The history of the Hanson family's conversion to the haulage business from their origins as Yorkshire farmers, starts with the ambition of a Yorkshire farmer's wife, Mary Hanson, in 1848.

Not content with her household chores she realized there was an unsatisfied need for an organized regular transport service of wool from Huddersfield to the local cottage weavers in the Pennines and their finished textiles back to Huddersfield. She saw the profit potential and did something about it..

A 'first' in so many ways. She commandeered some of her husband's farm horses, employed her sons to handle them as pack horses and started in the transport business from the cobbled streets of Longwood, near Huddersfield.

Her pioneer local service gradually developed to three times weekly

using horses and wagons working as far afield as Manchester and Leeds. To say it was unusual for a woman to take this step at that time is an understatement, but it transpired that she was the founder 154 years ago of the Hanson family international transportation dynasty. An impressive initiative for women.

In 1854 the business passed to Mary's eldest son Joseph and assumed the name Joseph Hanson & Son. He ran the business from Botham Hall Farm where he bred Shire horses, reflecting the family's growing involvement with working horses and away from farming.

With expansion, the number of working horses grew and new stables were built under the railway arches at Milnsbridge, Huddersfield to handle the general "smalls" haulage to which was added its first contract, with the Longwood Gas Company,

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