Item BLE/4/1 - Cost Book

John Dales, an alderman of the City of York, founded the firm in 1780. The business passed to James Moore Butterfield and became Butterfield & Clarke in 1838 when he took on Joseph Clarke as his partner. J M Butterfield died in the early 1850s and his share of the business was acquired by William Bleasdale in 1856. The business was established at 23 Colliergate, York. As a result of two fires, in 1863 and 1864 the premises had to be completely rebuilt in 1866. By this time they were operating a drug grinding mill and manufacturing laboratory in addition to a distribution warehouse. Bleasdale became sole proprietor following the deaths of Clarke and Tollinton and the retirement of Bell, and traded under the name of W. Bleasdale & Company until his death in 1888. In 1894 it was converted into a limited liability company Bleasdale Ltd., the employees and customers acquiring the business with Grierson as managing director. The company continued to do well until the National Health Service came into being in 1948. After this, it gradually ran down the manufacturing side of the business and concentrated on the wholesaling operation. In 1982 the company made the decision not to re-register as a public company, and it moved from Colliergate to a warehouse at 2 Birch Park, Huntington Road, York.