Witham
Witham is where the business developed over fifty years and progressed into the world-class glove manufacturer that it became. From the first manufacturing beginning in 1901 through the construction of new factories in 1912 and 1948 it remained the company's headquarters
Where it all began
These pictures show the houses in Albert Road Witham where, in 1904 William and Rebecca lived and started making gloves in the front room.
Number 11
William and Rebecca moved to Witham from the West Country in 1904 and using their glove making skills and experience started making gloves in their front room. In the same year they formed The National Glove Company and by the following year they were employing ten girls. These pictures show number 11 in 1904 and 2016.
Number 13 & 14
By 1905 the business needed more space and so William and Rebecca acquired a large semi detached house just along the road and production started at number 13 and 14. It wasn't long before this too wasn't big enough for the expanding business. These pictures show how it looked in 1905 and 2016..
How it all began
In 1899 Rebecca bought this machine to start making gloves to supplement William’s income.
It is a WEIR 55s machine and she probably bought it second hand. The machine was first made in 1867 in America by Charles Raymond and retailed in London by James Galloway Weir. In 1872 Weir patented a number of improvements including a redesigned bobbin holder and helical gears which made the machine quieter.
It was called the 55s because it sold for fifty five shillings (£2.75) How interesting it would be if we knew how much Rebecca paid for it at a time when William was earning twenty eight shillings (£1.40) a week.
When the factory was built in Witham in 1912 this machine was put on display in the foyer and remained there until 1966 along with the oil lamp that Rebecca used when using the machine.
Many thanks to John Stuart of ISMACS International - The International Sewing Machine Collectors’ Society in the USA who has been a tremendous help in identifying this machine.
See more about the Weir machine at sewmuse.co.uk/weir%20sewing%20machine.htm
More production needed
As the business grew manufacturing in Albert Road couldn't keep up.
Factory expansion
Business grew and the space in the houses in Albert Road was not big enough to keep up with demand and so the first factory was built on land just a few hundred yards away and production started in 1912 putting The National Glove Company in a strong position to continue its development.
This photograph was taken from the platform at Witham train station around 1960. The original and first factory that had been built in 1912 can be seen in the top right hand corner of the photograph.
Still more production needed
After the war in 1945 production grew to meet the ever increasing demand. The factory that had been built in 1912 could not cope so in 1947 work started on a new factory along side it.
More expansion
During the war years glove production was devoted to to the war effort and the company produced many types of military gloves. By 1947 demand for Pinkham gloves outgrew the production capability and a second factory was opened in 1948 providing another two hundred jobs.
Read all about it
THE ESSEX NEWSMAN reported on September 17th 1948 the opening of the new factory and painted a vivid picture of the effort that had gone in to getting production up and running. Column three takes the reader back to the beginning and the story of the lamp.
With thanks to the The British Newspaper Archive britishnewspaperarchive.co.uksion
It's all over
Seen here the two factories just before they were demolished in the early 1980s
A new life
This is how the site looked in 2016 following the completion of the Templemead housing development.
From the air
These photographs of the Witham site were taken on April 9th 1949 following the completion of the second factory in 1948. The new factory on the right of the pictures dwarfs the original factory that had been built in 1912.
© Historic England Archive (Aerofilms Collection)
Many thanks go to Historic England Archive for allowing the use of these photographs. Much more of England can be seen at:
Historic England Archive www.britainfromabove.org.uk
Many thanks go to Historic England Archive for allowing the use of these photographs. Much more of England can be seen at:
Historic England Archive www.britainfromabove.org.uk
Email your stories of Pinkham Gloves
nickpinkham@pinkhamgloves.co.uk
