MALDON ARCHIVE
John Sadd & Sons Limited (1729-1994)
John Sadd & Sons Limited operated as builders and timber merchants. The earliest documentation of a carpenter in the Sadd family includes Thomas Sadd and his son John Sadd from Chelmsford. John, who owned several shops in the Church Lane - New Street vicinity of Chelmsford, liquidated his assets and, with the proceeds, acquired the assets of a carpentry business in 1729 at Fullbridge Maldon from the Scott family. With each eldest son named John, the business was passed down from father to son, allowing it to flourish with each generation. In 1831, John Sadd secured a 21-year lease for the premises and wharf owned by the Strutt family. Shortly thereafter, the family relocated the business to the new site, where they remained until their eventual decline. The acquisition of a wharf and larger premises enabled John Sadd to expand operations, importing both hard and soft woods from Norway, Finland, Canada, and Russia using their own fleet of ships and barges.
On Tuesady 23rd July 1889, the business was incorporated as a limited company under the name "John Sadd & Sons Limited." The inaugural managing director was John Granger Sadd, who received an annual salary of £300.00. The board of directors included Alfred Granger Sadd, John Price Sadd, Henry William Sadd, and Alfred Thorn.
John Sadd & Sons Limited (1729-1994) continued
The company continued its expansion by acquiring its own sawmill. According to company returns, they were engaged in importing, selling, and acting as general merchants for various products, including corn, cement, lath, tar, roofing slates, and other building materials. They also operated as warehousemen, cartage contractors, and suppliers of electricity to the Borough of Maldon.
During the war years from 1939 to 1945, with their sawmill operating around the clock, the company contributed to the war effort by assembling motor launches produced in kit form by Fairmile Marine (Fairmile Construction Company Limited) and constructing torpedo boats, gunboats, landing craft, air-sea rescue craft, pontoons, small assault craft, motor fishing vessels, aircraft parts, and flight cooking and messing boxes, among other items.
From the 1960s to the 1980s, John Sadds was the second largest employer in the town. However, this came to a tragic conclusion when, on Monday 3rd October 1994, the Boulton and Paul Group acquired John Sadd & Sons, despite the company having been operating under the Boulton and Paul name for some time.
On Friday 7th October 1994, the name John Sadd & Sons Limited was permanently retired when it was officially changed to Bolton & Paul (Manufacturing) Limited. Unfortunately, the entire factory staff was made redundant, and the core business was relocated to Norwich.
The entire site was demolished shortly thereafter.
Bolton & Paul (Manufacturing) Limited was placed into liquidation on Wednesday 25th May 2016.
Back to home page.
© Lloyd Blackburn 2002 - 2025. All rights reserved.
The images on this website including text are protected by copyright.
They are not to be copied, reproduced, republished, posted, broadcast, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered or stored in or introduced into any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical now known or hereinafter invented.