Vulcan Iron Works (West Bromwich)
1851 Vulcan Iron Works, West Bromwich. Thomas Spencer. "Manufacturers of railway rims and axles and every description of hammered iron". Sole manufacturers of Chambers patent wrought iron railway wheels[1].
1851 Sale by auction of Vulcan Iron Works, West Bromwich, by Mr. Thomas Danks, (by order of the Birmingham District Court of Bankruptcy, in the matter of Mr. Henry Smith, a bankrupt)
"All that valuable property, known as The Vulcan Iron Works, situate at West Bromwich, in the county of Stafford, comprising, in the forge department, two high-pressure steam engines, with 14.5-inch and 10.5-inch cylinders, boilers, &c. complete, 3 helves, standards, bed-plates, anvil >locks, cam, carriages, brasses, &c. complete, driving wheels and shafting, 4 ball furnaces, refinery, charcoal fire, six smiths' hearths, wrought iron cranes, 3 large and powerful cast iron cranes, and floor plates; in the engineers' and boilermakers' departments, three powerful punching engines and shafting, 10-horse high-pressure steam engine, with two boilers and blowing fan, 8-horse high-pressure steam engine with gearing, two small model rotary steam engines, with steam and discharge pipes, complete, turning and boring lathes, with face-plates, moveable poppets, &c. slotting machine, by Pan, Curtis, and Co. iron shafting and speed pullies, planing machine, face-plate, and other lathes, drilling and screwing machines, -wrought iron cranes and chains, and numerous other valuable effects.
The buildings are very extensive and well arranged, comprising boiler sheds, engine sheds, fitting shops, store rooms, smiths' shops, roofing over forge, carpenters' shop, upper and lower offices, dwelling house, the whole surrounded by a boundary wall, enclosing nearly 7,000 square yards of land. The property is situate on an arm of the canal, and has a basin for unloading boats within the works, and is well situated both for land and canal carriage."[2]
1874 John Spencer (1846-1910) started business as a tube manufacturer at the Vulcan Tube Works, West Bromwich.