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Early businesses supporting agriculture in Doyleston
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TitleEarly businesses supporting agriculture in Doyleston
DescriptionA similar pattern of businesses, largely supporting agriculture, seemed to have developed in towns throughout Ellesmere. Blacksmiths, wheelwrights, threshing mills, slaughterhouses, stables, hotels, bakehouses, etc.
Sometimes there were specialties.
John Robb, blacksmith; William Frew, saddler; John and George Johnston, blacksmiths; Thomas Donohue, wheelwright; and James Swinbourne, boot and shoemaker, were early tradesmen in Doyleston.
According to Wise’s Directory, there was 1 dressmaker, 1 shoemaker, 2 carpenters, 3 butchers, 1 wheelwright, 1 baker, 3 blacksmiths, 1 hotel keeper, 1 saddler, 2 threshing machinists, 2 engineers, 1 postmaster, 2 storekeepers, and 1 contractor by 1890.
However, not every town in Ellesmere could boast a bacon factory.
As far back as 1871, the Ellesmere Farmer’s Club at a meeting in Loe’s Hotel, Leeston, decried the tariffs applied by the Victorian Government to agricultural produce including bacon.
A preliminary meeting to set up the Ellesmere Bacon Curing Factory was held in the Town Hall, Leeston, in May 1878.
This was attended by many of the leading farmers of the neighbourhood, with W.J.G. Bluett in the chair. John McLachlan, seconded A. McLachlan, in moving—" That it was advisable to start a company, to be called the Ellesmere Bacon Curing Factory” expressed his conviction that such a step was absolutely necessary, as the district was well known to be one of the largest bacon producing localities.
He thought that before long bacon could be shipped to England at highly remunerative prices.
In reference to the Southbridge Company, he thought that there was room for a second,and that a monopoly would be avoided.
John Rennie dissented from the motion, as there were less than 10,000 pigs in Ellesmere, and recommended that the Southbridge Company should receive the energy and capital which would be required to start a second company.
W.J.G Bluett, J.J. Loe, Barnett, Nixon, R. Lockhead, R. McIlraith, Geo. Sandrey, John McLachlan, P. O'Boyle, A. McLachlan, Stapleton, Parker, J.H. Doyle, and J. Blackler initially directed the company.
A notice appeared in August 1878 announcing that the fifth call, amounting to £1 per share, was payable.
The company developed rapidly with between 2000 and 3000 pigs having been cured by the company during their first season with a staff of from four to twelve during the busy season.
As of September 1878, the company's buildings stood on a freehold 5-acre section, opposite the Doyleston Railway Station.
The pig yards were enclosed by a concrete wall and divided into pens leading to the two-compartmented slaughter-house, which was the only wooden building but had a galvanized iron roof and concrete floor.
The first room was the slaughterhouse with a steam boiler. The second room (cooling room), was well ventilated and capable of hanging seventy dressed pigs. The walls of the main building, were concrete with cement floor, and roofed with shingle, divided into five well-ventilated compartments, namely the cutting room, salting or drying room, the artificially-heated room with room for at least 200 pigs, the trimming room, and lastly the smoking room which held 300 pieces,
After smoking, the bacon and hams were passed into the packing room, where it was sewed in cloth or packed bare as required for shipment.
Unfortunately by 1880, at a meeting of the Company, chaired by John Rennie, the secretary read a statement showing the position of the company, and a motion was proposed by A. McLachlan “That the company be wound up voluntarily”. The motion was lost. It was reported on July 14, 1880, that in a subsequent meeting, the same motion was carried and a further motion appointing Mr. Glasson as liquidator was carried.
While the Doyleston factory was short-lived and probably did not contribute much to the economy of Doyleston, the building was used to launch a more famous company, Adam Werner's Engineering Works.
Mike Noonan
Ellesmere Historical Society
Date29 January 2020SourceThe Ellesmere EchoLocationDoyleston
DescriptionA similar pattern of businesses, largely supporting agriculture, seemed to have developed in towns throughout Ellesmere. Blacksmiths, wheelwrights, threshing mills, slaughterhouses, stables, hotels, bakehouses, etc. Sometimes there were specialties.
John Robb, blacksmith; William Frew, saddler; John and George Johnston, blacksmiths; Thomas Donohue, wheelwright; and James Swinbourne, boot and shoemaker, were early tradesmen in Doyleston.
According to Wise’s Directory, there was 1 dressmaker, 1 shoemaker, 2 carpenters, 3 butchers, 1 wheelwright, 1 baker, 3 blacksmiths, 1 hotel keeper, 1 saddler, 2 threshing machinists, 2 engineers, 1 postmaster, 2 storekeepers, and 1 contractor by 1890.
However, not every town in Ellesmere could boast a bacon factory.
As far back as 1871, the Ellesmere Farmer’s Club at a meeting in Loe’s Hotel, Leeston, decried the tariffs applied by the Victorian Government to agricultural produce including bacon.
A preliminary meeting to set up the Ellesmere Bacon Curing Factory was held in the Town Hall, Leeston, in May 1878.
This was attended by many of the leading farmers of the neighbourhood, with W.J.G. Bluett in the chair. John McLachlan, seconded A. McLachlan, in moving—" That it was advisable to start a company, to be called the Ellesmere Bacon Curing Factory” expressed his conviction that such a step was absolutely necessary, as the district was well known to be one of the largest bacon producing localities.
He thought that before long bacon could be shipped to England at highly remunerative prices.
In reference to the Southbridge Company, he thought that there was room for a second,and that a monopoly would be avoided.
John Rennie dissented from the motion, as there were less than 10,000 pigs in Ellesmere, and recommended that the Southbridge Company should receive the energy and capital which would be required to start a second company.
W.J.G Bluett, J.J. Loe, Barnett, Nixon, R. Lockhead, R. McIlraith, Geo. Sandrey, John McLachlan, P. O'Boyle, A. McLachlan, Stapleton, Parker, J.H. Doyle, and J. Blackler initially directed the company.
A notice appeared in August 1878 announcing that the fifth call, amounting to £1 per share, was payable.
The company developed rapidly with between 2000 and 3000 pigs having been cured by the company during their first season with a staff of from four to twelve during the busy season.
As of September 1878, the company's buildings stood on a freehold 5-acre section, opposite the Doyleston Railway Station.
The pig yards were enclosed by a concrete wall and divided into pens leading to the two-compartmented slaughter-house, which was the only wooden building but had a galvanized iron roof and concrete floor.
The first room was the slaughterhouse with a steam boiler. The second room (cooling room), was well ventilated and capable of hanging seventy dressed pigs. The walls of the main building, were concrete with cement floor, and roofed with shingle, divided into five well-ventilated compartments, namely the cutting room, salting or drying room, the artificially-heated room with room for at least 200 pigs, the trimming room, and lastly the smoking room which held 300 pieces,
After smoking, the bacon and hams were passed into the packing room, where it was sewed in cloth or packed bare as required for shipment.
Unfortunately by 1880, at a meeting of the Company, chaired by John Rennie, the secretary read a statement showing the position of the company, and a motion was proposed by A. McLachlan “That the company be wound up voluntarily”. The motion was lost. It was reported on July 14, 1880, that in a subsequent meeting, the same motion was carried and a further motion appointing Mr. Glasson as liquidator was carried.
While the Doyleston factory was short-lived and probably did not contribute much to the economy of Doyleston, the building was used to launch a more famous company, Adam Werner's Engineering Works.
Mike Noonan
Ellesmere Historical Society
Date29 January 2020SourceThe Ellesmere EchoLocationDoylestonConnections
CollectionHistory of DoylestonOrganisationEllesmere Historical Society
OrganisationEllesmere Historical SocietyAttribution
Researched ByMike NoonanWritten ByMike Noonan
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Early businesses supporting agriculture in Doyleston (29 January 2020). Selwyn Stories, accessed 15/06/2026, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/5317