FOSTER CLARK'S
1891 to1965
Historical Time Line
1864 to 1967
|
|
FOSTER CLARK'S 1891 to1965 Historical Time Line 1864 to 1967 |
|
|
Please help us add to this information. Tell us your facts and stories. info@fosterclark.info
| George Foster Clark | Foster Clark's | Other Information | |
|
1864 |
Born in Ramsgate | ||
| 1865 | |||
| 1866 | |||
| 1867 | |||
| 1868 | |||
| 1869 | |||
| 1870 | |||
| 1871 | |||
| 1872 | Moved to Maidstone | ||
| 1873 | |||
| 1874 | |||
| 1875 | |||
| 1876 | |||
| 1877 | Worked as errand boy to Thomas Brown, bookseller and printer in Week Street | ||
| 1878 | Grocer's apprentice to Messers Burtonshaw and Bacon at Plaxton St Maidstone | ||
| 1879 | |||
| 1880 | |||
| 1881 | Concluding 4 year apprenticeship he became assistant to grocer Thomas Carpenter at 15 Week Street | ||
| 1882 | |||
| 1883 | |||
| 1884 | |||
| 1885 | |||
| 1886 | |||
| 1887 | |||
| 1888 | |||
| 1889 | First experiments in George's mothers kitchen of manufacturing baking, cake flour and lemonade powder. This was sold through Carpenters. | Eiffel Tower erected for the great exhibition. | |
| 1890 | |||
| 1891 |
Aged 27 he left Carpenter's and set out as a grocers' sundriesman. Starting capital £27.50 Married Henrieta Carpenter |
Start of full time manufacturing in Mote Road, Maidstone. Known at this stage as Foster Clark & Co. William and Henry his brothers dealt with production whilst George dealt with sales. |
|
| 1892 | First elected as a councillor. | ||
| 1893 | |||
| 1894 | |||
| 1895 | Aged 31 | Purchased part of the old Chambers' Jam factory in Hart Street, Maidstone. | |
| 1896 | Advert for Lemonade at 4.5d a bottle in Kent Messenger. | ||
| 1897 | |||
| 1898 | Trade dispute with Edward Sharp | ||
| 1899 | |||
| 1900 | |||
| 1901 | Moved to Boughton Mount in Boughton Monchelsea. | ||
| 1902 | |||
| 1903 | |||
| 1904 | |||
| 1905 | |||
| 1906 | |||
| 1907 | |||
| 1908 | |||
| 1909 | |||
| 1910 | Registered as a private company. | ||
| 1911 | |||
| 1912 | |||
| 1913 | |||
| 1914 | WW 1 | ||
| 1915 | WW 1 | ||
| 1916 | Mayor of Maidstone aged 52 | WW 1 | |
| 1917 | Mayor of Maidstone / Commenced as Hop Controler for the Country. | WW 1 | |
| 1918 | Mayor of Maidstone |
Photos available of factory interior in Hart Street. Following transport problems Foster Clark (Australia) Ltd was formed. |
WW 1 |
| 1919 |
19th July as Alderman he read the Peace Day Address. |
||
| 1920 | |||
| 1921 | |||
| 1922 | Stood for parliament but came second by 38 votes | ||
| 1923 | Stood for parliament the last time and lost again. | ||
| 1924 |
Donated 14 acres of land in Barton Road for playing fields for Maidstone Grammar School for boys. He also disposed of land for 1,000 council homes. Foster Clark estate is given its name |
||
| 1925 |
Ceased as Hop Controler for the Country. Declined a knighthood from Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin. Purchased a Cot in West Kent General Hospital £1,000 with the gift received for his services as Hop Keeper. |
Pension fund was established. With a fund for those too old for the scheme. | |
| 1926 | Still a councillor in this year he spoke up for the motor cars access to our towns. | Foster Clark's was largly unaffected by the general strike. | |
| 1927 | |||
| 1928 |
First quoted on Stock Exchange as a Public Company with capital of £500,000. Employees of ten years service received shares. |
||
| 1929 |
Opened the new pavilion to the sports ground in Barton Road. Gave £30,000 to the West Kent Hospital for Nurses' Hostel. |
Canning factory opens | |
| 1930 | |||
| 1931 | |||
| 1932 |
Donated the site for the church vicarage and parish hall for the estate in Sutton Road. Died aged 68 worth over £588,433 |
Henry Charles Clark takes over as Chairman. | |
| 1933 | |||
| 1934 | |||
| 1935 | |||
| 1936 | |||
| 1937 | All male employees insured under a group life insurance scheme. | ||
| 1938 | Henrieta Clark donated a further two acres of land to the boys grammar school. | ||
| 1939 | WW2 | ||
| 1940 | WW2 | ||
| 1941 | WW2 | ||
| 1942 | Insurance scheme is extended to all female employees. | WW2 | |
| 1943 | WW2 | ||
| 1944 | WW2 | ||
| 1945 | WW2 | ||
| 1946 | 50,000 sq foot extension to the factory. Canning production line installed. | ||
| 1947 | |||
| 1948 | |||
| 1949 | |||
| 1950 | The 1950's saw sales decline with the advent of fast and frozen foods. | ||
| 1951 | |||
| 1952 | |||
| 1953 | |||
| 1954 | |||
| 1955 | Photos available Foster Clark (Australia) Ltd. Melbourne | ||
| 1956 | |||
| 1957 | |||
| 1958 | |||
| 1959 | |||
| 1960 | Foster Clarks merged with St. Martin | ||
| 1961 | 9th Aug Warehouse on the corner of Hart Street and Barker Road was destroyed | ||
| 1962 | |||
| 1963 |
The receivers are called in to try and find a rescue package. |
||
| 1964 | |||
| 1965 | 33 years after his death, 101 years after his birth his 74 year old company finally lost out to the frozen food market. |
Foster Clark's name was sold to Oxo after going into receivership. Foster Clark (Australia) Ltd goes into receivership. |
|
| 1966 | |||
| 1967 | In a different market place those original products have gone on to form the back bone of Maltas largest food manufacturing company. |
Foster Clark was set up in Malta in 1967 as a joint venture with Unilever between Paul Busuttil and Brooke Bond of Unilever. |
|
| 1983 | After 16 years as part of the international firm Unilever Group, Foster Clark Products Ltd has become a wholly owned subsidiary of the Busuttil Group. Unilever had a 60 per cent stake in Foster Clark Products Ltd , which is based in San Gwann industrial estate. | ||
| 2005 |
You can see where Foster Clark's is today at |
Published References - Recipe Books - Bottles - Current Products - Australian Products - Home Page