Curran Brothers

of Cardiff

See alsoEdward Curran Engineering.

1904 Business established by Edward Curran and possibly his brother John. It was situated in, or close, to the former Bute Ironworks site. The firm initially specialised in producing furnaces for annealing metals.

1909 Supplied an annealing furnace for Mountstuart Dry Docks in Cardiff.

1914 Immediately before the war, Curran's supplied several annealing furnaces to the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, and had built a major munitions factory in Ward End, Birmingham.

1914 Developed expertise in drawing and shaping metal and were involved in producing armaments used in the First World War.

1915 Converted a building next to the iron foundry into a plant for manufacturing shell casings. Established Curran Metals and Munitions Co Ltd.

1916 Production of 4.5 inch (110 mm) brass howitzer shell casings started, continuing until the end of the war with over seven million 4​-5‑inch shell casings produced.

Post-WWI Diversified into enammelled metalware, including cups and plates. These were manufactured using the staff and equipment previously used for shell casing production. So Curran's maintained their capability to manufacture munitions.

1921 Furnace engineers and designers; Edward Curran was chairman and managing director.

By the 1930s Curran's was virtually the only British company with significant munitions manufacturing capability, and it took a leading role in the British re-armament before the Second World War.

1937 Edward Curran and Co were listed as exhibitor at the British Industries Fair. Silver Swallow, Chef, and Lilywhite Enamelled Ware, In a wide variety of pleasing modern colours, in addition to the ever-popular white - designed by housewives for housewives. (Stand No. A.605)

WWII Again the company was a maker of munitions. The factory was damaged several times in enemy bombing raids.

1948 Company put into voluntary liquidation.

Presumably succeeded by Edward Curran Engineering

See Also

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