Pickfords
Encyclopedia
Pickfords is a moving company
based in the United Kingdom
, part of the Moving Services Group UK Ltd.
The business is believed to have been founded in the 17th century, making it one of the UK's oldest functioning companies. The earliest record is of a William Pickford, a carrier
who worked south of Manchester
in 1630. In 1646 a north-country yeoman
by the name of Thomas Pickford had his lands confiscated by Parliament
for gun-running and supporting the Cavaliers during the English Civil War
.
The Pickfords family of Adlington
, south of Manchester, and later of nearby Poynton
, first entered the wagon trade in the 17th century.
for the construction of turnpike
roads; instead of the packhorses returning with empty loads, they carried goods for third parties.
In 1756 the company relocated to London
and in 1776 it invented the fly wagon
which could travel from London
to Manchester in the then fast speed of four and a half days. A year later it bought the carrier business of William Bass, a Staffordshire
haulier who carried ale
for a local brewer. With the funds Bass
went on to form a brewery which still bears his name today.
In the 1779 it entered the canal industry as well (from which it withdrew in 1850). In the 19th century, it operated wagons on other companies' railways, but this was contentious, and eventually this service was eliminated.
In 1816 the company was close to bankruptcy after many years of decline. The Pickford family sold out to a number of businessmen led by Joseph Baxendale, whose family become instrumental in running the company for over a century. For being late in delivering a miller's iron shaft, Pickford's was involved in the famous English contract law
case, Hadley v. Baxendale
(1848), where the court held the company was not liable for unforeseeable losses resulting from Pickford's lateness.
In the 20th century the company switched to road haulage. During this time it formed a rivalry with fellow hauliers Carter Paterson, with whom (amongst others) they merged in 1912, although both kept their separate names.
In 1920 the company was sold again, to Hays Wharf Limited, on the back of a burgeoning post-World War I
home removals business. Pickfords still continued to operate under that name. In turn Hays Wharf was taken over by the four main British railway companies in 1934 and was subsequently nationalised in 1947 as part of British Road Services
and what would become the National Freight Corporation (NFC) in the 1969.
In 1942 the Heavy Haulage division moved Mulberry harbour
sections (temporary harbour) to sea launchings prior to them being towed across the English Channel
for the Normandy landings.
As part of the NFC Pickfords was involved in a wide range of haulage activities including heavy haulage (moving oversize loads) from the 1950s to the 1980s. The company absorbed several well known haulage companies during this period but then withdrew from the sector. A number of former Pickfords vehicles have been preserved and can be seen at events, demonstrating moving outsize loads along with the earlier steam tractors.
company Allied Van Lines
in a deal worth $400 million, In 2002 the company was sold, becoming part of Sirva.
In 2008 SIRVA hit financial difficulties and the Pickfords businesses were sold to a private owner and became part of Moving Services Group UK Ltd.
In 2009 Allied Pickfords, the international arm of Pickfords, became Pickfords. The company continues to operate as part of the Allied International Network which has 600 offices in over 45 countries.
Today Pickfords has branches throughout the UK and Ireland. The company provides a complete portfolio of services to consumers and businesses including moving within the UK, moving to Europe and further overseas, business moving, transition and project management, employee moving services, small moves and packing materials.
In 2010 Kevin Pickford returned to Australia, continuing to work with the Group.
Russell Start became Managing Director of the Pickfords operating company Moving Services Group UK Ltd, having previously worked for Pickfords for many years as a senior manager.
As part of its approach to corporate responsibility, Pickfords announced a fundraising partnership with the NSPCC
in 2010.
Moving company
A moving company, removalist, or van line is a company that helps people and businesses relocate their goods from one place to another. Typically they use moving vans, but for international moves or where storage is required, they may use special containerised vans or shipping containers.National...
based in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, part of the Moving Services Group UK Ltd.
The business is believed to have been founded in the 17th century, making it one of the UK's oldest functioning companies. The earliest record is of a William Pickford, a carrier
Common carrier
A common carrier in common-law countries is a person or company that transports goods or people for any person or company and that is responsible for any possible loss of the goods during transport...
who worked south of Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
in 1630. In 1646 a north-country yeoman
Yeoman
Yeoman refers chiefly to a free man owning his own farm, especially from the Elizabethan era to the 17th century. Work requiring a great deal of effort or labor, such as would be done by a yeoman farmer, came to be described as "yeoman's work"...
by the name of Thomas Pickford had his lands confiscated by Parliament
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
for gun-running and supporting the Cavaliers during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
.
The Pickfords family of Adlington
Adlington
Adlington may refer to one of two places in England:*Adlington, Cheshire*Adlington, LancashirePeople with the surname Adlington:*Rebecca Adlington, a British swimmer*Terry Adlington, a British soccer player*William Adlington, British translator...
, south of Manchester, and later of nearby Poynton
Poynton
Poynton is a town within the civil parish of Poynton-with-Worth, and the unitary authority area of Cheshire East, England. For ceremonial purposes it is part of the county of Cheshire. Poynton is located at the eastern most fringe of the Cheshire Plain, north of Macclesfield, south of Stockport...
, first entered the wagon trade in the 17th century.
Origins
By 1695 the Pickford family was engaged in supplying quarry stone by packhorsePackhorse
.A packhorse or pack horse refers generally to an equid such as a horse, mule, donkey or pony used for carrying goods on their backs, usually carried in sidebags or panniers. Typically packhorses are used to cross difficult terrain, where the absence of roads prevents the use of wheeled vehicles. ...
for the construction of turnpike
Turnpike trust
Turnpike trusts in the United Kingdom were bodies set up by individual Acts of Parliament, with powers to collect road tolls for maintaining the principal highways in Britain from the 17th but especially during the 18th and 19th centuries...
roads; instead of the packhorses returning with empty loads, they carried goods for third parties.
In 1756 the company relocated to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and in 1776 it invented the fly wagon
Fly (carriage)
A fly was a horse-drawn public coach or delivery wagon, especially one let out for hire. In Britain, the term also referred to a light covered vehicle, such as a single-horse pleasure carriage or a hansom cab....
which could travel from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to Manchester in the then fast speed of four and a half days. A year later it bought the carrier business of William Bass, a Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
haulier who carried ale
Ale
Ale is a type of beer brewed from malted barley using a warm fermentation with a strain of brewers' yeast. The yeast will ferment the beer quickly, giving it a sweet, full bodied and fruity taste...
for a local brewer. With the funds Bass
Bass (beer)
The Bass Brewery was founded as a brewery in 1777 by William Bass in Burton upon Trent, England. The main brand was Bass Pale Ale, which was once the highest selling beer in the UK...
went on to form a brewery which still bears his name today.
In the 1779 it entered the canal industry as well (from which it withdrew in 1850). In the 19th century, it operated wagons on other companies' railways, but this was contentious, and eventually this service was eliminated.
In 1816 the company was close to bankruptcy after many years of decline. The Pickford family sold out to a number of businessmen led by Joseph Baxendale, whose family become instrumental in running the company for over a century. For being late in delivering a miller's iron shaft, Pickford's was involved in the famous English contract law
English contract law
English contract law is a body of law regulating contracts in England and Wales. With its roots in the lex mercatoria and the activism of the judiciary during the industrial revolution, it shares a heritage with countries across the Commonwealth , and the United States...
case, Hadley v. Baxendale
Hadley v. Baxendale
Hadley v Baxendale [1854] is a leading English contract law case. It set the basic rule for how to determine the scope of consequential damages arising from a breach of contract, that one is liable for all losses that ought to have been in the contemplation of the contracting parties.-Facts:The...
(1848), where the court held the company was not liable for unforeseeable losses resulting from Pickford's lateness.
In the 20th century the company switched to road haulage. During this time it formed a rivalry with fellow hauliers Carter Paterson, with whom (amongst others) they merged in 1912, although both kept their separate names.
In 1920 the company was sold again, to Hays Wharf Limited, on the back of a burgeoning post-World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
home removals business. Pickfords still continued to operate under that name. In turn Hays Wharf was taken over by the four main British railway companies in 1934 and was subsequently nationalised in 1947 as part of British Road Services
British Road Services
The National Freight Corporation was a major British transport business. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and at one time, as NFC plc, it was a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.-History:...
and what would become the National Freight Corporation (NFC) in the 1969.
In 1942 the Heavy Haulage division moved Mulberry harbour
Mulberry harbour
A Mulberry harbour was a British type of temporary harbour developed in World War II to offload cargo on the beaches during the Allied invasion of Normandy....
sections (temporary harbour) to sea launchings prior to them being towed across the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
for the Normandy landings.
Globalisation
The National Freight Consortium, as it was subsequently re-named, was privatised via a sale to employees in 1982 and in 1996 NFC acquired the AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
company Allied Van Lines
Allied Van Lines
Allied Van Lines is a moving company founded in 1928 as a cooperative non-profit organization owned by its member agents on the east coast of the United States, to help with organizing return loads and minimizing dead-heading . In 1968 it was reorganzied as a standard public company, with shares...
in a deal worth $400 million, In 2002 the company was sold, becoming part of Sirva.
In 2008 SIRVA hit financial difficulties and the Pickfords businesses were sold to a private owner and became part of Moving Services Group UK Ltd.
In 2009 Allied Pickfords, the international arm of Pickfords, became Pickfords. The company continues to operate as part of the Allied International Network which has 600 offices in over 45 countries.
Today Pickfords has branches throughout the UK and Ireland. The company provides a complete portfolio of services to consumers and businesses including moving within the UK, moving to Europe and further overseas, business moving, transition and project management, employee moving services, small moves and packing materials.
Management
Kevin Pickford, an Australian who traced his ancestors back to 1750 in the same parish as the Pickford family, became Managing Director of Pickfords in 2002.In 2010 Kevin Pickford returned to Australia, continuing to work with the Group.
Russell Start became Managing Director of the Pickfords operating company Moving Services Group UK Ltd, having previously worked for Pickfords for many years as a senior manager.
As part of its approach to corporate responsibility, Pickfords announced a fundraising partnership with the NSPCC
NSPCC
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children is a United Kingdom charity campaigning and working in child protection.-History:...
in 2010.