Priday, Metford and Company Limited
This business ran into difficulties in 1885 largely owing to the cost of conversion from stone grinding to steel roller-milling, in accordance with contemporary trends, and to the vagaries of wheat prices.
The City Flour Mills are probably the last remaining building at the Gloucester Docks which is still used for the purpose for which it was originally built.
The company's records show that in the 19th Century it brought wheat from France, Poland, Argentina, Chile, Australia, Russia, India and Canada bearing names such as Chirka, California, La Plata, Manitoba.
The Company nowadays produces a range of both white and brown flours for supply to the independent baker and every effort is made to meet changes in public demand, the most recent being for additive-free products.
Her final journey to collect wheat from Avonsmouth is described by John Hopper in "Cotswold Life" for November 1975.
The wheat arriving by water was unloaded at the Victoria Dock into railway trucks and pulled horses along a siding to the Mill.
In 1925 this system was replaced by a suction intake tower and gantry constructed to draw the wheat from the barge and carry it across the road to the Mill.
Later these were replaced by motor vehicles; a steam-driven "Sentinel" and, later, by Dennis lorries, the early models having solid tyres.
The company built up a fleet of flatbed lorries and bulk tankers to adapt to the transition from rail to road transport.
They were brought from S. Harvey of Hartpury and tended by George Hotham, the Gloucester veterinary surgeon who practice was at Bearland.
Several pictures of Priday, Metford's early transport have survived together those of bakers' carrying the company's advertisement.
Priday, Metford & Co. was founded by Charles Priday, who was already milling at Over and at St. Owen's Mill in the Docks, Mr (later Col. Sir) Francis Killigrew Seymour Metford and Mr Francis Tring Pearce who had been a partner in the firm of Reynolds and Allen.
His knighthood was celebrated with a party at the Connaught Rooms, later the Cadena in Eastgate Street, and gifts, silver cigarette cases or workbaskets, for employees.
Two of the families are still represented on the board of Directors by direct descendants of the founders, although the day-to-day management is the responsibility of full-time executives.
When the business was incorporated in 1900 the original shareholders were Charles and Florence Priday, Frances and Agnes Metford and Francis and Martha Pearce together with Henry Allen Pearce (their son) and Henry Witcomb Arkell, the mill foreman and nephew of Charles Priday.
The company has remained in the hands of the three families and shares are held by relatives of the original partners to the fourth generation in the case of the Pridays and Metfords.
The Pearce family have been connected with the City Flour Mills since 1860 and for six generations because Henry Allen (co founder of Reynold and Allen) was the father in law of Francis Tring Pearce and his great-great granddaughter Margaret Elizabeth Cooper was appointed a director of Priday Metford and Company in 1984.
The company has marked the year by producing calendars and ceramic mugs with special designs recording its centenary.
A dinner-dance for employees and pensioners was held at the Golden Valley Hotel in June 1986 and at the company's Annual General Meeting in July shareholders joined the Board of Directors at a Centenary Lunch at the Parliament Room in the Cathedral Close, Gloucester.
1883 New 10-sack steel roller mill installed (1 sack = 280 lb = 5 bushels = 127 kg) 1885 December: Reynolds & Allen's business in difficulty.
Possible causes: costof conversion of Mill, fluctuation in wheat prices, shortage of capital, additional cost of delivery Avonmouth to Gloucester, difficult canal.
"Gloucester Chronicle" also mentions that "Hercules" (stoneground) wheatmeal flour and barley meal was produced by the Company at North Mill.
1925 (probable date): Suction intake and gantry constructed to carry wheat from barges in Victoria Dock to mill.
Priday; New director, Francis Owen Metford 1947 33 Park road purchased as accommodation for employees who had no housing.
First occupiers: H.Austin, O. Ellis, G. Elliott 1949 "Fox Elms" hit Severn Railway Bridge (November) and sank; T. Aldridge, master, and son survived.
1970 Mrs Sally Oppenheim's election as MP for Gloucester recorded in AGM minutes 1971 Company entered pre-mix trade - shortage of skilled labour make it attractive to bakers.
1973 Britain entered Common Market; Charman records effect not greatly felt due to existing high import levies on wheat.
1985 P. Cleary appointed Managing Director The flour produced by Priday Metford was renowned for its quality as the following quotation from Cotswold Life (July 1986) shows: "At my grandmother's funeral in Lancashire not long a go I met a distant cousin for the first time.
Knowing where I lived he did not enthuse about the beauty of the Cotswolds but said, "Of course, we never come back from the south without calling at Gloucester to buy flour from Priday Metford...." Diana Alexander The founding families were those of Charles Priday, Francis Killigrew Seymour Metford and Francis Tring Pearce.
The Pearce family were involved in milling in the Gloucester area for over a century and for six generations, that is to say right from 1860 until Priday, Metford and Company Limited was sold onto Spillers in about 1986.
