Founded in 1869
John Robert Mortimer was born in Fimber on 15 June 1825 and founded James Mortimer Ltd from the family farm in Fimber in 1869.
James Mortimer Ltd’s offices were located at 16 Middle Street South from 1869 until the 1920’s, when they purchased the house adjacent to their warehouse facilities at Riverhead.
Riverhead Warehouses
Riverhead Warehouses, situated alongside the Driffield Navigation basin were first rented by Mortimers in the early 1870’s and subsequently purchased.
Over the following years, J R Mortimer’s relatives became involved and took over the business. In the 1930’s the Company’s Managing Director, Mr Percy Whiting bought the company and ran the business until his retirement.
Percy Whiting’s daughter Winifred assumed ownership of the company. She died in 1982 and her daughters took over ownership and the business was run by Maurice Robson.
In 1995 Mortimers was subject to a Management Buy Out by Maurice Robson, Simon Minns and Christopher Atkin.
Kelleythorpe Expansion
The company has steadily grown its business and for this reason decided on a re-location plan.
In 2013, the company acquired a 2.25 acre site on the Kelleythorpe Industrial Estate, a perfect location central to Mortimers trading area.
In 2014, the site at Kelleythorpe was developed to include offices, a warehouse and seed plant facility and a standalone grain store.
Since then the site has expanded further with additional warehouse facilities, a weighbridge and continued investment in the seed plant facility.
In 2015 Maurice retired and Simon Minns ran Mortimers until his retirement in 2022. Since then, Stuart Rowley has taken over as Managing Director.
Timeline
- 1825 – Born at Fimber
- 1838 – Finishes full-time education and begins work on the family farm at Fimber.
- 1850 – Establishes himself as a corn merchant at Fimber.
- 1851 – Visits the Great Exhibition and the British Museum.
- 1863 – First archaeological excavation.
- 1869 – Marries Matilda Mitchell and moves to Driffield. James Mortimer Ltd founded.
- 1878 – Builds museum at 25 Lockwood Street, Driffield.
- 1905 – Publication of ‘Forty Years’ Researches in British and Saxon Burial Mounds of East Yorkshire’.
- 1910 – Last archaeological excavation.
- 1911 – Dies at Driffield and is buried in Bridlington Road cemetery.
- 1913 – Collection purchased and donated to Hull Museum.
- 1920s – Business moved to Riverhead in Driffield.
- 1960s – Foundation of the seed business.
- 1995 – Management buy-out.
- 2010 – Formation of Yorkshire Grain.
- 2014 – Move to new premises at Kelleythorpe.
- 2019 – Incorporated Medforths of Bridlington.
- 2021 – Incorporated Edward Sewals of Halifax.
- 2023 – Formation of Mortimers Livestock Nutrition.
Historical Archive
Mortimer moved from Fimber to Driffield in April 1869, following his marriage to Matilda Mitchell. St John’s Villa was the family home 1869–88.
Mortimer commissioned this building in 1878 to house his collection of geological specimens, archaeological objects and ethnographic material.
The collection was bought in 1913 by Colonel G.H. Clarke and presented to Hull Museums, where it is now housed in the Hull and East Riding Museum.
The Mortimer family home 1888–1901.
Warehousing and malt kilns built by Mortimer in 1871 for his business activities, including a private railway siding.
The warehousing at Riverhead was first rented in the early 1870’s and owned by Mortimers until 2015.
The office premises of James Mortimer Ltd 1869–1920’s.
The Mortimer family home 1901–11. It was here that John Robert Mortimer died on 19 August 1911.
