MALDON ARCHIVE
E.H. Bentall & Co. Limited (1805-1984)
In the early 1800s, the Bentall family relocated from Ironbridge in Shropshire to Heybridge, where they established a significant factory focused on agricultural machinery. The Bentall company was founded in 1805 by William Bentall, who was recognized as an agricultural engineer. In the mid-18th century, William Bentall created the renowned ‘Goldhanger’ plough, which was so advanced that it remained in production until 1947. Over the years, the company transitioned from father to son, consistently demonstrating innovation and success. Numerous patents and designs emerged in quick succession, and by the late 19th century, the company had even branched out into the design and production of yachts and motor vehicles.
The company expanded and evolved, exporting its products globally. In 1836, Edward Hammond Bentall assumed control of the family business and further broadened its reach, distributing the company's products across Britain and beyond. In 1889, Edmund Bentall took over the business, and the variety of items produced by the company continued to increase. In 1873, Edward Hammond Bentall constructed a large Italianate residence known as The Towers, located at the intersection of Goldhanger Road and Colchester Road in Heybridge.
E.H. Bentall & Co. Limited (1805-1984) continued
The residence pioneered in concrete block construction and featured ducted air heating without fireplaces, although some were added later. It was demolished in 1953. By the turn of the century, automobile manufacturing had commenced, with approximately one hundred units produced before the cessation of production, of which only one remains today. In the early twentieth century, several thousand individuals were employed by E H Bentall & Co.
Its product offerings in 1921 encompassed oil and petrol engines, silage cutters, beet lifters, bone cutters, both power and hand-operated Cheff cutters, clover cutters, coffee machinery, cultivators, dust extractors, elevators, feeding troughs, flour sifters, grindstones, grinding mills, grass mowers, hammer mills, harrows, hoes, ploughs, ploughshares, power transmission devices, and root cutters, to name just a few.
Only the large warehouse constructed in 1863 remains today, serving as a testament to a once-thriving enterprise. E.H. Bentall & Co Limited changed its name to Bentall Simplex Limited on Thursday 31st December 1981, and continued operations for a few more years until Wednesday 5th September 1984, when its parent company, Acrow PLC, entered receivership.
Another enterprise founded by the family was Bentall and Son, a general drapery, millinery, and hatting business located at 50 High Street, Maldon, which was established in 1848.
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