Terry's of York

Although this collection is primarily focused on the Terry family themselves, because the business was such a central part of their lives there are inevitably archives within the collection dedicated to Noel and Peter's time at Terry's of York.

The Borthwick Institute also holds the surviving archive of the company and you can search the catalogue online.

Photos of the Terry Chocolate Factory and Offices

Photographic postcard of the entrance to the Terry's factory building on Bishopthorpe Road, c.1930. The image shows a brick built two storey building, in dark and light brick. The image is taken from an angle that shows the front and side of the building. The entrance has a sweeping drive and a large porch area.

The entrance to the factory in around 1930.

Photographic postcard showing the entrance to the Terry's factory on Bishopthorpe Road, c.1930. The image shows an entranceway between two large brick bult buildings (in a combination of light stone and darker brick). The entranceway itself includes three pillars across the road, and there are people moving around within the factory complex behind. The building on the right of the image is two storey, and at the far end has a larger clock tower. The building in the left is taller, comprising four storeys. In front of that building is a two storey brick-built building.

The entrance to the factory in around 1930, showing the clock tower.

Photographic postcard showing the main entrance to the Terry's factory building on Bishopthorpe Road in around 1926. The image shows a two-storey building running from left to write across the postcard, with an additional two storey building at the far left of the image. The buildings are built in a combination of lighter stone and darker brick, and the main building has a large central porch with a flagpole on top of the second storey. In front of the building is a semi-circular drive from the main road, and two card are parked in the drive area. Part of the left hand side of the image is obscured by a tree on the same side of the road as the photographer, and there are three further trees between the road and the driveway.

The entrance to the factory shortly after its opening in 1926.

Terry's restaurant in St Helen's Square, York.

Terry's of York timeline

1767: Robert Berry and William Bayldon open a shop at Bootham Bar, York, selling medicinal lozenges, candied fruit and sweets.

1793: Joseph Terry (Senior) is born in Pocklington. He later comes to York to serve an apprenticeship to an apothecary in Stonegate.

1813: Joseph Terry (Senior) advertises his first business in the York Courant, describing it as situated opposite the Castle and selling spices, pickling vinegar, essence of spruce, patent medicines and perfumery. The shop is on Walmgate.

1821: Joseph Terry (Senior), Chemist and Druggist, is admitted as a Freeman of the City of York. William Bayldon retires from the Bootham Bar business, leaving Robert Berry as sole owner.

1823: Joseph Terry (Senior) marries Harriet Atkinson, a relation of Robert Berry, and joins the Berry confectionery business. The couple have at least three children: Joseph (Junior), Robert and John.

1824: The Robert Berry & Co. business moves from Bootham Bar to St Helen’s Square.

1825: Death of Robert Berry. Joseph Terry enters into a partnership with Robert’s son George and they trade under the name Terry & Berry. John Coulthard also joins as a partner.

1828: George Berry leaves the business. Joseph and Harriet’s son Joseph (Junior) [later Sir Joseph Terry] is born in York.

1830: John Coulthard also leaves the business. Joseph Terry (Senior) is now the sole owner and the business is renamed Joseph Terry and Company.

1850: Death of Joseph Terry (Senior). At this time the business employed around 127 people.

1853: Terry’s staff petition for work to end at 4pm on a Saturday.

1854: The business is formally inherited by the sons of Joseph (Senior): Joseph (Junior), Robert and John. Joseph Terry (Junior) marries his first wife Frances Goddard, the daughter of Dr Joseph Goddard, and the couple have three sons together: Thomas Walker Leaper Terry (b.1855), Joseph Richard Terry (1857-1859), and Samuel Savile Terry (b.1859).

1862: The Terrys’ lease a new factory site at Clementhorpe, close to the river Ouse, allowing them to ship raw materials directly to the factory warehouses from the Humber Estuary.

1867: A price list for the company, which is now named Joseph Terry and Sons, shows 400 products, only 13 of which are chocolate.

1877: Birth of Francis ‘Frank’ William Terry to Joseph Terry (Junior) and his second wife Margaret Thorpe.

1884: A new deed of co-partnership is drawn up between Joseph Terry (Junior), Thomas Walker Leaper Terry, and George Christopher Dennis.

1887: Joseph (Junior) is knighted, becoming Sir Joseph Terry.

1888: A new deed of co-partnership is drawn up between Sir Joseph Terry, Thomas Walker Leaper Terry, George Christopher Dennis, and Samuel Savile Terry. In York, Constance Leetham is born, the daughter of Henry Ernest Leetham and his wife Mary Hannah Coning.

1890: Birth of Noel Goddard Terry, the son of Thomas Walker Leaper Terry and his wife Sarah Brett. At the Terry’s factory, working hours are reduced by 1 hour in response to employee support for the ‘Nine Hour Movement’.

1892: Birth of Kathleen Leetham in York, daughter of Henry Ernest Leetham and his wife Mary Hannah Coning. Henry Leetham ran a flour milling business.

1895: Dissolution of co-partnerships. The business becomes a limited liability company for the first time under the sole ownership of Sir Joseph Terry, trading as Joseph Terry & Sons Ltd. By this time it employs around 500 people.

1898: Death of Sir Joseph Terry. The business is inherited by his sons Francis ‘Frank’ William Terry and Thomas Walker Leaper Terry.

1910: Thomas Walker Leaper Terry dies following a road accident.

1911: Thomas’ son Noel Goddard Terry joins the family business.

1915: Marriage of Joseph Edward Harold Terry and Constance Leetham on the 7th April, and marriage of Noel Goddard Terry and Kathleen Leetham on the 9th October. Henry Ernest Leetham, Noel’s father in law, becomes Chairman of the business. Birth of Joseph Robins Terry, only son of Francis William Terry and his wife Sophia Cook.

1919: Birth of Peter Noel Leetham Terry to Noel and Kathleen. At the Terry’s factory, a trade union agreement sees working hours reduced from 49.5 to 47, with six days annual holiday after 12 months service.

1920: A new factory building is erected on the Clementhorpe site.

1923: Death of Henry Ernest Leetham. Francis ‘Frank’ William Terry and Noel Goddard Terry resume control of the business, with Noel Terry as Managing Director. A large site is purchased on Bishopthorpe Road, York, and work begins on a new factory complex.

1925: Terry’s Dessert Chocolate Apple appears in price lists for the first time.

1926: The new factory, known as Terry’s Chocolate Works, opens on Bishopthorpe Road. At its height the company employs more than 2000 people. The company also purchases its own cocoa plantations in Venezuela.

1927: Shares in the Terry company are offered to customers and employees for the first time to raise capital. Previously all shares were held by Terry family members and close associates.

1931: Terry’s All Gold chocolate assortment goes on sale for the first time. This becomes their bestselling chocolate assortment.

1932: Introduction of Terry’s Chocolate Orange, described as a Dessert Chocolate Orange.

1934: Joseph Terry & Sons is listed on the London Stock Exchange for the first time, with five shilling shares made available for public purchase. Introduction of the Waifa chocolate tablet.

1935: Visit of Princess Helena Victoria to the Terry’s Chocolate Works.

1936: Francis ‘Frank’ Terry is knighted, becoming Sir Francis Terry.

1937: Visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth to the Terry’s Chocolate Works.

1939-1945: Terry’s Chocolate Works becomes a ‘shadow factory’ used for the manufacture and repair of aircraft propeller blades. The Clementhorpe site is used by Chivers and Sons for the manufacture of jellies. Chocolate is still produced, but in much smaller quantities.

1954: Terry’s Chocolate Apple is phased out.

1958: Sir Francis Terry retires and Noel Goddard Terry succeeds him as company chairman.

1960: Death of Sir Francis Terry.

1963: The company is purchased by the Forte Group, with Noel Goddard Terry joining the Forte Board. Forte are already the owners of Fullers, a bakery and confectionery business.

1973: Introduction of Moonlight chocolate assortment.

1977: The company is purchased by Colgate-Palmolive.

1981: Closure of St Helen’s Square shop and restaurant. The building and contents are subsequently sold.

1982: The company is sold to United Biscuits. Introduction of York Fruits jellied sweets assortment.

1987: The Clementhorpe factory site is sold.

1988: United Biscuits purchases the Callard and Bowser confectionery business, joining it with Terry’s to create the Terry’s Group.

1992: The company is sold to Kraft Foods.

2000: The name of the company changes from Terry’s of York to just Terry’s.

2005: Production ceases at the Chocolate Works and the site is subsequently sold for housing and commercial use.

2012: Kraft Foods is split into two companies, Kraft Foods Group and Mondelez International, with Terry’s becoming part of Mondelez.

2016: The Terry’s brand is acquired by Eurazeo and subsequently becomes part of Carambar & Co.

2020: Terry’s All Gold chocolate assortment is discontinued. Only Terry’s Chocolate Orange range now carries the Terry name, although York Fruits are still made by Valeo Confectionery.

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