Description

Admin History:

Mackmans Bakery was established by John J. Nathaniel Mackman, who started work in a bakery aged 14 as a tin greaser. At 20 he was a bakery manager for a firm in southern England. Upon his return to Hull he became managing director at William Jackson and Son Ltd.

In 1934 he went into business with George Reed who had established his business as a baker and confectioner in 1894, and who originally had what became Mackmans headquaters on Southcoates Avenue. A year later George Reed retired and in early 1936 John J. Nathaniel Mackman formed the business into a limited company bearing his own name of J.J.N Mackman Ltd., better known as Mackmans.

During John J. Nathaniel Mackman’s career as a baker, he won over 12,000 awards for his bread and confectionary. His most prestigious was when he was presented with a gold medal by the King of Belgium when he became the first foreigner to win the championship at the Brussels Confectionary Exhibition three years running. He was president of the Yorkshire Federation of Master Bakers and also was president of the Hull Master Bakers Association. He remained director of Mackmans until his death in 1948.

The business passed into the hands of his son, Eric Wilson Mackman who had entered the family business in 1934. At the time of his father’s death the family business had 14 grocery and confectionary shops, while at its height under Eric Wilson Mackman there were 20 shops in total. Mackmans remained a family run business until it closed in 1981. Its headquarters on Southcoates Avenue was demolished shortly after this.

Description:

Records include, legal and property; finance; personnel; correspondence; photographs; certificates; records relating to Eric Wilson Mackman and ephemera. Much of the records are not a complete run and any omissions are indicated within the description. Although few, some of the collection relates to Geo. Reed Ltd. who later went into business with J.J.N. Mackman to form Reed & Mackmans in 1934. George Reeds subsequent retirement from the business in 1935 led to John J. Nathaniel Mackman forming the business into a limited company, bearing the name of J.J.N. Mackman Ltd. It is from the period of J.J.N. Mackman that much of the collection relates to. The collection is predominately in English apart from a few certificates/ awards which are in French.