St. Davids Tinplate Co
of Loughor, Swansea, South Wales
An iron foundry in Loughor dating back to the 1730s.
1869 The Yspytty (or Yspitty) Tin Works was founded on the northern bank of the Lougher River, north of Swansea and south of Llanelli. Later it was named the St David’s Tin Works.
The works originally had ten mills. It was the first works in the Llanelli area not to have its own forge and iron puddling furnace.
1890 This was the scene of a notable strike action when 6 female assorters were employed, to which the male workers objected; they were joined by several hundred men from nearby works to form a procession of over 2000 which marched around the homes of the female workers before deciding on strike action if the women refused to leave their posts. The union offered £24 to each of the women on the condition that they ceased their employment to be replaced by men; the strike lasted well into 1891.
1893 The works were for sale and did not re-open until October 1894 under the new management of John Jones Jenkins, later Lord Glantawe.
1903 Installed engine from Daniel Adamson and Co
1909 A large new engine at the works, then known as the St. David’s Tin Plate Works, was named "Lord Glantawe". The engine was part of a wider expansion of the site, with new mills also erected.
1914? Installed an engine from Cole, Marchent and Morley
1927 Incorporation of St. David's Tinplate Co (1927)
1937 British Industries Fair Advert for Welsh Tinplate Works. Tinplate and Blackplate. (Engineering/Metals/Quarry, Roads and Mining/Transport Section - Stand No. D.328)
1957 A regrouping of Bynea Steel Works and its subsidiaries took place such that the company owned the whole of St. Davids Tinplate Co, Glynhir Tinplate Co and Gorse Galvanising Co, as well as a controlling interest in Webb, Shakespeare and Williams Ltd [1]. The works closed together with around 100 other mills in the Llanelli area. It was later demolished and a factory now stands on the site.
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ The Times, 1 June 1957
- [1] Wikipedia
- 1937 British Industries Fair Advert pp666 and 667; and p409
- The Steam Engine in Industry by George Watkins in two volumes. Moorland Publishing. 1978/9. ISBN 0-903485-65-6
- [2] Coflein