Prentice Brothers Limited
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Prentice Brothers Limited
| logo =
| logo_caption =
| logo_alt =
| type = Limited company
| industry = Chemicals
| predecessor =
| founded = c.{{start date and age|1856}} in Stowmarket, England
| founder = Thomas Prentice
| defunct = {{End date|1929}}
| fate = Merged with Packard and James Fison (Thetford) Limited
| successor = Fisons
| hq_location_city =
| hq_location_country =
| area_served =
| key_people =
| products = Fertilisers
| owner =
| num_employees = 40
| num_employees_year = 1874{{cite web |title=PrenticeNet :: Prentices of Palgrave, England |url=https://prenticenet.com/pnet/news/?/news/99/prentices_palgrave_england.htm |website=prenticenet.com |access-date=4 July 2021}}
| parent =
}}
Prentice Brothers Limited was an English fertiliser manufacturer founded in Stowmarket, Suffolk during the mid-1850s. The company produced a number of "chemical manure" products that used coprolites and rock phosphates among other ingredients.
History
The Prentice family was prominent in Stowmarket at the time and operated a number of other businesses including a gasworks, corn and coal merchants, maltsters and a Guncotton Company.{{cite web |title=The Prentice Family |url=http://www.stowmarket-history.co.uk/prentice_family.htm |website=Stowmarket History and Heritage |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070812010057fw_/http://www.stowmarket-history.co.uk/prentice_family.htm |archive-date=12 August 2007}}
The fertiliser business was founded by Thomas Prentice and by 1866 was being run by his brothers, Eustace and Edward.{{cite web |title=STOWMARKET, SUFFOLK |url=http://www.bernardoconnor.org.uk/Coprolites/Suffcops/STOWMARKET.htm |website=www.bernardoconnor.org.uk |access-date=4 July 2021}} Manning Prentice joined the business in 1871 after Edward was killed in the nearby Guncotton explosion.{{cite book |last1=Malster |first1=Robert |title=Stowmarket |date=2000 |publisher=Budding |isbn=978-1-84015-153-4 |page=52 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7BdVAAAACAAJ |access-date=7 July 2021 |language=en}} Manning Prentice developed patented techniques and processes around acids.{{cite book |last1=McDonald |first1=Donald |last2=Hunt |first2=Leslie B. |title=A History of Platinum and its Allied Metals |date=1 January 1982 |publisher=Johnson Matthey Plc |isbn=978-0-905118-83-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xriMAgAAQBAJ |language=en}}{{cite book |title=The Early Fertiliser Industry |date=December 1963 |publisher=Fisons Journal}}
In 1922 a fire destroyed part of the works and needed to be rebuilt, and the 1920s was a problematic period for the industry partly due to falling demand. In 1929 the company merged with Packard and James Fison (Thetford) Limited whose company was subsequently renamed to Fison, Packard & Prentice, Limited.{{cite web |title=Certificate of Change of Name - Packards, and James Fison (Thetford) Limited, Fison, Parkard and Prentice, Limited |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/00044687/filing-history/MTM3ODk2NTU2YWRpcXprY3g/document?format=pdf&download=0 |website=Companies House |access-date=4 July 2021}} The Prentice and Fison families had previously been joined by the marriage. That company then formally changed its name to the shorter Fisons Ltd in 1942.[http://www.competition-commission.gov.uk/rep_pub/reports/1950_1959/fulltext/023c04.pdf Early history of the company to 1960] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520023019/http://www.competition-commission.gov.uk/rep_pub/reports/1950_1959/fulltext/023c04.pdf |date=20 May 2011 }} at UK Competition Commission, 1960. (PDF) Accessed September 2007
The Food Museum has a number of items from the company including a coprolite grinding stone apparently used by the company.
Location
The Prentice Chemical Works was located on the eastern side of the railway line approaching to Stowmarket railway station. The business made use of the railway to transport its goods.{{cite web |title=Prentice Bros (Stowmarket) 14T tank wagon No.10, ex-Works. Chemical Works, Stowmarket. Wooden underframe. |url=https://hmrs.org.uk/photographs/prentice-bros-stowmarket-14t-tank-wagon-no-10-ex-works-chemical-works-stowmarket-wooden-underframe.html |website=hmrs.org.uk |access-date=4 July 2021}} Today, the area is occupied by the Tomo Industrial Estate.
See also
References
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Category:Companies based in Suffolk
Category:Chemical companies of the United Kingdom
Category:1843 establishments in England
Category:British companies disestablished in 1929