The Samuel Cooke Group
has been in existence since 1845. It's interesting to chart
our progress since then, from humble beginnings to our status
today as a major supplier of fuels and lubricants to customers
in the UK and overseas, especially when set against the backdrop
of other significant events along the way.
|
| 1845 |
The Burnley
based Wholesale Chemists Richard & James Thomas expanded
their business to blend lubricating oils for the Lancashire
weaving industry |
| 1845 |
Tarmac laid
for the first time in Britain (in Nottingham) |
| 1846 |
An anaesthetic
was used for the first time in England |
| 1847 |
Ten Hours Act
shortens the factory workday to ten hours for women &
children |
| 1850 |
Tennyson succeeds
Wordsworth as Poet Laureate |
| 1868 |
Samuel
Cooke joined the oil business established by the Thomas brothers |
| 1868 |
Last convicts
landed in Australia |
| 1869 |
Suez canal
opened |
| 1871 |
FA Cup introduced
in England |
| 1874 |
Suez canal
opened |
| 1876 |
Alexander Graham
Bell invented the telephone |
| 1881 |
Samuel
Cooke took on the business and the company name changed |
| 1883 |
The parcel
post started in Britain |
| 1888 |
John Boyd Dunlop
applied to patent a pneumatic tyre |
| 1897 |
RAC founded |
| 1900 |
Kodak introduces
$1 brownie cameras in the US |
| 1901 |
Death of Queen
Victoria |
| 1903 |
Samuel
Cooke retired and the business was taken on by his sons :
William and Thomas (2 of 5 children) |
| 1903 |
Wilbur &
Orville Wright made the first flight |
| 1904 |
William
Cooke thrown from his trap and died |
| 1905 |
Einstein published
his theory of relativity |
| 1906 |
Kelloggs started
selling corn flakes |
| 1908 |
Thomas
Cooke died and Samuel Cooke’s nephews – Arthur &
Jack joined the business to run it |
| 1908 |
Ford introduces
the Model-T |
| 1911 |
Greenwich Mean
Time (GMT) adopted |
| 1912 |
Titanic sinks
on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York |
| 1945 |
Centenary
year coincides with the end of the second world war |
| 1949 |
Arthur
died leaving Jack Cooke in control |
| 1949 |
NATO founded |
| 1950 |
Petrol rationing
ended in Britain |
| 1953 |
Coronation
of Elizabeth II |
| 1962 |
Jack
Cooke retired and passed the control of the business to four
key members: Harry Dawson, Frank Carroll (senior), Stanley
Holt and Samuel Cooke (Arthur’s son). The team negotiated
a deal with the Continental Oil Company (Conoco) to become
distributors of their fuel oils. |
| 1962 |
Marilyn Monroe
is found dead |
| 1963 |
JFK is assassinated |
| 1969 |
Neil Armstrong
is the first man on the moon |
| 1976 |
The
company acquired the William Hargreaves haulage and oil distribution
business and relocated to The Oil Terminal, Wyre Street, Padiham |
| 1976 |
Concorde entered
into supersonic service |
| 1977 |
Queen Elizabeth
II silver jubilee |
| 1977 |
Elvis Presley
died |
| 1982 |
Following
the retirement of Harry Dawson, Frank Carroll (senior) took
control as company chairman |
| 1983 |
First breakfast
TV in Britain appeared |
| 1984 |
Live Aid pop
concert raised over £50m for famine relief |
| 1989 |
Berlin Wall
torn down |
| 1989 |
Commercial
fuels business developed in Yorkshire leading to the building
of a purpose-built fuel & oil depot in Barnsley |
| 1990 |
End of apartheid in South Africa |
| 1991 |
Freddie Mercury of Queen dies
from Aids |
| 1992 |
Purchase of first Cooke
petrol station in Accrington, Lancashire |
| 1993 |
The World wide web was born at
CERN |
| 1994 |
Frank
Carroll appointed chairman on the retirement of his father |
| 1995 |
DVD an optical disc computer storage
media format is launched |
| 1996 |
Cooke offers its first
fuel cards |
| 1996 |
Cooke appointed as main
agents for Scottish Power with 200 strong field sales team |
| 1997 |
Princess Diana killed in car crash
in Paris |
| 1998 |
SKY Digital TV launches in the
UK |
| 1999 |
The Euro currency is introduced |
| 2000 |
Worldwide Millienium celebrations |
| 2001 |
Cooke appointed distributor
of BP fuel cards |
| 2001 |
September 11th terrorist attack
on World Trade Centre twin towers in New York |
| 2003 |
UK, the United States and allies
invade Iraq |
| 2004 |
Steve Marr appointed Chief
Executive Officer |
| 2004 |
Company opens Indian call
centre |
| 2005 |
England defeat Australia to win
the ashes |
| 2005 |
Cooke celebrates 160th
anniversary |
| 2005 |
Live 8 launches Make Poverty History
campaign |
| 2006 |
Cooke appointed distributor
of Shell fuel cards |
| 2007 |
All Cooke employees awarded their
birthdays as an extra holiday |
