Kitson and Company 1835 - 1938

Founded by James Kitson at the Airedale Foundry, off Pearson Street, Hunslet in 1835 with Charles Todd as a partner. Initially it made parts for other builders, until it was joined in 1838 by David Laird, a wealthy farmer who was looking for investments, the company becoming Todd, Kitson and Laird and they produced their first engines the same year. Todd left soon after and the company was known as Kitson and Laird or Laird and Kitson. In 1842 Laird left and was replaced by Isaac Thompson and William Hewitson but Thompson left in 1858. The company was then known as Kitson and Hewitson, then finally Kitson and Company in 1863 when Hewitson died. The company flourished during World War One but the company started to declare after the war ended. The company struggled on until 1938.