We have been contacted by Ian Suddaby who has supplied images of a Bradley and Craven catalogue dating between 1910 and 1920. Wakefield Historical Society thanks him for letting us share this interesting catalogue of an important Wakefield engineering business. Please note, that although the catalogue itself is out of copyright, the images are copyright of Ian Suddaby.
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Bradley and Craven catalogue
Bradley and Craven Ltd. was a manufacturing company specialsiing in brick making machinery. It was founded in 1843 by two young engineers, William Craven and Richard Bradley to manufacture what was then revolutionary machinery for automating clay brick production. Their 1853 patented ‘Stiff-Plastic Brickmaking Machine’ was responsible for changes in the industry which eventually saw a shift from hand craft to mechanised production. Their machines were manufactured at the Westgate Common Foundry in Wakefield and were sold throughout the United Kingdom and abroad. The company also made steam engines, colliery winding gear. (information from Wikipedia)
In 1892 the firm was building steam-engines, clay-mills, edge-runners, brick-making machines, pipe and tile machines, brick presses, mortar-mills, ironwork for Hoffman’s patent kiln, ventilating fans, mining, pumpkin, and other machinery. (Illustrated Guide to Wakefield 1892)
In 1972 Bradley & Craven, amalgamated with a rival Leeds company, Thomas C. Fawcett, forming Craven Fawcett Limited. However the name continued in use with a new private limited company of the same name incorporated on 1 October 1998 and dissolved on 30 July 2002.