THORNBERS - WELL HATCHED PLANS

From a dozen hens kept in orange boxes in a backyard, to the biggest company of its kind in the world – that’s the amazing story of Thornbers, the Mytholmroyd-based business that transformed the Upper Calder Valley.

 

Though its chickens are now history Thornbers remains one the area’s most important and influential business names.

 

This is the remarkable tale of an enterprise that started in a very small way but which developed into a world leader, at its peak employing nearly 1,500 people.

 

The Thornbers story begins when Edgar Thornber was born at Laneside in Mytholmroyd, Hebden Bridge in 1888. He was the second son of Lettice and Robert Thornber, who in the 1891 census is recorded as being a fustian dyer. Because his parents were ordinary working folk Edgar began work at the age of 11, as a half-timer, going to school for half the day and working in a local mill for the other half.

Edgar was 13 when he began full-time work.

 

By 1906 the family had moved to Mayroyd in Hebden Bridge. That year an event took place which was to change Edgar’s life – the fustian weavers of Hebden Bridge went on strike. The weavers were dissatisfied with the fact that their wages were lower than those paid in Lancashire. The Hebden Bridge mill owners claimed that their transport costs were much higher – raw cotton which came into the country via Liverpool and Manchester having to be brought much further. The strike was to last for nearly two and a half years. Meanwhile Edgar, young and energetic, was not going to sit around waiting for its end – he had ideas.

By 1906 the family had moved to Mayroyd in Hebden Bridge. That year an event took place which was to change Edgar’s life – the fustian weavers of Hebden Bridge went on strike. The weavers were dissatisfied with the fact that their wages were lower than those paid in Lancashire. The Hebden Bridge mill owners claimed that their transport costs were much higher – raw cotton which came into the country via Liverpool and Manchester having to be brought much further. The strike was to last for nearly two and a half years. Meanwhile Edgar, young and energetic, was not going to sit around waiting for its end – he had ideas.

 

Keeping poultry for showing was a popular hobby at the time, and generated great rivalry. Birds were bred and selected for their exhibition points. Farmers’ wives would have a few hens scratching around outside producing eggs during the summer, and these may well have been birds that were not considered good enough for showing. At that time no one really thought about selecting birds for their egg-laying capabilities, and the housing of poultry was rather primitive.

 

With time on his hands Edgar decided to turn a hobby into a business and set up a hatchery. He acquired a few orange boxes, some broody hens and some eggs and set these up in the back yard at Mayroyd, protected only by bits of sacking. The first sittings must have been a success, as we know that with his brother Ralph’s help at evenings and weekends, Edgar quickly increased the number of broody hens from around a dozen to 300.

Once this enterprise was launched Edgar was never to go back to work in the mill again.

 

Edgar spent considerable time scouring the countryside to find hens and the fertilised eggs for them to sit upon. ‘Hatching’ eggs were about three shillings and sixpence (17 1/2p) a dozen, and there were times when he was hard pressed to find the money to buy them. Edgar’s mother dipped into her modest purse to help, but it was the proud boast of the Thornbers that a total of no more than £25 was originally invested in the enterprise: rather, everything that was made, apart from modest living expenses, was put back into the business.

 

With such rapid expansion and success Edgar soon exhausted the local market. Very early he was placing adverts in Poultry World and other magazines. He was also travelling as far afield as Shudehill Market in Manchester to sell his chicks.

 

Even in those early days parent stock was carefully selected, and birds with any suggestion of weakness were ruthlessly rejected. That was how the Thornber reputation for quality was established.

Artificial incubation was then only just coming into use. The majority of people looked at incubators with suspicion, but technology was an area that Edgar was never afraid to investigate. His first egg incubator, a ‘Hearson’, was housed in Edgar’s bedroom.

 

The cottage at Mayroyd however, was rented, and the blossoming poultry business was not appreciated by the landlord who lived in the big house next door.

 

Inevitably the Thornber family was invited to find other accommodation.

 

In 1911 the family moved as tenants to Newhouse Farm. Now the orange boxes could be discarded as the 23-year old Edgar converted the barn into an incubator room. The four acres of land at the farm were put to good use with breeding pens.

Soon Edgar had progressed to 12 ‘Gloucester’ incubators, each of which had a capacity of 390 eggs. Initially these were oil-heated, though they were later changed to gas. The majority of business was conducted by mail order, cash with order - so Edgar was effectively able to build up his business using his customers’ money.

 

Arrangements were made with the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company for newly-hatched chicks to be transported by fast passenger train.

 

Though tiny, apparently fragile things, a day-old chick can easily stand such treatment. The chick actually develops from the white of the egg around the yolk which provides a source of nourishment for up to 48 hours after it has hatched.

 

Copyright True North Books Limited © 2008 extract from "Halifax and Calder Valley Memories".