The Riley family were nail makers in Woodlane near Audley in the early 1800s and moved to High Street Halmer End in 1852 to set up a business as White Smiths sharpening and tempering tools for the colliery industry. Colliery and agricultural tools as well as gunpowder were sold. In the 1880's with the coming of high explosives we acted as agents and distributors for certain explosive, detonator and fuse manufacturers.
At about this time the family increased their range of goods to include furniture and toys. We became Seed Merchants, mixing seed and offering smaller agricultural implements (seed drills, fertiliser spreaders, hay making equipment etc.) Also shotgun and rifle cartridges were stocked as well as various guns used by the farmers.
In the late 1940's and into the 50's ICI began to buy out the smaller explosive manufacturers and offered us the distribution of their products to the North Staffs coal field. As the coal industry began closing the deep mines with the loss of a considerable part of the explosive trade ICI offered us a wider distribution of their products and we took on the South Derbyshire Quarries and some Cheshire Quarries, including the Salt Mine at Winsford. In the early 1990's it became uneconomical to continue with our explosive business and we closed it down and used our lorries for general haulage.
In the early 1950's we took on a distribution and installation service for Fullwoods the dairy engineers from Ellesmere installing many parlours in the area. As the agricultural industry declined we decided to use our Seed Merchant status to enter the amenity business, offering seed, fertiliser, top dressings, chemicals and various ancillary items used by sports clubs schools etc.
With all the above changes it became necessary to relocate our business over the road from the original shop where we bought part of a disused railway line built a new warehouse and seed store with extra space for loading /unloading.
Our existing warehouse on this site was converted into a shop/office and the Post Office, which was run by us since William Riley was first appointed Sub Postmaster in 1878, was also located in this building. This brings us to the present day, all the way from horse and cart to computers and mobile phones.
History
Taken from a William Riley & Sons farm seeds catalogue in the early 1920's
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Wm. Riley & Sons LTD 2001.