Armstrong Thomas

The business was founded by Thomas Armstrong in Cockermouth in 1830 and consisted of saw mills and joinery works. Throughout the 19th Century the business continued to develop and expand, so by 1900 the saw mills were employing over 60 men.

A newspaper advertisement of that date described the Company as Sawmillers, Timber and Slate Merchants, Builders and Joiners, Explosive Agents and Undertakers; to these were soon added Quarry owners and Coach Builders.

The business was managed in the period 1830 - 1930 by four successive generations of the Armstrong family. October 1930 finally saw the end of the Armstrong family as owners and managers of the Company and a Limited Company was formed by four local businessmen with Mr Glover Denham as Managing Director. He was to provide the foresight and drive throughout a period of 24 years to his death in 1954.