Wilton St, Denton
This firm of felt and fur hat manufacturers was founded by Edgar Wilde and James Booth. It is known to have been in business in 1878 and it was recorded in Wilton St in 1882.
It occupied two sites on the south side of Wilton St. One was the 'Top End' Works, which was located between Queen St and Prestwich St (formerly Dudley St), and the other was the 'Bottom End' Works, which was near the juction with Taylor Ln.
On the 30 Mar 1933 Wilde & Booth Ltd was voluntarily wound up. The directors were Arnold Edgar Wilde (also company chairman) of Wilton St and James Ashton Booth of Denton Rd, Audenshaw. Both directors were appointed as liquidators. On the 7 Sep 1948 the company was struck off the Register of Companies.
Edgar Wilde was born at Denton in 1856 and he died at Buxton on the 16 Mar 1909, aged 53 years. His son, Arnold Edgar Wilde, was born at Denton in 1886 and he died at Thornton-le-Fylde on the 26 Jun 1947, aged 61 years. Edgar Wilde’s business partner, James Booth, was born at Haughton in 1853 and his son, James Ashton Booth was born at Audenshaw in 1889. In 1911 James Booth (58) was resident on Denton Rd, Hooley Hill, Audenshaw, with his wife, Alice (57), daughter, Ada Alice (25) and son, James Ashton (21).
During the Second World War part of the ‘Top End’ Works was used as the Denton Central Air Raid Precautions Depot. In 1952 Tacon Bros Ltd moved into the ‘Top End’ Works from Manchester. This company manufactured office requisites and the founders of this business were the brothers Frank and William Harold Tacon. The works was then renamed Canto House. This business closed in c.1972.
Both the ‘Top End’ and ‘Bottom End’ works were demolished in 2003 to make way for the Crown Point North Shopping Park.
'Top End' Works of Wilde & Booth Ltd viewed looking along Queen St from the Marshall St corner of Wilton St, May 1999.
'Top End' Works of Wilde & Booth Ltd viewed looking along Prestwich St from Wilton St, May 1999.
Denton Cemetery, May 2009.