Elkes and Fox Biscuits / I. H. Lavery & Co.

 

EAW008571.tif

Aerial view of Lavery's Cake and Elkes & Fox Ltd Biscuit Factories, Red Cat Lane, 1947.

EAW008571.tif

Aerial view of Lavery's Cake and Elkes & Fox Ltd Biscuit Factories, Red Cat Lane, 1947.

EAW008567.tif

Aerial view of Lavery's Cake and Elkes & Fox Ltd Biscuit Factories, Red Cat Lane, 1947.

 Lavery's was established in 1924 by Mr I. H. Lavery who formally had been the manager at Outram's Southport Cakes Ltd. During 1925 the building was extended and similar to Outrams, it specialised in the making of Slab cake, Eccles cakes, Christmas puddings and Swiss rolls. Over 2000 people were employed at this factory with 70% of the workforce, women. Business increased and in the early 1930s Laverys built the factory which would be later belong to Elkes & Fox Biscuits Ltd., and for a short period Laverys made biscuits there. About 1935 Elkes and Fox acquired the factory and they specialised in the making of a large variety of biscuits and provided employment for several hundred people. In 1961 they changed their name to Elkes Biscuits Ltd.

 

img805 - Copy

Elkes & Fox staff, c1950s.

Back left - right: Maggie Spencer, unknown 1, Alice Bromley.

Front left - right: unknown 3, unknown 4.

(Photo courtesy - Tom Spencer).

img730 - Copy 1

Office Staff - Elkes and Fox Ltd., Red Cat Lane, 1st April 1965.

Back row left - right: Jean Bridge, Glenda Taylor (nee Pemberton), Helen Rawsthorne.

Front row left - right: Pat Coleman, Elsie Sharrock, Millie Moss. (Photo courtesy - Vernon and Helen Rawsthorne).

img155 - Copy 1

Elkes and Fox staff, Red Cat Lane, c1950s.

Left - right: Marjorie Cheetham, Mrs Wright, Mona Brewer, unknown 4, Hilda Iddon (nee Gibbons), Mrs Swift, unknown 7.

img405 - Copy 1

Staff at Elkes and Fox Ltd, c1950/60s.

Left - right: unknown 1, Jane Thompson ?, Maggie Fyles, unknown 4, Lydia Pemberton, Maggie Crowell, unknown 7. (Photo courtesy - Glenda Taylor).

img715 - Copy

Elkes and Fox Staff, c1950s/early 60s.

Back row left - right: Tony Eccles, Bob Gibbons, Doris Roughly, Harry Parr, Bert Stubbs, Jim Lyon, Harry Pennington, Vic Finch, unknown 9.

Front row left - right: Harry Rowe, Peg Baxendale, Mary Trowler, Edie Harrison, Janie Waring, Nellie Prescot, Molly Gibbons, unknown 17, Mary Fazackerly, Tommy Hardman.

(Photo courtesy - Margaret Gibson).

img804 - Copy

Elkes & Fox staff, c1950s.

Left - right: unknown 1, Maggie Spencer, unknown 2, ? Hartley.

(Photo courtesy - Tom Spencer).

img731 - Copy

Elkes and Fox staff, c1950s.

Left - right: Derek Alker, Vernon Rawsthorne, Joan Brady, Alan Wainwright.

(Photo courtesy - Vernon and Helen Rawsthorne).

IMG_0169

Elkes and Fox Lakeland Assorted Biscuit Tin, Burscough Bridge, c1950s.

IMG_7211

Elkes and Fox Xmas Assorted Biscuit Tin, Burscough Bridge, c1950s.

img716 - Copy

Elkes & Fox staff, c1950/early 60s.

Back row (all standing) left - right: Bill Pennington, Bob Gibbons, Harry Roe, Victor Finch, Tommy Hardman, Harry Parr, Tony Eccles, Janie Waring, unknown 9, Harry Whysall, Harry Whittaker (man behind), Mary Fazackerly .

Front row left - right: unknown 13, Edie Harrison, Nelly Gibbons, Peggie Baxendale, Mary Trowler, Annie Disley, Doris Roughly, unknown 20, Brenda Spencer (nee Wilding).

(Photo courtesy - Margaret Gibson).

 

Mr & Mrs I H lavery

Mr Isaac Herbert Lavery and his wife, c1940s.

(Photo courtesy - David Lavery, Grandson of Isaac Herbert Lavery)

 

Staff c1925 Extreme left Mr Harrison next to IHL Extreme right Mr Mann next to Old Bill

I H Lavery & Co. Ltd. staff photo, 1925.

Middle row extreme left is Mr Harrison and next to him is Mr Isaac Herbert Lavery. On the extreme right is Mr Mann and next to him is Old Bill (all wearing hats).

(Photo courtesy - David Lavery)

Still Expanding

I H Lavery's factory still expanding, c1950.

(Photo courtesy - David Lavery)

Letterheads IHL - Copy (3)

Letterhead for I H Lavery & Co Ltd., 1945.

(Courtesy - David Lavery)

Ovens 02

I H Lavery's staff at work by the ovens, c1950s.

(Photo courtesy - David Lavery)

Ovens 01

I H Lavery's ovens, c1950s.

(Photo courtesy - David Lavery)

Swiss Roll Plant 02

I H Lavery & Co Ltd., Swiss Roll Plant, c1950s.

(Photo courtesy - David Lavery).

Swiss roll cooling

I H Lavery & Co Ltd., Swiss Roll cooling line, c1950s.

(Photo courtesy - David Lavery).

Offices

A line up of I H Lavery & Co. Ltd. vehicles, Red Cat Lane, 1948.

(Photo courtesy - David Lavery).

img608

I H Laverys staff, Red Cat Lane, 1950s.

Back left - right: unknown 1, Barbara Timmings.

Front left - right: Joan Sarbutts, Doris Hesketh, Joyce Hesketh.

(Photo courtesy - Joyce Hampson).

img990

Roland Meadows stood next to his Lavery's wagon, c1964.

(Photo courtesy - Roland Meadows).

img782

I. H. Lavery staff, Red Cat Lane, 1950s.

Left right: Dorothy Grant, Barbara Prescott, Wallace Lawson, Kathleen Lawson, unknown 2.

(Photo courtesy - Lynda Lawson).

03 Exmas Pudding Plant

I H Lavery staff working on the Christmas Pudding line, c1950s.

(Photo courtesy - David Lavery).

img713 - Copy 1

Staff working at I. H. Lavery & Co., c1950s.

(Photo courtesy - Brenda Huyton).

img712 - Copy 1

The canteen and staff at I. H. Lavery & Co., c1950s.

(Photo courtesy - Brenda Huyton).

img711 - Copy 1

Staff on the pudding line at I. H. Lavery & Co., c1950s.

Right - left: unknown 1, unknown 2, Rose Manning, Edna Lewis (nee Vickers), Elsie Pardoe, Lilian Hesketh, Vera Vickers, unknown 4, unknown 5. (Photo courtesy - Brenda Huyton).

img714 - Copy 1

Staff decorating Christmas Cakes at I. H. Lavery & Co., c1950s.

Kathleen Dolan is front left, and Molly Hayes is front right. (Photo courtesy - Brenda Huyton).

Letterheads IHL - Copy (2)

Letterhead for I H Lavery & Co. Ltd., 1956.

(Photo courtesy - David Lavery).

x scan0129

Lavery's factory, c1950s.

(Photo courtesy - George & Jan Lawson).

img408 (2) copy 1

I. H. Laverys staff, c1950s.

Left - right: unknown 1, Lydia Pemberton, Molly Houghton, Jean Lyons (nee Harrison), Lillian Harrison, unknown 6. (Photo courtesy - Glenda Taylor).

img781

I. H. Lavery staff, Red Cat Lane, 1950s. Elkes and Fox factory can be seen in the background.

Left right: Kathleen Lawson, Barbara Prescott.

(Photo courtesy - Lynda Lawson).

img609

I. H. Laverys staff, Red Cat Lane, 1950s.

Left - right: Doris Hesketh, Vera Johnson, Joan Sarbutts, unknown 3, Joyce Hesketh.

(Photo courtesy - Joyce Hampson).

img711 - Copy - Copy - Copy (2)

Edna Lewis (nee Vickers) at I. H. Lavery & Co., c1950s.

(Photo courtesy - Brenda Huyton).

img711 - Copy - Copy - Copy

Vera Vickers at I. H. Lavery & Co., c1950s.

(Photo courtesy - Brenda Huyton).

img711 - Copy - Copy (3)

Elsie Pardoe at I. H. Lavery & Co., c1950s.

(Photo courtesy - Brenda Huyton).

img711 - Copy - Copy (4)

Lilian Hesketh at I. H. Lavery & Co., c1950s.

(Photo courtesy - Brenda Huyton).

The following story is part of Eric Lavery's memories.

(Eric was the son of Isaac Herbert Lavery and on the death of Isaac in 1949, Eric Lavery became Chairman and Managing Director of I H Lavery & Co. Ltd.)

 

"On 10th March 1924 the company was incorporated as Lancashire Confectionary Ltd. However it turned out that a company registered in this name already existed, they objected and a new name had to be found. Mr. Rawsthorne suggested Mann & Lavery or Lavery & Mann. However Mr. Mann had not yet given his notice to the Appley Bridge Glue Works, and was afraid that he might find himself out on a limb if his name appeared publicly in connection with a new company. He did not want to move until the new factory was erected and the new business was functioning. The name adopted therefore was I.H.Lavery & Co. Ltd., which of course suited Father well, as it established, better than anything else could, and without explanation, who was the boss. This change was made by Special Resolution on 30th May 1924.

 

The first object of the company as detailed in the Memorandum of Association was to acquire the secret process for white-of-egg substitute, the terms by which this was done were expressed in an Agreement which provided (in essence) for a Royalty of a farthing per lb. each, to be paid to Father and Mr. Mann for all the substitute made by the company, either for use in its own products, or in Ovalex sold by the trade. They also received 100 Founders shares each for the sum of £5, these were shilling shares which entitled the owners to receive half of any dividends paid out on the ordinary shares in excess of 20%. The balance of the capital was provided by 6,990 Ordinary shares of £1 each. The rest of the Memorandum, and the Articles were typical of those drawn up for private companies before the 1929 Companies Act, giving the directors wide powers, and wide scope for development.

 

Factory 1924 2

Mellor Riding, the contractor, standing in the steel skeleton of Lavery's factory, 1924.

(Photo courtesy - David Lavery)

 

A site was purchased in Red Cat Lane alongside the railway, adjacent in fact to Burscough Bridge station; later a wicket gate gave access to the platform, The first part of the factory consisted of a single bay 25 ft. wide by 100 ft. long. It was a light steel structure with single brick panels and asbestos tiled roof, it looks rather impressive, and of course it was much larger than was necessary for exploiting the “secret process", it was Father's intention from the start to compete with Outrams in the Slab Cake market."

(Photo and information courtesy - David Lavery, Grandson of Isaac Herbert Lavery and son of Eric Lavery)

 

 

During the 1940s and 1950s Lavery's business grew and trade developed on a national basis, but by 1963 the number of workers were greatly reduced. This was the first time that the firm had reorganised its business on such a scale and at the same time three quarters of their factory was up for sale. In 1964 the firm closed down and the premises were later taken over by Westbrooks Ltd.