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Re: Richard R Chester, Shipowners & Agents.Middlesbrough

PostPosted: Mon Nov 26, 2012 6:03 pm
by magoonigal
And the Young Ones think "Text Talk" is something new......

Stmbts.......assume Steamboats. :mrgreen:

Re: Richard R Chester, Shipowners & Agents.Middlesbrough

PostPosted: Mon Nov 26, 2012 6:14 pm
by northeast
Could mean System Boots nowadays, Paul.

Re: Richard R Chester, Shipowners & Agents.Middlesbrough

PostPosted: Mon Nov 26, 2012 7:47 pm
by teesships
shipbroker wrote:Thanks it is all very useful....

geoff

p.s. Just realised that I have been calling Bridge Street Dock Street.............considering the number of pints supped in The Bridge I should be ashamed!


.... and I didn't spot it, either! Considering I worked just round the corner in Queens Square for only 35 years!

But that begs a question. You said Chester's built the offices in Bridge Street East, (variously Impex House, Pilotage Office, Cockfield Knight) but did they initially occupy the building themselves? Charlie Jordan's original note suggested they did, but Jim Layton did not seem to endorse that?

Ron
PS: Bridge Street East from Queens Square leading into Dock Street; Bridge Street West from Queens Square to Snowdon Road (and beyond to Lloyd Street .... not clear on current maps where it ends!)

Re: Richard R Chester, Shipowners & Agents.Middlesbrough

PostPosted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 11:25 am
by shipbroker
This is what started John Knight on this trail..he believes that they were built by/for them..........
geoff

Re: Richard R Chester, Shipowners & Agents.Middlesbrough

PostPosted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 12:28 pm
by magoonigal
Check out the Local Council....they may have a copy of the original planning application.

I recently discovered that Northumberland have copies of some at the County Records Office.

Re: Richard R Chester, Shipowners & Agents.Middlesbrough

PostPosted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 1:05 pm
by shipbroker
Further previous posting................do believe that there may be something in the Teesside Archives but neither of us have had chance to investigate yet....

Incidentally for those amongst you who know John Knight he is currently in London having been awarded the Merchant Navy Medal. Hew remains Chairman of the Port Welfare Committee and has had a very active life with both the Missions to Seamen (OK Seafarers these days) and the Apostleship of the Sea...

geoff

Re: Richard R Chester, Shipowners & Agents.Middlesbrough

PostPosted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 6:25 pm
by teesships
Congratulations to our member John Knight from Teesside Ship Society/Teesside Branch of the World Ship Society on receipt of the above award. I have also emailed him separately as he is not himself on this forum.

Ron

Re: Richard R Chester, Shipowners & Agents.Middlesbrough

PostPosted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 6:28 pm
by teesships

Re: Richard R Chester, Shipowners & Agents.Middlesbrough

PostPosted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 10:40 am
by CLYDEBRAE
Have now joined up! Thanks for the kind words regarding Merchant Navy Medal. Chester's definitely built the offices in Bridge Street East - known initially as Transport House, later as Impex House and more recently as 15/16 Bridge Street East. It was built in 1918 and mortgaged with Bank of Liverpool and Martins Ltd. I assume Chester's occupied it on completion - in its own modest way it was quite imposing with an attractive simple staircase to the first floor and would have reflected their ambitions and prosperity of the time. It is not listed and has lain empty since acquisition by One North East in March 2010, lying within the Middlesbrough Dock Regeneration area. To the best of my knowledge the building has always had a shipping connection - Chester's sold it to Peckston's in the mid 30's and they occupied it until the mid 50's when it became ICI's shipping office, attending to in-house import and export documentation, as well as being the base for ICI's dock superintendents. I believe HM Immigration, or whatever their title was back in the 40's, occupied rooms within the building. Some will no doubt remember Fred Lumb, Immigration Officer, and he recalled working there during the War Years. He told me that Peckston's had house flags of some of their major agencies incorporated in their ground floor windows. Included was the house flag for the Icelandic Steamship Co., incorporating the swastika. This window was "put in" sometime after the outbreak of war. ICI improved the building - particularly the rear elevation, on purchase in the 50's, and it is mostly in this condition to this day. It was briefly owned by Berry, Mussett until John Berry's untimely death which prompted its sale to Cockfield Knight & Co Ltd. The latter occupied it from 1986 until its sale in 2010.

Re: Richard R Chester, Shipowners & Agents.Middlesbrough

PostPosted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 11:59 am
by shipbroker
Welcome onboard in your own right John...........Indeed I had forgotten the Peckston connection there..Fred Lumb who got me my first job in shipping had told me of the history and I had long forgotten it too.......

geoff