Sinclair Iron Co
of Ketley, Wellington, Shropshire. Telephone: Wellington 510. Telegraphic Address: "Sinclair, Wellington-Salop"
The foundry dated from the mid-1750s - see Ketley Iron Works. It made large castings for civil and mechanical engineers and the forge made plates and rods.
1816 The works closed because of falling demand.
1818 Re-opened as the Ketley Co with three blast furnaces and the forge.
1874 The Ketley Co collapsed.
1879 The plant was sold to Nettlefolds but ironworking was not revived and unemployment in the area was severe.
1903 Engineering resumed at the site when Duncan Sinclair, former manager of the Coalbrookdale Co works, established the Sinclair Iron Co, to make light castings for the building trade, with approximately 60 employees at first
1908 T. O. Lander started work at the company
1911 Lander left Sinclair to form James Clay (Wellington) [1]
By 1912 the firm had over 200 employees.
1922 It became part of Light Castings.
1929 Became part of Allied Ironfounders.
1937 Listed Exhibitor - British Industries Fair. Rain Water and Soil Goods. Mantel Registers, Hob Grates, Ranges, Barless Fires, Boiler Flues, Manhole Covers, Furnace Underwork, Airbricks, Brackets, Gratings, Builders' Machine-made Castings. (Stand Nos. B.609 and B.508)
By 1958, James Clay (Wellington) Ltd., another subsidiary of Allied Ironfounders, had moved from Hadley township to another part of the site.
1962 the combined plant, then one of Europe's biggest producers of rainwater goods, became the Sinclair Works of Allied Ironfounders Ltd.
1964 There were 1,212 employees.
1968 See Sinclair Iron Works
1969 Allied Ironfounders' Shropshire concerns became part of Glynwed Foundries.
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ The Times, Jul 22, 1966
- [1] British History Online - Ketley
- 1937 British Industries Fair p414