Cheshire East Council have shone a light on a Congleton-based company.

Hot on the heels of Cheshire Day, March 30, council staff have been diving into the Cheshire Archives with a focus on everything 'Made in Cheshire'.

The county's archive service has chosen a selection of items from its collection that show the variety of products historically manufactured across the county.

Among the discoveries are documents relating to ribbon manufacturer, Berisfords Limited.

Councillor Jill Rhodes, Cheshire East Council's representative on the Cheshire Archives board, said: "Cheshire has such a rich manufacturing tradition, so it's so fascinating to discover new stories of Cheshire's past and how our archive service has been able to collate such a diverse collection of historic images and stories of our past."

Later this year, two new archive centres will open in Chester and Crewe to provide new facilities for the public to find their story and discover untold stories of Cheshire's people and places.

Berisfords Ribbons

Congleton is home to one of Cheshire's longest-standing ribbon manufacturers Berisfords Ltd., a constant in the textile industry since 1858, surviving global competition, two world wars and major shifts in manufacturing.

Founded by Charles Berisford and later carried through generations of the Berisford and Sebire families, the company grew from Victoria Mill on Foundry Bank to an international manufacturer with offices across the UK.

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The entrance to the Lion & Swan Hotel in Congleton, incorporated in a seal, formed part of the trademark of Berisfords' Wearwell 'Tested by Time' ribbons for many years.

Photo of staff at Zan Limited in Wheelock (Credit: CEC)

Made in Cheshire

Other highlights from the archive collection include the inventory attached to the will of Nantwich shoemaker William Hayles.

It gives an idea of how the early 'putting out' system worked, where merchants commissioned designs, took orders, and distributed materials to families who made shoes in their homes. Leather was cut into shapes, stitched into uppers and soles, trimmed, polished, and returned to the merchant ready for market.

There is also a photo of employees at Zan Limited, a Wheelock-based manufacturer once known for producing "everything for cleaning and disinfection."

Among their more unusual products was phosphoric acid, much of it exported to the USA during Prohibition, where it was used in the manufacture of soft fizzy drinks.

Meanwhile, Crewe has been recognised as the original home of Calpol.

The Calmic Group of Companies moved to Crewe Hall from Lancashire in 1947, with the children's medicine invented in 1959.

The manufacturing of pharmaceuticals at Crewe Hall ended in 1995 - it is now a hotel.