The Birth of Pelaw

In 1844 there were fields and a waggonway between Heworth and Bill Quay. It's unlikely that there'd still be fields, given urban sprawl, but the Pelaw we know today started when 28 fellas in Rochdale started the Co-op Movement in a store in Toad Lane. This vid is worth a looksee


It took 52 years after that small beginning before the Pelaw fields became a hub of CWS factories along with houses for the workers, starting in1896.


The factories were on a long slither of land, leased from the Bishop of Durham, between the rail lines seen at the bottom of the pic and the houses, shops and pubs running in a straight line along the top third of the pic





The house on the left, which bears the name of the street Croxdale Terrace, is the biggest and was built by the builder William Foster who was a brick manufacturer of The Felling who struck gold by being a brick supplier to the CWS for their factory buildings. Foster was born in the County Durham village of Croxdale which he immortalised in the street name



What made Pelaw a household name throughout the UK was the adoption of the alliterative name Pelaw Polish as the Co-op's brand name for its range of polishes


The factories, in addition to making Pelaw Polish also made shirts and other clothing, dry goods, drugs, bedding, furniture, printing and metal goods

The drugs factory was actually called Drug & Drysaltery Works. Isn't this a magnificent letterhead? If they were still around what would their emails be like? Look at the telephone numbers


Left click the pic to see it better