Crane firm’s verbal legacy celebrated with exhibition

Hull firm Priestman, started by two Quaker brothers from Hull in the 19th century, went into receivership in the 1980s, but remains dear to the hearts of hundreds of those who worked there.

Former publicity manager Bill Bromwich, who worked for the company for 30 years, salvaged 10,000 brochures and photographs when the firm went under. He’s organised an exhibition which has opened at Hedon Museum and tells the story of Priestman People at Work and Play.

Priestman started in old works in the middle of Hull in 1870 and in 1958 moved to a new 63-acre site in Marfleet. In its heyday. it employed more than 1,500 workers and made six products – including excavators, cranes and grab dredgers – that sold round the world.

One of its legacies is the word “grab” as a noun in the Oxford English Dictionary.

The company’s first contract was making a crane and grab to dredge in Vigo harbour for gold bullion. Nothing was ever found – but it led them to make a grab dredging crane for Hull docks and the rest was history.

Mr Bromwich said: “It was a genuine home from home for a lot of people.”