Liquorice

Hand stamp for liquorice Pontefract cakes made at 'F.D' [ Frank Dunhill's].This hand stamp was also used on the wax of the first secret ballot box in Britain at Pontefract in 1872.

Commemorative plate with W. R. Wilkinson & Co Ltd liquorice emblem which includes Pontefract Castle symbolised by the tower on the top right quarter [the broken bridge 'Ponte-fract' is on the bottom left quarter] 1984. The business was established in 1884 and the original factory was based in a malt kiln in Southgate, Pontefract. The company was bought out in 1894 and became a limited company in 1924. A year later a former brush factory in Monkhill was rebuilt as a 'garden factory’. In 1961 the company merged with the Sheffield based Bassett Group, their biggest rivals.

Handstamp for Pontefract cakes made by W. R. Wilkinson & Co. The stylised castle of a wall between two towers has an owl perched on it. The owl is a reference to the Saville family who owned land around Pontefract and Leeds. Locally, it is commonly thought that the emblem on most 'cakes' is based on the siege coins minted at Pontefract Castle in the Civil War. There is no evidence that this is in fact true. The emblems of the castle and owl later appeared in the company's 'seal' developed in the 1940s.

A liquorice Pontefract Castle hand-stamp for confectionery company Robinson & Wordsworth. The emblem of the castle differs from rival producers W. R. Wilkinson & Co Ltd by showing a flag instead of an owl on the castle battlements.

'Dunhills Original' handstamp for liquorice Pontefract Cakes. The stylised castle of a wall between two tower has an owl perched on it. The owl is probably a reference to the Saville family who owned land around Pontefract and Leeds [It is also a symbol used by Leeds]. Locally, it is commonly thought that the emblems on most 'cakes' are based on the siege coins minted at Pontefract Castle in the Civil War. There is no evidence that this is in fact true.

Handstamp for Pontefract cakes made by W. R. Wilkinson & Co. The stylised castle of a wall between two towers has an owl perched on it. The owl is a reference to the Saville family who owned land around Pontefract and Leeds. Locally, it is commonly thought that the emblem on most 'cakes' is based on the siege coins minted at Pontefract Castle in the Civil War. There is no evidence that this is in fact true. The emblems of the castle and owl later appeared in the company's 'seal' developed in the 1940s.

Photograph showing the match between the 'F.D.' [Frank Dunhill] liquorice Pontefract cake stamp and the wax stamp sealing the first secret ballot box used in Britain in 1872. Dunhills company emblem was then of a castle with an owl perched on it.

The image shows the loading bay at Joseph Bellamy & Sons Ltd confectionery works around 1960. In 1870 the company started manufacturing in Leeds, but in 1899 moved to Castleford.They became known for their mint imperials, French almonds as well as chocolate covered liquorice allsorts. In 1935 Joseph Bellamy & Sons Ltd became incorporated. The business was run in turn by the Bellamy family until it was taken over by John Mackintosh Ltd in early 1964.

Photograph of W. R. Wilkinson & Co Ltd liquorice cakes and a hand stamp.

Ariel view of W. R. Wilkinson & Co Ltd liquorice factory, Pontefract.

W. R. Wilkinson & Co Ltd factory, Pontefract.

The image shows the liquorice factory of W. R. Wilkinson & Co Ltd with houses in foreground.

Recreation hall at W. R. Wilkinson & Co Ltd liquorice works, Pontefract.

W. R. Wilkinson & Co Ltd factory entrance, off of Ferrybridge Road, Pontefract.

Hand stamping liquorice cakes W. R. Wilkinson & Co Ltd, Pontefract.

Pontefract cakes, hand stamp and cutter being used at W. R. Wilkinson & Co Ltd.

Stamping liquorice cakes at W. R. Wilkinson & Co Ltd liquorice works, Pontefract.

Production line at Wilkinson liquorice works, Pontefract.

Production line at W. R. Wilkinson & Co Ltd, Pontefract.

Liquorice Allsorts production line at Wilkinson liquorice works. The women are checking the sweets for defects.

Production line packing liquorice allsorts at Wilkinson liquorice works, Pontefract.

Weighing and packaging department at Wilkinson liquorice works Pontefract.

Machine cutting lengths of liquorice at Wilkinson liquorice works, Pontefract.

Sweet mixers at Wilkinson liquorice works, Pontefract.