Howard's Dairies

Local delivery

In the late 1920s, milk was delivered locally by horse and cart and the milk taken to your door in a pewter container, which was then poured into your jug.  It was soon afterwards that milk bottles were introduced.

{Ed: here is a further reference to the history of Howard’s Dairies.}

Local delivery by horse and cart
Ian Hawks
Pewter milk can
Ian Hawks
Ian Hawks

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  • My name is R.Howard. My great great grandfather was the last man to be delivering milk by a horse milk float for Howard’s dairy in Essex. His name was Alfie Pepper from Southend. He loved horses all his life. I’m only 36 years old, but I know all my family history on both sides. Howard’s dairy was in my family. I even have photos that I will upload. I would be very interested in the Howard milk churn that was found in South Woodham Ferrers. Many thanks. Rm

    By Rm (03/10/2023)
  • Last week we were digging in our garden in SWF and found a Howard’s Dairies Westcliff completely intact 1 pint bottle. I’ve lived in my house since August 1988 so came as a complete, but lovely, surprise.

    By Caroline (16/08/2023)
  • I used to go to the Christmas party as my dad Laurie Shipway was boiler man at Leigh-on-Sea until it shut. The man with the accordion was Jerry Maize and after the panto we used to go to Garons, which was where Victoria plaza is now.

    By Rose Maher (19/03/2023)
  • I remember the first time I was taken by Howard’s Dairies to the pantomime; it was Cinderella and afterwards we were taken to Garon’s for a party. There was a magician and an accordionist and we had a sing song. I still have the photo of me there; happy times!

    By Susan ryall (05/09/2022)
  • My father Douglas N Merchant was Accountant and Company Secretary at Howards Dairies, and worked there from the early 1930’s until he was made redundant in the early 1970’s, a short time after the Howard family sold out to Unigate.
    Most years he arranged the annual party for the children of all the Dairy’s employees, usually a Pantomine at the Palace Theatre followed by a grand tea party; often at the Kursaal.
    Apart from his War Service, I don’t think he ever took a day off sick. I have an engraved silver watch that was presented to him when he had completed 30 years service in 1965 (I think.)
    He knew all the Depot Staff and the Milkmen, as well as his colleagues at the Head Office in London Road, Westcliff. He said that Howards had their own herd of cattle at Hadleigh, in the fields to the south of London Road. Douglas died in 1977 at the age of 62.

    By Ashley Merchant (23/08/2022)
  • I have a memory, circa 1935-6, of milk being delivered in bulk to homes in rural England.  Is this an accurate memory?

    By JANE BEDNO (14/10/2017)
  • Hi – I am TONY HOWARD, a relative desperate to get in touch with my long lost side of the family!! My grandfather was Joseph Howard born in 1913 but we don’t know anything about his family as he never talked about them?  PLEASE PLEASE GET IN TOUCH tonyhoward@outlook.com

    By Tony Howard (08/03/2016)
  • I have just found an old milk bottle 18inches deep in mud. For over 31 years I’ve lived here in Eastwood and it was a nice moment. Not worth much but a nice keepsake in mint condition.  

    By Alan hill (01/09/2015)
  • I worked as a milk boy from 1964 until 1968 at Shotgate (nr Wickford). The milkmen came from Rayleigh Howards Depot. Their two names were John Cootes and Terry Hare. Terry was just brill to work with. Top man. Terry lived in the Thundersley area during the 60’s, married with children.

    By Chris Benning (26/08/2014)
  • Anyone above got any Howard’s Dairies photos?

    Many thanks

    Paul

    By Paul Luke (24/02/2014)
  • My mother was Kathryn Joan Howard, granddaughter of George Howard the head of Howards Dairies until 1939.

    By Jonathan Lewis (18/02/2014)
  • My father was born in 1915 and raised in Thundersley. He would tell a tale that he worked from a very young age doing a milk round on a horse and cart going from house to house with the dairyman selling fresh milk from a huge (to him) pewter pail which he could barely lift. I am researching his life at the moment and I am so delighted to see this page. Could this be the exact pail that he used? The picture of the horse and cart is certainly as he remembered it. Perhaps he got told off by his master the dairyman one day, and shoved it off the back of the cart? My father recently died aged 94 but I wonder if he would’ve remembered a lost pewter pail on Leigh Marshes!

    By natalie (23/10/2013)
  • Some several years ago, I was walking on the Leigh Marsh below the tide mark and came across a wide-necked, fluted Howard’s Dairies milk bottle, in pristine condition. I washed it carefully, filled it with Jersey milk and sealed it with a home-made waxed cardboard cap. This was left on Derek and Paddy Barber’s doorstep the following morning, for a jape. Subsequently, when the Barbers moved, Derek gave the bottle to our old mate Peter Hammerton who, having been an employee of Howard’s in his youth, rather coveted it.

    By David Hurrell (03/01/2013)

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