The inheritor of a global glove legacy is on the hunt for factory workers from Dagenham.

Nick Pinkham, whose great grandfather, William, started The Pinkham Glove Company in 1889, has been collecting information about the family business since retiring three years ago.

The company had factories across the UK, but the 64-year-old has struggled to find any information about the Dagenham site.

“The base stopped production in the 60s when I was quite young,” he said.

“When I retired, I kept a lot of stuff about Pinkham Gloves. I wanted it to start collecting information, and I wanted it to revolve around the people who worked there.

“I’ve had tremendous response from workers in other areas, like Essex and Durham, but I’ve got an absolute drought on Dagenham. All I’ve got is a picture of the workforce standing outside The Paragon Hotel in Margate. I don’t even know the address of the factory.”

Nick said he knows the Dagenham base was a key part of operations, because he has letters between his great grandfather and grandfather, John, which discuss the factory.

He’s now looking for workers from the site who could help him piece together the rest of the puzzle.

“Dagenham was a significant part of operation, but all of the records weren’t archived,” he said.

“I have two older brothers who aren’t interested in the history at all, but I grew up with it.

“I’m looking for anybody who’s got a story.”

Nick used to work in construction, so has a special interest in the manufacturing industry. One of his earliest memories is driving with his father to drop gloves off at Buckingham Palace.

“I was born in 1954, when the company was in its heyday,” he said.

“We made gloves for the RAF and Princess Margaret’s wedding. I can remember the Witham glove factory with rows of machines with pictures of Elvic Presley stuck on the sides. My grandma was very insistent the factory workers were well looked after – there was great camaraderie.”

The company closed in 1966, when demand for gloves declined. If you have any information about the Dagenham site, contact rhiannon.long@archant.co.uk. For more information on Pinkham Gloves, visit pinkhamgloves.co.uk.