Grace's Guide To British Industrial History

Registered UK Charity (No. 1154342)

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 167,710 pages of information and 247,104 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 147,919 pages of information and 233,587 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Martin and Purdie

From Graces Guide

of Woolwich

The partnership of William Arena Martin and James Purdie

1859 Experiments were conducted at Martin and Purdie's ironworks at Woolwich based on Taylor's patent for refining crude iron using hydrogen gas. These experiments were followed by large scale, tests at one of the ironworks in South Wales, where the hydrogen was introduced into a puddling furnace. This confirmed that use of hydrogen could speed up the puddling process and improve the quality of the iron without needing to alter the furnace.

1859 Patent to William Arena Martin, and James Purdie, of Woolwich, in the county of Kent, Engineers, in respect of the invention of "improvements in firebars."[1]

The business then moved to Surrey.

1860 Patent to William Arena Martin and James Purdie, of Old Barge House Wharf, Upper Ground-street, in the county of Surrey, Engineers, in respect of the invention of "an improved method of mounting and giving motion to fire bars"[2]

1861 Partnership dissolved.'...the Partnership between the undersigned, William Arena Martin and James Purdie, in the trade or business of Engineers and Ironfounders, formerly at Old Barge House Wharf, Blackfriars, in the county of Surrey, under the firm of Martin and Purdie, was dissolved...'[3]

Later succeeded by W. A. Martin and Co


See Also

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Sources of Information

  1. London Gazette 16 Aug 1859
  2. London Gazette 16 Oct 1860
  3. London Gazette Publication date:10 May 1861 Issue:22509 Page:2025