R. Spence
Robert Spence of Bridgwater
1864 Partnership of Murch and Spence, between William Edward Murch and Robert Spence, iron founders and engineers of Eastover, Bridgwater, dissolved by mutual consent. Business to be carried on by Robert Spence [1]
1872 Patent No. 853 for improvements in machinery for the manufacture of bricks from plastic clay, issued to Robert Spence and Edmund John Spence, trading as Murch and Spence [2]
Supplied a two cylinder steam pumping engine to Saltmoor Pumping Station, near Bridgwater. This was photographed by George Watkins in 1934. [3] He postulated a date of 1867 - 70. Note: the text ascribes the engine to R. Spencer rather than R. Spence ('R. Spence' is visible on the nameplate).
Engine production was continued by J. Culverwell, whose surviving engine shares some of the characteristic features (and possibly foundry patterns) with the Saltmoor engine