James Webster
James Webster (1821–1904), metallurgist and inventor, of Warwick, of Aluminium Crown Metal Co
1821 Born at Basford, Nottinghamshire
1841 He was an engineer living in Basford at the time of his marriage.
By 1844 he had become a gas engineer, employed at the Nottinghamshire county asylum in Sneinton.
1847 Obtained his first patent
1850 Made bankrupt. He moved to Leicester where he was a gas engineer.
By 1856 he was working in Birmingham, where he took out a series of patents including improvements to pressure gauges, safety valves, and pumps, gas appliances, metal refining and alloys, and chemical extraction.
By late 1860s he was operating a blacking factory and two steel refineries in Birmingham. Companies were founded to exploit his patents for the manufacture of oxygen and for converting cast iron into steel. Webster sold his rights to the latter process to the Globe New Patent Iron and Steel Company, which operated up to 1875.
1870s For over ten years Webster secretly conducted experiments into the large-scale production of aluminium.
1881 he unveiled his breakthrough, taking out a patent for his method which enabled aluminium of considerable purity to be mass produced by a commercially viable sodium reduction process.
1881 he set up the Aluminium Crown Metal Co. A factory at Solihull Lodge, the Hollywood Works, was built beside the canal, entirely in blue brick and at a cost of £50,000. James Webster appears to have been the only English manufacturer of aluminium active at the time.
By 1883 he claimed to be manufacturing large quantities of aluminium in ingots, plates, and wire, and the Hollywood Works was reckoned one of the largest producers of the metal in the world.
1885 The company was reorganised as the Webster Patent Aluminium Crown Metal Co., to work certain subsidiary improvements to the Deville process patented by Webster himself.
1887 He took an interest in Hamilton Castner's new approach to refining aluminium; the Aluminium Co. Ltd was formed to exploit Castner's invention and take over the business of the Crown Metal Co. Webster retired from active management of the business.
By 1891 it was reported that the company using Webster's process had never paid a dividend. In 1900 proceedings were begun for the company to be voluntarily wound up, and the Hollywood Works was demolished in 1911.
1904 Died at home in Edgbaston
See Also
Sources of Information
- Archives of the British chemical industry, 1750-1914: a handlist. By Peter J. T. Morris and Colin A. Russell. Edited by John Graham Smith. 1988.
- biography of James Webster, ODNB