How the seeds of well-known Bury St Edmunds business Burlinghams were sown

While the history of this family business can be traced back to a John Burlingham, 1773-1853, it was his sons and grandsons who were to establish this major corn and seed cleaning business in Bury St Edmunds.

The Burlingham family had traded in London and Shropham in Norfolk, where they originated from. However, by 1855 they were in financial difficulties, which resulted in losing lands in the county.

An opportunity arose in June 1855 to buy property in an auction at the King’s Head, corner of St John’s Street and Brentgovel Street, as advertised in the prospectus, ‘several plots of ground, warehouses, offices and coal stores near the railway station and its approaches’. They purchased lots seven and eight.

A mill was built on what we know today as Station Hill, utilising some of the timbers that had been used in the construction at the Royal Agricultural Show, held in Eastgate Street in 1867.

Progressing from a grist mill, Burlinghams was the first company to install a mill driven by horse power for extracting the husk from trefoil seed. In 1876, George Burlingham, John’s son took two of his own six sons, Horace and John into the business. From all accounts, they were ‘to devote their whole time and energy’ as well as paying for their board while employed in the business.

No wonder the other four sons emigrated to America. One, George Albert who became a merchant died in California. Another son, Edward Limmer Burlingham, George senior’s youngest son, apparently came back to England, lived at Acton Hill, London, and became a commercial traveller. His middle name most probably taken from the Limmer family, who were Bury bakers and had a windmill in Cemetery Road (King’s Road).

The Burlingham family home was now at 15 Northgate Street and the business was trading as George Burlingham & Sons. In 1882, John and Horace took over running the firm, which became limited in 1901.

It was Horace’s son Eric, with three directors, who developed indented cylinders for removing clover seed for a machine manufactured by well-known Bury agricultural engineers. Bobys. Under this management, trade flourished.

In 1936 a tremendous fire engulfed the mill, with flames shooting 80 feet into the air, illuminating the whole of north of the town. Valuable machinery, the Mill Granary and 600 tons of grain and seed to the value of £16,000, was destroyed. However, like a phoenix from the ashes a new mill, with double the capacity and modern seed cleaning facilities, enabled Burlinghams to become one of the most modern seed cleaning plants in the country.

On their return from National Service, Eric’s sons Robin and John joined the company. A move out to Maltings Lane, Ingham, allowed more up- to-date seed cleaning equipment to be used, with the Station Hill site vacated.

A few years ago there was a management buy-out and what was once Burlinghams is now G B Seeds.

As for the old red-brick mill building on Station Hill, it stands there forlorn, waiting to be re-developed. When it does, it will sit proudly alongside the modern-day development.