Richard Jesson

Ironmaster, of West Bromwich

1773 Richard Jesson, with John Wright, another ironmaster in West Bromwich, patented a method of making wrought iron by heating pig iron in clay pots.

1777 They acquired Wrens Nest forges, on the Linley Brook near the river Severn, to produce iron using their potting and stamping method.

1784 Regarding wrought iron, James Watt wrote: 'As to Mr Cort's process .... I have never seen it as it is not practised in this neighbourhood, the iron being mostly made by Wright and Jesson's process ... which answers very well.'

1796 Leased land on the banks of the Severn at Barnetts Leasow, Broseley, and acquired mining rights; they built a furnace which was in blast by April 1798. It was blown by an engine supplied by Boulton and Watt in 1797. The furnace supplied pig iron to their forges at Wrens Nest and West Bromwich as well as for general sale.

Late 1800, a second furnace was built and the engine replaced by a larger one, also from Boulton and Watt.

1805 The lease for the furnaces and mines was put up for sale. Only one furnace was in blast with only 574 tons of iron being made in a year. The lease does not appear to have been sold as in 1810 they were still using one furnace.

1812 John Wright and Richard Jesson died; the furnaces were taken over by Thomas Jesson and Samuel Dawes, the son and son in law of Richard Jesson.

By 1815 the furnaces had been sub-let to Charles Phillips, who already had experience of the iron trade in South Wales.

1820 Phillips and his partner William Parsons went bankrupt

1821 The works were idle; James Foster expressed an interest in acquiring them and the associated mines to add to his interests in the Black Country. It was agreed he would pay a royalty of 6d per ton for ironstone and coal, except for stinking coal and slack for which 4d. was to be paid. He had, however, to pay a minimum royalty of £300 per year.

See Also

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Sources of Information

• Broseley Local History Society, Journal No. 28, 2006