1858: William Proctor Stanley died on this day. In his will, he left the Queen Street Stanley Iron Works in the trusteeship of his brother-in-law George Maples and John Warren. They leased the property to Thomas Amies and William Barford. In March 1865, one Thomas Perkins became part of the company in a deed of co-partnership. The seeds of what would become Perkins Engineering were thus sown. (Hillier, Richard, Northamptonshire Past & Present Vol. VI, Northamptonshire Record Society, 1983)

Taken from The Peterborough Book of Days by Brian Jones, The History Press, 2014.