Norfolk tractors

[12 bore]

Does anyone on here have any information on Norfolk tractors, king street, Norwich. I' researching the history of my fergie which has a Norfolk registration. Norfolk tractors are listed as being the agents at the time in 1948. I know Ben burgess had premises in king street and that they sold Marshall tractors but were they also agents for ferguson at the time. Thanks in advance harry

 

[old vin ag]

I don't know great deal about Norfolk Tractors but I think the main depot was at Bexwell Station just outside Downham Market.
Most of the Ferguson 20's came I understand from to the station on the railway. I have seen reports that at one time Norfolk Tractors sold 1000/ 1200 tractor in one year. Some years ago talking to Nigel Trett who worked for Bexwell Tractors who were I think using the same site in more recent years told me that I think it was his father that had an important position at Norfolk Tractors. Apparently he related to me this story that a very important customer came into the office paid cash for a new T20 but said it must without fail be delivered the next Saturday. However because the lorry was not available they got one of the older men out of the office to drive it from Bexwell to just north of Norwich which was a journey at T20 speed of about 2Hours. However as it was winter weather they fitted the driver up with a very thick coat Goggles and of course the requiste thick Heavy Hessian Sack to have acros his knees , so important for tractors drivers with out cabs even in quite recent times. When he got to farm appently he was so frozen that they had too lift him off the tractor and sit him in the farm house by the fire for quite some time to thaw him out . Bernie Biggs and his father owned the Bexwell Tractors company and of course sold and had tremendous success with Zetor Tractors, but not sure if Bernies father was involved in the Norfork Tractor company or when They ended and the Bexwell tractors company began.

 

[12 bore]

Thanks very much for the reply, that' a great story about the chap delivering the t20 although I'm sure he wasn' t too pleased at the time. That' another avenue for me to look down anyway. I know where mine was first sold in suffolk and I'm only second owner. Just not sure why it would have been brought from Norfolk and not suffolk

 

[Exfarmer]

Ben Burgess only became John Deere dealers in the mid sixties. Before that they sold a variety of tractors , particularly Marshall. There is no record of any one but Ben Burgess selling out of King Street Norwich.

 

[nick...]

Ive never heard of norfolk tractors either.as for bexwell tractors,they also had a depot at besthorpe in the next village to me.can remember them selling fendt,steyr and zetors
Nick...

 

[johnniepk]

Not heard of them either,my Fergie was registered at Ipswich but first sold by Barclays at Bury st Eds ,

 

[old vin ag]

Bexwell Tractors also had a depot at Chatteris

 

[12 bore]

I only found out about Norfolk tractors when reading Micheal Thornes ferguson book. In the back it lists the dealers of the time another one I had not heard of in Suffolk was farm mechanisation co in ipswich. At first I thought it was something to do with reekie in Arbroath but turns out they were owned by egertons motor group. The reason for my interest in all of this is my 48 Fergie has lived all its life in Suffolk but has a Norfolk reg JAH 771. It was first owned by a farm in charsfield Suffolk and I'm 3rd owner. So this sparked my curiosity as to where it was sold from as I know the rest of the history

 

[12 bore]

Ben Burgess only became John Deere dealers in the mid sixties. Before that they sold a variety of tractors , particularly Marshall. There is no record of any one but Ben Burgess selling out of King Street Norwich.

So perhaps Ben burgess were Norfolk Tractors? Norwich record office have said that a firm trading as Norfolk tractors was recorded there in 1951

 

[nick...]

May @CPP could ask the management there
Nick...

 

[CPP]

I'll ask the question

 

[12 bore]

Thanks very much much appreciated

I'll ask the question

 

[nick...]

I'll ask the question

BT will know the answer
Nick...

 

[Exfarmer]

Its a Ford Ferguson being made in 1948 so it would have been sold by the Ford Agents who were the Mann Egerton group, their depot was in Ber Street Norwich. presumably they were trading as Norfolk Tractors.
http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/view...ractors-the-company-that-did-it-all-1-3731157

 

[old vin ag]

If the photo of the tractor that 12 bore has in his avatar is the 1948 Fergie he's referring to, this is a nothing to do with a ford Ferguson it's a pure Ferguson tea20 petrol or ted 20 petrol parrafin ( TVO) produced in the production run of over 500000 tractors made and dispatched all over world from Banner Lane Coventry in the period from 1946 to 1956.

 

[johnniepk]

Its a Ford Ferguson being made in 1948 so it would have been sold by the Ford Agents who were the Mann Egerton group, their depot was in Ber Street Norwich. presumably they were trading as Norfolk Tractors.
http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/view...ractors-the-company-that-did-it-all-1-3731157

Can't see why it would be a ford Fergie in 48,unless I'm missing something

 

[Exfarmer]

Sorry, my mistake, but Fords and Ferguson were still cooperating till 1952 , I think. The tractor is certainly Banner Lane.
I still think it could have been sold through Fordson dealerships a

 

[old vin ag]

Woodn't have thought there would be much cooperation between Ferguson and Fordson Dealers in 1952 as the Patent infringement lawsuit had just been settled out of court for $9 million in favour of Harry Ferguson in April 1952

 

[Exfarmer]

Woodn't have thought there would be much cooperation between Ferguson and Fordson Dealers in 1952 as the Patent infringement lawsuit had just been settled out of court for $9 million in favour of Harry Ferguson in April 1952

Sorry the tractor was sold in 1948 thus it is quite possible there was co operation then. The fordson dealers had no small tractors to sell at the time I believe.
I Am purely speculating , with no evidence. Did Ford bring any Small tractors from the states, certainly they got back together fairly quickly as the Dexta owes a lot to the small MF’s.

 

[12 bore]

Yeah it is a straight petrol tea20 made in 1948. By this point as old vin ag says there was no love lost between Ford and ferguson even at the earlier stage before lawsuit. However farm mechanisation co in ipswich was owened by egertons in ipswich later to become Mann Egerton so they obviously sold ferguson before Ford.