TIMELINE

• 1792 Following the Enclosure Act for Basford area of Nottingham, William Elliott was awarded certain plots of land (103 and 112). Plot 103 adjoined the River Leen to the west. The plot to to the East of the river was not enclosed and contained buildings that eventually became the bleachworks of Henry Ashwell. Further to the east was the Radford Rd that adjoined plot 112, part of which was to become Weldon & Wilkinson, hosiery dyers and finishers. It is probable that William Elliott operated from the buildings and that the land to the west of the river and to the east of Radford Road was his crofting grounds, in view of the proximity to the Robinson Mills (four miles away). William Elliott owned the "Mill-in-the-Hole" which spanned the River Leen and was equidistant from (what became) the Lindley & Lindley and the Henry Ashwell companies. In 1874 Henry Ashwell bought Elliott's Mill-in-the-Hole and sold it some time later and in the 1930's Weldon and Wilkinson was party to its demolition at Gauntley Street the site of their Scotholme works. (extract from Nottingham and the Leen Valley: bleaching and dyeing in a historical context by George J Murfet)

• 1831 John Weldon (1781-Aft1835)  dyer in Melbourne in Derbyshire (water source for dyeing would have been Carr Brook)

• 1841 census shows Reuben Weldon (1809-1884) listed as a Dyer in Loughborough. Off Bridge St with the water source for dyeing coming nearby Wood Brook that connects to the Grand Union Canal built in 1780.

• 1851 census shows Reuben Weldon listed as employing 2 men and 3 women. His son Walter Weldon (1832-1885) listed as a Dyer of Hosiery, his daughter Emily listed as Finisher of Hosiery.

• 1846 Reuben Weldon dyer and trimmer based at Wards End Loughborough in a Loughborough directory

• 1856 Reuben Weldon is an Insolvent Debtor (pre 1861 bankruptcy legislation)

• 1858 Reuben Weldon moved to Wilford Grove in the Meadows in Nottingham (water source for dyeing would have been River Trent)

• 1861  census Reuben Weldon at Wilford Grove as a Master Dyer. His son Arthur is listed as a Dyer, and also Osmond is listed as a Dyer who then emigrated to New York in 1886 aged 56.

• 1869 Reuben's son Walter Weldon  (1832-1845) develops the revolutionary Weldon process to produce chlorine by boiling hydrochloric acid with manganese dioxide. MnO2 was expensive, and Weldon created a process for its recycling by treating the manganese chloride produced with milk of lime and blowing air through the mixture to form a precipitate known as Weldon mud which was used to generate more chlorine. This was put into operation about 1869, and by 1875 it was being used by almost every chlorine manufacturer throughout Europe.

• 1871 census shows Reuben Weldon at Wilford Grove employed 2 men and his son Ernest Weldon is listed a Dyer. Frederick Towlson (1851-1893) listed as a Trimmer as was his father George Towlson.

• 1872 the 27th of February the dye house of Reuben Weldon in the Nottingham Meadows burns down, "Mr Reuben Weldon left before 8pm in the evening and soon afterward flames were seen issuing from it, and it being a wooden building in a very short time it was completly destroyed. The building was from 40 to 50 yards long, and Mr Weldon not being insured his loss was great".

• 1874 Henry Ashwell purchases Elliott's Mill-in-the-Hole

• 1879 Leonard Weldon (1847-1901) brother of Ernest James Weldon emigrates to Cohoes , New York, USA as dyer and inventor of manufacturing of machinery.

• 1880 Ernest James Weldon (1857-1899) worked for Henry Ashwell a master bleacher, dyer and finisher based in New Basford (water source River Leen) (https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/c/F183766)

• 1881 census Reuben Weldon listed at Basford Road in Nottingham as a Retired Dyer. Ernest Weldon at listed as a Foreman Cotton Dyer at 40 Mount St, Basford, Nottingham. Frederick Towlson listed as a Hosiery Finisher at 13 Mount Pleasant St, Old Basford, Nottingham.

• 1881 Charles Ball Wilkinson is listed on the Census as a Apprentice in Lace trade living at 13 Alexandra Road (father not listed but his mother Jane listed with income from land & houses, in the 1871 census George his father is listed as farmer of 168 acres employing 3 labourers and 3 boys in Main Street, Bulwell)

• 1884 Weldons was formed by Ernest James Weldon after the Midland Hosiery Company fire in New Basford. 

Thomas Cheetham (son of a framesmith) had originally built the four storey factory hosiery factory in 1858 with Thomas Thornley a framework knitter, with Ingle as the "Capitalist" their business originally made profits of £1,000 a year but the two partners were forced into bankruptcy by 1860, under bankruptcy proceedings they sold the factory to the New Basford Hosiery Company partnership.

New Basford Hosiery Company partnership operated the factory for a period of 5 years between 1860 to 1865, with Thomas Cheetham continuing to manage the factory for the partnership. That partnership in turn was sold to the Midland Hosiery Company Ltd.

Midland Hosiery Company also had a factory on Penn St in Sutton in Ashfield opened in May 1880, works closed there after Midland Hosiery Company was defunct in 1887, so it looks like Ernest Weldon founded his dyeing business from the remnants of the Midland Hosiery Company when it collapsed. Thomas Cheetham left New Basford and went on to set his own business in the corner of J B Whitehall's factory in Goldsmith St & Wollaton St in Nottingham.

• 1886 Frederick Towlson a Cotton Preparer & Ernest Weldon set up a partnership as Dyers and Bleachers at New Basford, Nottingham. 

• 1899 Leonard Weldon (1847-1901) who emigrated to the USA in 1879 has patent accepted for yarn dyeing process.  (brother of Ernest J Weldon) 

• 1890 on 21st August Frederick Towlson left partnership leaving Ernest Weldon to carry on the business in his own name. In the 1891 census Frederick Towlson is Living on his own means at the Manor House on Church St in Arnold.

• 1891 Charles Ball Wilkinson is listed on the Census as a Lace Warehouseman living at 18 Ebury Road off Sherwood Rise

• 1897 Ernest Weldon laundry and dyeing. (original W&W document partly torn, looks like laundry?)

• 1897 Weldon & Wilkinson Ltd was formed on 21st October with £3,000 of capital raised by Charles Ball Wilkinson (1864-1919)

• 1899 Leonard Ernest Weldon (1879-1920) took over from Ernest Weldon who passed away aged 41.

• 1904 Leonard Ernest Weldon married Gertrude Pearson the daughter of George Pearson (1848-1905) who ran  George Pearson & Sons, originally known as Pearson & Sons the bleachers formed in 1796 by Andrew Pearson (b1760-d1809).

• 1911 Charles Ball Wilkinson in census listed as Dyer & Finishers of Hosiery, Yarn, Dyers & Merchants, Employer living at 17 Private Road, Sherwood.

• 1913 600 workers of W&W strike. (article to be found 26/9/1913)

• 1914 New factory added over the road to the existing Rawson St works, west side of Rawson St, only part of W&W left today as of 2023

• 1919 (TBC) Dyers strike in Nottingham.

• 1919 Charles Ball Wilkinson passes away aged 55 as he has no issue, he leaves his estate to his brother in law Charles Farmer a lace manufacturer. He was Director of Midland Lace at St Ann's Well Road, Nottingham. He had Simpsons Factory at Duke Street in Basford trading as Stickerei and a factory at Morley Avenue. Charles Farmer lace factory moved from Hyson Green to create two large factories at Morley Avenue in Mapperley built to accommodate the special Schiffli machines. During the recession of the 1920's Charles Farmer sold a factory to Hemsleys & Co lace manufactures. and the other factory was bought by the Povey family in 1904 who ran Fewkes Lace.  It was known as Charles Farmer Lace until 1993.  Brothers Edward & Nick Povey were the  last 2 employees & owners of Fewkes and they closed the business on Morley Avenue in June 2011 due to lack of demand, it was the last factory in the UK to use Schiffili lace-making machines.

• 1920 (Frederick) Harold Weldon Snr (1886-1965) took over as Managing Director of Weldon & Wilkinson as Leonard Ernest Weldon Snr had passed away aged 40.

• 1920 Depression Deflationary recession in January to July 1921

• 1922 Acquisition of Scotholme works in Gauntley St, New Basford.

• 1923  Leonard Ernest Weldon Jnr (1905-1956) joined the business.

• 1926 Leonard Ernest Weldon Jnr made Director of W&W

• 1928 Ronald Whitby McNish Snr (1914-2002) joined W&W. 1939 Census listed as Time & Motion Studies Expert, and the W&W Air Raid Precautions (ARP) warden. 

• 1930 Great Depression Deflationary recession to 1931 as UK came off the Gold Standard

• 1939 The factories were requisitioned and had wood block floors installed for the production of armaments for the Second World War. In 1939 census Leonard listed as Managing Director of Company Engaged in Dyeing, Finishing Hosiery Fabric & Yarns. 

• 1945 Factories returned to Dyeing, Finishing Hosiery Fabric & Yarns. 

• 1952 Leonard Ernest Weldon made Chairman of Directors in December

• 1956 Short Recession following credit squeeze and high bank rates due to the Suez crisis

• 1956 Ronald W McNish Snr (1914-2022) took over as Managing  Director of Weldon & Wilkinson as Leonard Ernest Weldon Jnr had passed away aged 50. Harold Weldon also retired aged 70.  (Leonard) Anthony Weldon (1936-2022) and Bryan Weldon (1938-2021) joined the business after they completed their national service after the Suez Crisis in 1956.

• 1957 (Leonard) Anthony Weldon appointed as director of Weldon & Wilkinson on the 7th November 1957. (From pension document that shows PAYE reference  Nottingham 584/1813)

• 1958 Roger McNish Jnr joins W&W working with Bryan Weldon in 1960s represented W&W customers for hosiery & fabric, seeking new business in Yorkshire & Lancashire where new fabric companies where opening up with the decline of woven mills.

• 1961 Short Recession from high bank rates

• 1962 Rawson St works flooded, Jardine Engineering next to works catches fire, W&W tunnel & trim shop flooded but Rawson St factory saved.

• 1965 Scotholme works processing knitwear and yarn, works expanded for additional processing as trend for more synthetics being used in fabrics. Stenter machine installed to allow fabrics to be finished in open width.

• 1972 James Weldon great grandson of Ernest James Weldon joins W&W

• 1973 Roger McNish Jnr leaves W&W

• 1973 Recession until 1975 due to oil crisis. Leads to high inflation. Government imposes a three-day week in 1973 as continued coal shortages threatened electricity supply.

• 1974 Factory fire at Rawson St at a cost of £150,000

• 1975 Factory fire at Scotholme works on the 27th November at a year store, with firefighters preventing the fire reaching the glycerine store at the adjacent Gerrard Bros soap factory.

• 1975 Ronald McNish Snr retires. Roger Clark takes over running the trim shop in Rawson Street

• 1977 Major fire at Scotholme works. Costs £1m and loss in revenue whilst works was rebuilt.

• 1979 W&W take over Percy Andrews & Son, of Jennison Street, Bulwell. Equipment & staff transferred to W&W.

• 1980 Recession until 1981. Deflationary government policies including spending cuts, pursuance of monetarism to reduce inflation, switch from a manufacturing economy to a services economy.

• 1980 Rawson Street works site closed on the 4th December due to high energy costs, severe lack of commission dyeing demand, increases in raw materials, and hosiery manufacturers carrying out their own finishing in house. The fabric dyeing and finishing machinery were transferred to the Scotholme works with the loss of 270 hosiery related jobs on the 28th February 1981. 

• 1980 Visit in July to Germany and Switzerland to acquire the new machinery to make W&W more competitive at rebuilt modern factory at Scotholme following the fire in 1977.

• 1982 Weldon & Wilkinson Ltd called in the receivers in 1982. The loan taken out with Barclays for the move from Rawson St to Scotholme and to purchase machinery for Terry Towelling and fabrics for leisure/sports wear was called in. The loan was secured against  W&W commercial property. Following a sharp increases in interest rates leading to a recession, and high exchange rates leading to cheaper imports and competition in the 1980s. Touch Ross were appointed as the receivers to find a buyer for the business. A Leicester dyeing & finishing firm  (? Ltd:  citation need from James Weldon here on the the firms considered, indicated one linked to Wolsey Ltd in some way) considered making an offer for the business but then declined.

• 1983 Receiver LK Denney of Deloitte & Touche, 1 Wood borough Road, Nottingham. NG1 3FG issues winding up order on April 23rd. In December some youths broke into a store room and set fire to all of W&W historical documents, so research has been stitched together from family newspaper cuttings, photographs and artefacts, along with invaluable contributions from those that used to work at W&W.

• 2009 Company No. 00054527 was finally dissolved on 24th March.

In the Basford there were at least 7 large dyeing businesses including W&W, now all closed. 

Henry Ashwell & Co (1908) Ltd, Radford Road, New Basford, Nottingham. Hosiery Dyers and Finishers, Mercerisers and Dyers of Cotton Yarns.

Nottingham Dyers, Barlock Road , Basford. Formerly known as a Breconshire Dyeworks, was established in 1973, previously Spray & Burgess and prior to that George Peason & Sons. Nottingham Dyers specialised in dyeing and finishing socks and tights. Factory demolished in 2009

W E Saxby (Nottingham) Ltd, Bar Lane,  Basford, Nottingham. Firm of bleachers and dyers. Closure announced 9/12/1983. Demolished 9/9/1985

In the 1950s the largest commissioned hosiery dyers & finishers in Europe were Sketchley Dye Works (Est 1885) who had 3 hosiery factories: Hinckley south west of Leicester, named after the local water source Sketchley Brook, a works In Basford, Nottingham and Market Drayton with circa 1 million pairs of stockings processed each week. Following a decline in the 1960's Sketchleys developed their dry cleaning business and the hosiery part of Sketchleys was sold off to Brookside Dyers & Finishers Ltd (Est 1969) which closed in the 1997 with Sketchley Dyers & Finishers Ltd  business  having already closed in 1987.

The Vernon Road Bleaching & Dyeing Co. Ltd closed (Est 1/6/1899 & closed circa 2009) Vernon Road, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG6 0AS 

In 1953 JB Walker & Co Ltd (incorporated in 1937, founded 1840) a lace firm bought the Nottingham lace dyeing firm, Basford Dyers Ltd (Est 25/3/1909), in consortium with four other companies. In 1966 the four companies amalgamated to create Basford Dyers (Holdings) Ltd, each of the companies becoming subsidiaries of the holding company. The name of the holding company was changed to Basford Textile Group Ltd in 1969, and The Basford Group Ltd in 1990.  Closed 1995