Site record MDR22888 - William Bemrose and Sons Printworks

A printworks recorded on the 1st ed OS map of 1884. The factory was almost certainly built when the area was developered in the early 1840s. The older William Bemrose came to Derby as a printer in 1815. Bemrose is believed to have established his own printing firm in 1827-8, but it is uncertain where in the town the company had its initial premises. It is also unclear whether Bemrose and Son moved to Park Street when the area was first developed, or whether they moved into an existing factory at a later date. But it is likely that by 1884 the printworks operating on the site in the mid 1880s was operated by Bemrose and Sons. Bemrose and Sons became a very sussessful printing company producing a range of printed materials ranging from art catalogues to stationery. It is probably best know for producing large railway timetimes that were on display in railway stations, including the nearby Derby Midland railway station. William's two sons Henry and William took over the running of the company c.1870. The company probably remained under the control of the Bemrose family until the 1970s. The Bemrose family decame a very influential local family, becoming leading figures in the Borough Corporation. Henry Bemrose served as a local MP. In the late 1940s a new grammar school, in the early C21st a comprehensive school, was named in their honour.