THE HARFORD AND BRISTOL BRASS CO., WATER POWER MILL, KEYNSHAM, NEAR BRISTOL, 1925. From a photograph provided by Mr. A. T. Davies. bourhood,1 the most important of which was at Keynsham and which is still in operation to-day, they absorbed two important undertakings: one was the copper concern founded by Coster at Upper Redbrooke, and the other was the Warmley Company, which had erected very extensive brass works in 1746. The latter concern had been founded by William Champion, who had broken away from the Bristol Company, but about 1769 he and his partners became bankrupt, and his old company purchased their works. They were not, however, carried on so extensively as they had been under their original proprietors. Little information exists as to the success of the enlarged company, but it would seem that in the 'eighties the partners were in difficulties. In May, 1786, several shares were advertised for sale, and in the following year "all the works, mills, estates and utensils" were sold for £16,000. Nevertheless, in the following year, a new partnership was formed under the title of the "United Brass Battery, Wire and Copper Company of Bristol, Esher, Upper Redbrooke and Barton Regis, generally known as the United Brass Battery, Wire and Copper Company of Bristol." The Cheadle Company, which had started business in 1719, quickly developed, and soon became one of the most important brass and copper concerns in England. Patten and his associates established their first works at Cheadle, in North Staffordshire, where they made brass, though prior to this time Patten probably had a copper works at Warrington; but in 1734 they took a lease of Alton Mills on the Churnet, which they converted into a wire manufactory. In this year a new partnership consisting of Thomas Patten, Thomas Barker, Rupert Hurst, Joseph Grosvenor, John Watkins and Robert Bill, with a 1According to Mr. Davis, the present manager, the Bristol Company has had works at the following places:-Baptist Mills, Bristol; St. George, Bristol; Keynsham; Siston, Gloucestershire; Bitton; Kelston; Weston, nr. Bath; Chew Mills, nr. Keynsham; Warmley; Hole Lane; Crewe's Hole; Saltford; Kingswood; Conham; Upper Redbrooke; Esher; and Swansea. * Vide infra, p. 154. 66 Latimer, "Annals of Bristol in the Eighteenth Century,” p. 67. • Bonner and Mindleton Bristol Journal, March 3, 1787. joint stock of £3,600, divided into 24 equal parts, was formed to carry on "the making, selling and vending of brass for wire, and brass wire." The Company evidently did not, at this time, engage in smelting copper, for in the deed of co-partnership a stipulation was made that if any of the members should be interested in such works the first offer of copper should be made to the partnership.1 Later on, an additional brass manufactory was erected at Cheadle," and the necessity for carrying on the allied manufacture of copper led Patten to take a lease of land and buildings, and also of a copper battery mill at Greenfield in the county of Flint. At first he held these works in his own right, but in 1755 it was decided to carry them on for the benefit of the partnership. The copper mills were to be "employed and kept at work in plating and rolling copper, and making and finishing all sorts of work in copper fit for the coppersmiths to work into vessels of any kind or size to be exported fit for sale in foreign markets, and for the making and finishing copper rods such as are usually sold to Guinea merchants." A few years later it was decided to erect brass wire works at the same place, and for this purpose a further lease of land was taken -in 1764. Another branch of this concern was at Warrington, where there were works for melting and refining copper, and making "manillas.' All these various works, some of which had been carried on by individual shareholders, were consolidated in 1767, when it was decided that they should all be worked for the benefit of the co-partnership. At this date the undertaking had assumed considerable dimensions; smelting, brass-making, wire-drawing and the manufacturing of all kinds of articles in brass and copper were being carried on. A further extension was made in 1780, when a small company, which had copper works at Cheadle, was absorbed; and it is probable that at the same time the Neath Abbey Copper Works was 780 purchased. A new partnership was formed in this year" to carry on the trade of selling brass and brass wire at Alton, and at New and Old Spout (near Cheadle), and of smelting and refining copper and copper ore at Cheadle Copper Works, and 1 Cheadle Deeds, Indenture, July 1, 1734. Ibid., Assignment from Hurst and others of Term in Spout Farm to Brass Co-partnership, July 30, 1759. Ibid., Indenture, March 12, 1767. 2 also in making and manufacturing at Warrington or in other places certain goods made of mixed metals called Manillas for the African trade"; and this new concern had a capital of £40,000-£10,000 of which was borrowed, the remainder being divided into shares of £1,500.1 Previous to this, rolling mills and tin works had been established at Oakamoor, on the Churnet. The mills had an output of 200 tons per annum, and they were much extended when in 1790 it was decided to make them fit "to roll and slit brass and copper, and to draw thick wire and Guinea rods." Meantime important alterations and extensions were being made at Alton and Cheadle, and smelting works were being erected at Penclawdd in South Wales. The partnership was also interested in several coal mines, and in working and refining calamine. 5 Sufficient has been said to show the rapid expansion of the company. Starting from small beginnings at Cheadle, it became one of the most important, if not the most important, of the brass and copper concerns of the eighteenth century. The ease with which the partners extended their business is remarkable—particularly when it is remembered that apart from the valley of the Churnet in Staffordshire their works were widely scattered. Only the considerable economies, which integration gives, could expedite such a successful development. The Temple Brass Mills was by no means such an important undertaking. Prior to 1720 this concern carried on extensive battery works and brass rolling mills at Bisham Abbey in Buckinghamshire, but in that year the partners became engaged in stock-jobbing. Still the Temple Works seems to have survived the speculative activity of its owners, for in 1748 it was engaged in making brass and copper pans and kettles. At this time it was 8 1 Ibid., Deed of Co-partnership, August 5, 1780. • Birmingham Gazette, July 30, 1764. • Cheadle Brass Wire Co., Minute Book, October 8, 1790. ♦ Ibid., August 4, 1789; August 9, 1791; August 14, 1792. Ibid., May 5, 1796 et seq. • Add. MS. 35, 057, f. 172. This is an early instance of brass rolling mills. The metal instead of being "battered" with hammers was made into sheets by compression between rollers. 7 Vide infra, pp. 110-111. "Lysons, "Magna Britannia,” i, p. 198. |