The Beeston Boiler Company was a manufacturing company based in

Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated ''Notts.'') is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. The county is bordered by South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. Th ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

which produced industrial heating units for a wide range of uses, including commercial, horticultural and residential applications. It was founded on 10 April 1893 and its registered office was at Mona Street in Beeston near

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...

. Originally, the company name was 'The Beeston Foundry Company Limited' but in 1923 the company changed its name to 'The Beeston Boiler Company Limited'. In 1943 it became a public company, and by 1961 was employing 850 people, and was at that time advertising itself as makers of cast iron boilers, garage and greenhouse boilers, hot water pipes, connections and cast iron valves. The company was founded in 1893 by Henry John Pearson (1850–1913), in conjunction with his elder brother, Louis Frederick Pearson (1863–1943). Henry became the company's first chairman, followed by Louis after Henry's death. Louis Pearson then took on an important role during

WWI World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting took place mainly in Europe and th ...

when the company assisted with the production of

munitions Ammunition, also known as ammo, is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. The term includes both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines), and the component parts of ...

, eventually earning him a

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

. The company occupied a 28-acre site adjacent to the

Midland Railway Company The Midland Railway (MR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844. The Midland was one of the largest railway companies in Britain in the early 20th century, and the largest employer in Derby, where it had its headquarters. It ama ...

's line in Beeston, which it first occupied in 1896, and which became known to local people simply as 'The Foundry'. In 1910 the company became engaged in some form of legal action against the Midland Railway Company, with detailed records of the litigation eventually deposited in

The National Archives National archives are the archives of a country. The concept evolved in various nations at the dawn of modernity based on the impact of nationalism upon bureaucratic processes of paperwork retention. Conceptual development From the Middle Ages i ...

. The company ran into financial difficulties during the 1970s and became

insolvent In accounting, insolvency is the state of being unable to pay the debts, by a person or company ( debtor), at maturity; those in a state of insolvency are said to be ''insolvent''. There are two forms: cash-flow insolvency and balance-sheet in ...

; an administrative receiver was appointed in 1976.

Robin Hood boiler

The Robin Hood range of boilers was introduced around the start of the 20th century, with adverts appearing in

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

as early as 1912, both for the boiler and 'Beeston radiators'. In the 1930s, two Robin Hood boilers were installed to provide horticultural heating in the large gardens at

Calke Abbey Calke Abbey is a Grade I listed building, Grade I listed English country house, country house near Ticknall, Derbyshire, England, in the care of the charitable National Trust. The site was an Augustinians, Augustinian priory from the 12th centu ...

in the 1930s. One of them, a New C Pattern model, was introduced by the company in August 1930. At Calke its six sections fed three circuits, providing heat to the mushroom house, the vinery, and the cucumber houses. The boiler remains on public view in what is now a

National Trust The National Trust () is a heritage and nature conservation charity and membership organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Trust was founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley to "promote the ...

property.

Beeston Robin Hood Brochure

This rare piece of original documentation from 1937 offers a fascinating glimpse into the design, engineering, and care instructions for these iconic heating systems. Owned by Blast Spray Polish (a member of the Guild of Master Craftsmen) and provided for enthusiasts and homeowners who are looking for an authentic connection to the past. Beeston Article front cover

]

References

{{reflist 1893 establishments in England Foundries in the United Kingdom Boilermakers Companies based in Nottinghamshire