George Ainsworth (Warrington)
1803 Advert: 'MERSEY WORKS. WANTED, at these Works, a number of IRON-WIRE and STEEL WIRE DRAWERS. — Sober steady hands will meet with constant employ, or, application to George Ainsworth, of Warrington, Lancashire.'[1]
'WIRE INDUSTRY.
The following extracts, which are from an article contributed to our columns at the beginning of last year, will doubtless be read with interest in relation to the death of Mr. Greening, as they give a pithy and readable sketch of the local wire industry and of the close and intimate connection of the deceased's gentleman's family with the inception and progress of that industry.
"The wire-drawing business," says the writer of the article, "was, I believe, commenced in Warrington very early in the present century or the latter end of the last century. I will try to tell you how it came about.
There lived in Warrington in the latter part of last and at the beginning of the present century a Captain Ainsworth. He, with perhaps others, carried on the business of copper smelter at Bank Quay. I am told the works were in the old bottle house yard, or in the yard on the opposite side of the street. As you go along the Liverpool-road and just over Bank Quay Railway bridge, there are, on the south side, some steps which lead to a street, at the end of which is Messrs. Robinsons' glass works. On the west side of the street there is a high wall, the bottom of which is built of blocks of copper slag. These blocks were, I am told, cast at the copper works. It is said that the foundations of the Town Hall are of the same material.
You will begin to wonder what all this has to do with the wire business. I will tell you. Captain Ainsworth had an idea that he would commence in the wire-drawing business. He, not understanding the manufacture of wire, had to get someone to superintend the erection of the works and manage the business. The Captain succeeded in engaging a young man to undertake the work mentioned. His name was Nathaniel Greening, and he was a practical wire-drawer. I believe he came from Tintern Abbey Wire Mills.
Before there was much done at the wire mill, Captain Ainsworth met with some difficulty which prevented his carrying out the manufacturing of wire. Consequently, Mr. Nathaniel Greening was put in an awkward fix. He was a young man 19 or 20 years of age; and he determined to commence for himself in some branch of the wire business. He commenced in Bridge-st., near the Lion Hotel, where he carried on the wire trade for some time; how long, I have not been able to ascertain.
From what I can learn, it must have been in the year 1807 or 1808 that Mr. Greening went into partnership with Mr. John Rylands, senior, who was at this time a manufacturer of sail-cloth, cart-sheets, and other like fabrics, the manufacture of which he continued for many years after going in partnership with Mr. Nathaniel Greening in the wire trade. ....'[2]
For the rest of this article, see N. Greening and Sons