of Welwyn Garden City
Makers of lead pipe for the building industry and the chemical industry; one of the few producers (1949) of antimonial lead pipe and sheet.
1932 Private company formed.
1933 Factory constructed at Welwyn Garden City and expanded in following years.
1937 Company incorporated with public offer of shares in company which had been formed to acquire the assets of Brilmill Ltd (formerly British Lead Mills Ltd)
1949 Profits in lead threatened by high price of lead and potential for substitution by alternatives. Increase of share capital of the company to be able to take advantage of opportunities that may occur[2].
1950 On 1 November British Lead Mills Ltd changed its name to Firth Cleveland Ltd. A new company British Lead Mills Ltd was formed on the same date to carry on the business of the old one[3].
1951 Bid for British Lead Mills Ltd rumoured but presumably did not materialise
1952 Private company, British Lead Alloys Ltd, formed to bid for those parts of British Lead Mills Ltd and British Copper Tubes Ltd dealing with the refining of scrap lead and the manufacture of lead alloys[4].
1953 Firth Cleveland formed as a private company which owned Simmonds Aerocessories, Firth Co of Warrington, British Lead Mills Ltd and Stenor Ltd; converted into a public company[5].
1967 British Lead Mills still part of Firth Cleveland.