Richard Whitaker & Sons Ltd Square Tin

Richard Whitaker & Sons Ltd square tin tray dating from the 1960s.

Whitaker's Foundation

Richard Whitaker's brewery was founded at the Stannery Inn Brewery in Halifax in 1849.
In 1867 the business moved to Corporation Street in Halifax and was named the Seedlings Mount Brewery.
Richard died in 1871 and was succeeded by his sons under whose ownership the business continued to thrive.
By 1889 the firm owned a brewhouse, maltings, and stables for 40 dray horses.

Richard Whitaker & Sons Ltd Registration

The Company was registered as Richard Whitaker & Sons Ltd in 1890. The Seedlings Mount Brewery was enlarged in 1893 and later became known as the 'Cock 'o' the North Brewery'.
A bottling department was added in 1893.
Another branch of the family, headed by George Bedford Whitaker, owned the Grove Brewery at Brearley near Luddenfoot. This business was acquired by Richard Whitaker & Sons Ltd in 1905 with 14 public houses and the subsequent non-alcoholic barley beer brewery was demolished in 1918.
In 1959 Whitaker's entered into a trading agreement with Whitbread & Co. Ltd and two of the Whitbread directors joined the Whitaker's board.

Whitbread & Co. Ltd Takeover

The inevitable Whitbread & Co. Ltd takeover occurred in 1968 and the brewery closed in 1969.
All brewing was transferred to Bentley's Yorkshire Breweries Ltd of Leeds, another Yorkshire company owned by Whitbread & Co. Ltd.
When it closed the Company owned 135 public houses and employed 167 people.
The brewery stood derelict until it was demolished in 1973.

The tray featured is unusual in that two manufacturers produced exactly the same design. On one the manufacturer's mark states - Hancock Corfield & Waller Ltd Mitcham London. This tray featured is the file copy for that manufacturer.
The other manufacturer's mark states - Reginald Corfield Ltd Lombard Road London. S.W.19. 4567