Barry, Henry and Cook Limited

Aberdeen, Scotland

About MeOriginally founded in 1790 by John Barry (blacksmith and later burgess of Aberdeen) mainly as an ironfounders.

In 1890 farmer and hotel keeper Charles Cook Snr bought the Aberdeen founders and formed it into a limited company, probably with the intention that his two sons charles Jnr and Robert Sellar enter the business. To ensure the success of the business he "poached" four employees (John Paul, John Pirie, Frank Milne and Robert Davidsonfrom the engineers Harpers of Aberdeen. These five men became directors of the company, which in the process became a limited liability business.

Barry, Henry & Company's premises were located on West North Street. At first much of its work was millwrighting (making and machining castings for country mills) but under Cook its engineering sales began to outstrip the foundry output. By the turn of the Century the company began to establish a name for itself as a manufacturer of conveyors and elevators. In 1919 it did briefly attempt to move into the field of selling and servicing motor cars. This side of the business fell by the wayside.

Reflecting the importance of the Cook family in the running and ownership of the firm the name was changed to Barry, Henry & Cook Ltd in 1921.

In 1973 Seaforth Maritime (est. Aberdeen, 1972) took over a majority interest in Barry Henry & Cook Ltd and it was subsumed into the engineering division of its parent company.

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