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Ella, Coleman & Co.
The firm known for most of its life as Ella, Coleman & Co. originated,
probably in 1778, as soon as the Soar Navigation was opened, as a
partnership between William Cradock and Michael Ella trading as
wharfingers and dealers in timber, iron etc. at the head of the
navigation at Loughborough. Either or In 1792, after an extension of the
navigation up to Leicester had been authorised, the firm were clearly
contemplating establishing themselves there as soon as the canal was
finished. This led to a dispute with their clerk, James Foster, who had
been in their service since 1778 and was poached by another firm with
similar plans. Cradock, Ella & Co. stated that ‘they are determined to
spare no Pains or Expence’ to accommodate their customers, who would be
‘provided with Sheds, Warehouse, and other Conveniences’ at Leicester
‘for the Reception of Wool, Groceries, and all other Goods that may be
entrusted to their Care, and also with a good Assortment of Iron and
Deals’. By this date the two original partners had been joined by James
Douglass, who appears to have been a wine and brandy merchant, (he may
be the James Douglass, wine and brandy merchant, listed at Leicester in
Holden 1811) although the name of the firm was not changed until 1793,
when Cradock, Ella & Douglass of Loughborough were advertising the sale
of millstones alongside deals and Memel and Norway timber and logs.
By May 1794 they had ‘completed large and extensive Warehouses, for the
Reception of Wool, Cheese, &c. upon their Wharf’, from where goods would
be despatched to Shardlow and Gainsborough.
Cheese-factors were advised that ‘Weights and Scales, with proper
Attendants’ were available at the wharf and that business would be
conducted both there and at Poynton’s shop. When the Forest Line of the
Leicester Navigation was opened in the autumn of 1794, ‘and by
Consequence the whole Line for the Conveyance of Coal, as well as
Merchandize’, Ella, Douglass & Poynton immediately announced that a
stock of Leicestershire and Derbyshire coal and seacoal would be kept at
‘Soar Wharf, near the North Gates’, together with timber, deals, fir
laths and iron.
Once again, the conveyance of wool, cheese and groceries from Leicester
to Shardlow and Gainsborough in their own boats was specifically
mentioned, and the firm was still selling Derbyshire millstones.
Poynton seems to have withdrawn from the partnership in the 1790s, to be
replaced by Thomas Burbidge. In 1800 the firm was using the style ‘Ella,
Coleman, Douglass, Burbidge & Co., Proprietors of the Vessels trading
from Leicester to Gainsborough’, although from that year onwards it was
more commonly shortened to Ella, Coleman & Co.
See also:
• C.M. Douglas & Co
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