Eastern Massey Dealers of the Past.

Gloric

New Member
Oliver Rix Ltd,
Sculthorpe was formed in in 1862 after being bought from James Blackett a wagon builder and iron founder in 1891 Oliver Rix bought the company in 1862 and carried on until his death in 1933, it then continued to trade under Archie Filby his nephew, selling M-F and all makes of farm equipment.

It was bought by John Riches Agricultural Ltd in 1973 who later went on to create the Oliver Rix Group of companies, selling Rolls Royce cars, with multiple car franchises across the UK, a haulage business, farm equipment manufacturing companies, and various other companies.

The farm machinery business was sold to Cargill Tradax in 1979, who then sold it to Cowies Eastern Tractors in 1981 the who later sold it to Boston Tractors in 1994.
In 2000 Norfolk Farm Machinery purchased the company from Boston Tractors which later merged with Randell Farm Machinery to form Randell NFM Ltd ...who sold out to Thurlow Nunn Standen
in 2012.
I worked at Sculthorpe from 1961 to 2011, in which time I saw so many changes in the farm machinery industry,
Sculthorpe staff picture at in 1959
 

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two-cylinder

Member
Location
Cambridge
Yes it was a take over. Not a merger. Our farm was between Ely and Kennet. Some tractors were bought from Chris Rutterford at Ely and some from John Turner at Kennet. I was offered an apprenticeship at both dealers. I choose Thurlow Nunn but they ended up together 7 years later anyway. Also bought a 29 drill from Barclay Motors. Seem to remember old an wetherhead depot was once called Eastern Roadways. Think dad bought a 780 off them from a Mr Matthews iirc.
At one time did Ratford and Brown at Six Mile Bottom sell MF? We have a late 60's 32 mower here with a Ratford and Brown steel dealer's plate on?
Dad says in the 50's they were 'Allis Chalmers' agents, Les Perkins was their rep before venturing out on his own.
 

MF-ANDY

Member
Location
s.e cambs
At one time did Ratford and Brown at Six Mile Bottom sell MF? We have a late 60's 32 mower here with a Ratford and Brown steel dealer's plate on?
Dad says in the 50's they were 'Allis Chalmers' agents, Les Perkins was their rep before venturing out on his own.
Yes they were sub dealers and able to source most things. Basil Rolfe was our local rep. During the war I believe they were commissioned to build up and service MH 21 combines for the war ag. They had a spell selling fiat tractors during the late 70s early 80s then joined with bexwell tractors.
A friend of mine did his apprenticeship there as did a farmer from Fordham before taking over the family farm. Like many old workshops it's all houses now.
 
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MF-ANDY

Member
Location
s.e cambs
I'll ask him when I see him, he walks his dog past ours most mornings. I'm assuming you didn't work at Barclays, just went to college in Bury?
Yes I was at Thurlow Nunn kennet. We did our apprenticeship at the same time along with one from Mann's, one from Cleales, two from Cornish and Lloyds, one from Tripp Batt, one from Overland, and a farmers son. All along time ago.
 

Flat 10

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Fen Edge
Yes they were sub dealers and able to source most things. Basil Rolfe was our local rep. During the war I believe they were commissioned to build up and service MH 21 combines for the war ag. They had a spell selling fiat tractors during the late 70s early 80s then joined with bexwell tractors.
A friend of mine did his apprenticeship there as did a farmer from Fordham before taking over the family farm. Like many old workshops it's all houses now.
We have a Ford 2000 which is '72 which i believe was sold new by ratford and brown to my uncle and then to my grandfather. I can remember machinery being sold there.
 
They used to make a range of attachments, mainly loader attachments. These were sold under the name Barton Products, named presumably as they were based on Barton Rd in Bury St Edmunds. When it all finished (late 80's I think, happy to be corrected) Tripp Batt in Stanton bought the Barton Products name and carried on making them. I worked for the latter and made countless muck forks etc in my time there. Tripp Batt has also now finished. I ended up with folders of drawings of various things, some from Barclay Motors days. I'll have a look see when I get a minute.
That's really interesting I hadn't realised they had made a range of attachments as well, I have never seen any pictures of Barton road premises only ones I can find are of Devonshire house in bury at Edmunds
Yes it was a take over. Not a merger. Our farm was between Ely and Kennet. Some tractors were bought from Chris Rutterford at Ely and some from John Turner at Kennet. I was offered an apprenticeship at both dealers. I choose Thurlow Nunn but they ended up together 7 years later anyway. Also bought a 29 drill from Barclay Motors. Seem to remember old an wetherhead depot was once called Eastern Roadways. Think dad bought a 780 off them from a Mr Matthews iirc.
Eastern roadways were an approved fergie dealer, I know they had premises over Newmarket way according to Mike thornes book
 
Maybe you made my old muck fork and big bale spike then for a manitou? Both very well made, the latter is still going strong.

I remember going to the auction when Barclay Motors packed up. There was loads of Ferguson literature, which I think all went in one lot for not too much. Barclay Motors belonged to the Fairs family and also had a contracting arm for a time, a local old boy who worked there for a period was telling me that they had MF175s with after market 4wd. They did a lot of ploughing and muck spreading. The last time that I went down Barton road in bury the premises were still standing and in use.
It's a job to find any literature they had now, a friend of mine at work contacted a family member to see if they could help with registering his fergie as they sold it and he needed proof for DVLA to re issue reg but unfortunately he said no records remain, interestingly I have just found some Barclay motors farm diaries from late fifties and 1960 on eBay which I won auction on just waiting for delivery!
 

MF-ANDY

Member
Location
s.e cambs
That's really interesting I hadn't realised they had made a range of attachments as well, I have never seen any pictures of Barton road premises only ones I can find are of Devonshire house in bury at Edmunds

Eastern roadways were an approved fergie dealer, I know they had premises over Newmarket way according to Mike thornes book
I thought weatherheads took over one of thier depots.
 

bluegreen

Member
Back in 1990 Thurlow Nunn took the original MF fleet order of 20+ tractors from the Vesty familys Thurlow estates before Mark Weatherheads won the deal for subsequent years. Heres a sample picture of the first arrivals in the Kennett/ Kentford dealers yard in late May. 3115, 3655, 3690
P1070488.JPG
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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