Lincoln Companies - Penney & Porter Ltd

Penney & Porter Ltd was formed out of two companies after World War One;

Penney & Co of Lincoln were wireworkers who made principally screens for cleaning and grading corn, malt and other produce. John & William Penney started their business at 16 Broadgate in 1855, as general agricultural merchants.

John carried on with the business after William died in 1866. The company was renamed Penney & Co and carried on business as wireworkers, relocated at about this time to City Iron and Wire Works, 6 Broadgate.

John Penney died in 1871.  In the 1880s the workforce grew to over 120.

In the 1890s the firm expanded to 37 Waterside North as iron and steelworks.

Their range of products extended to wheelbarrows and garden furniture, but the screens were dominant into the twentieth century.

J T B Porter was an iron founder at Gowts Bridge Engineering Works, Gowts Bridge, Peel Street south of Little Gowts Drain and next to the Upper Witham, from 1855.  Peel Street was extended from no 4 to no 57 when the engineering works closed.

The firm specialised in installing gas works at country houses and became one of the largest gas installers in Great Britain installing around 600 units. Among the Houses where their systems were installed was Holkham Hall in Norfolk and Hartsholme Hall south-west of Lincoln. They also made structural and wrought ironwork, including for the roof of the Drill Hall in Broadgate and Montague Street Bridge.

Penney & Co and JTB Porter & Co merged about 1919 to create Penney & Porter (Engineers) Ltd.

In 1932 the company was still working from the Broadgate and Waterside North site of Penney & Co. Penney & Porter (Engineers) Ltd. was wound up in 1932 and a new company Penney & Porter (1932) Ltd was incorporated. ​By 1941 they were based at Riverside Works, Waterside South and listed in Lincoln Trades Directory as "mechanical, constructional, electrical & welding engineers, electric signs (neon), & corn screening & dressing machinery makers".

In 1955 Penney & Porter celebrated its 100th year in business, there was a celebration dinner, guests were entertained by an up and coming comedian and singer called Rolf Harris (I wonder what happened to him).  Recognise anyone in the image above?

Nicholson's Trentside Ironworks

In the early 1960s the company moved from their Waterside South factory to a new purpose-built factory on Outer Circle Road. Merged with Nicholsons of Newark in 1966 in an effort to save the struggling companies, the new umbrella company was named Penney Porter Nicholson.  Despite the merger redundancies in both companies continued.  

Some years before the merger Nicholsons sold the land surrounding their ironworks and leased it, the lease expired in 1968 and wasn't renewed by the owners, and all production was moved to Lincoln.  This was a major blow to both companies and all production ended the same year, all employees were redundant.

The history of two of the East Midlands oldest companies ended; Nicholson's in 1809 and Penney & Porter in 1855.

Do you have memories or other information about "Penneys" or Nicholsons of Newark?  Would love to hear them.

See Also:

Lincoln Companies - Lincoln Gas, Light and Coke Co.
Lincoln Companies - Clayton & Shuttleworth
Lincoln Companies - H Newsum & Sons Ltd
Lincoln Companies - Henry Poppleton & Sons Ltd
Lincoln Companies - W Rainforth & Sons
Lincoln Companies - James Dawson & Son Ltd.
Lincoln's Industrial Revolution