons.
1890: The works was three times as big as in 1860, and covered Thornaby Carrs.
1892: The firm employed 1200 people.
1968: The firm employed nearly 6000 people and mostly made boilers and other heavy engineering. Its factory covered 68 acres.