A Revisit to the History of a Preston Foundry...
Following Watching a Video About Moving Buildings in Manchester
I watch quite a bit of content on YouTube. One of my favourite creators is a young bloke called Oliver Thompson, who goes under the handle of 'Bee Here Now'. He specialises in Manchester History.
Whilst watching his latest creation this week, I noticed something related to Preston in the footage. There was a stove in one of the public houses that he was discussing, which was marked with 'J. BOOTH PRESTON'.
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| A stove in one of the public houses marked with 'J. BOOTH PRESTON'. |
My first encounter with the name was in December last year. I spotted a coal grid in front of 15 Ribblesdale Place, whilst leaving Winckley Square and heading to Avenham Park.
◇ THE PATENT SELF LOCKING COAL GRID ◇
◇ J BOOTH PRESTON ◇
I must have walked past or over this dozens, if not hundreds, of times. It was first time that I had noticed it.
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| The Patent Self Locking Coal Grid ◇ J Booth Preston |
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| The Patent Self Locking Coal Grid ◇ J Booth Preston |
I couldn't find out too much specifically about it, but it was made by John Booth Foundries Ltd, Derby Street, Preston.
There is another one on Camden Place, and I discovered a picture of one that somebody had taken in Coniston, South Lakeland, Cumbria on 13th February 2008. I don't know if there are any others in left Preston, or any other ones around the rest of the UK.
My searches also led me to this advert in the Preston Digital Archive:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rpsmithbarney/5365258273
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| John Booth Foundries Ltd., Derby Street, Preston. Advert circa 1935. |
They also appeared in a Trade Directory that I discovered online.
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| Trade Directory Listing for John Booth Foundries Ltd., Derby Street, Preston. |
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| Trade Directory Listing for John Booth Foundries Ltd., Derby Street, Preston. |
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Preston Chronicle Article
Our Local Industries (number 22 in a series of 33):
Mr. John Booth's Iron Foundry and Marble Works (Phoenix Ironworks)
Extract from the Preston Chronicle December 13th, 1884.
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OUR LOCAL INDUSTRIES.
•■••■••■••
MR. JOHN BOOTH'S IRON FOUNDRY AND MARBLE WORKS.
(No. 22.)
The business now conducted by Mr. John Booth, at the Phoenix Ironworks, in Derby-street, via commenced by his late father, Robert Beath, at Church, near Accrington, in 1848, and continued there until his death, in 1866, when it was removed by the present proprietor to Shepherd-street in this town. He carried on the business of iron-founder there until the beginning of 1871, and then removed to the more modern and commodious premises, formerly occupied by Messrs. Ainscough and Tomlinson, cotton machinery manufacturers, in Derby-street, which extensive works have in turn proved inadequate for the largely extended business now being carried on with all parts of the country and colonies. This increase has necessitated the erection of an annexe on the west side of Derby-street, of about equal area to the older premises. The manufactures produced consist of all descriptions of kitchen ranges, including open and closed fire. or Leamington ranges, drawing anti dining-room, tiled and other register stoves, bedroom stoves, mantel shame and registers in an immense variety of artistic designs and style oil finish, ornamental cast-iron palisading, gates and pillars, and the usual ornamental ironwork used in the building trade. The works, which are of commanding appearance and substantial structure, occupy extensive areas of ground on both sides of the upper part of Derby-street. The works on the left-hand side of Derby-street are known by the familiar name of the foundry, while the works on the right-hand side are popularly designated the fitting department. We may, at the outset, just intimate that the firm, owing to the immense development of the iron trade which they carry on, have been compelled to relinquish the manufacture of marble chimney pieces for the grates. This was a business formerly carried on to a great extent, but, as hinted above, the exigencies of their iron trade compelled them to confine themselves to merchanting marble to the trade in connection with their drawing and dining-room grates. The offices of the works are situated on the fitting side, and, as may be expected for so enterprising a firm, are complete in every particular requisite for the discharge of the business despatched in them. Above these are the draughtsman's offices, which are well lighted and suited for' the elaborate work carried on there. Here the draughtsmen and designers are continually producing beautiful designs for the costlier grates and ranges. Working drawings are made from those for the pattern makers, with such care and attention to detail that they have no difficulty in understanding the elaborate designs. A word of praise le due to the designer for the excellent artistic effects produced, and in these days of art education and technical schools, our British workshops have little to fear from the rivalry of foreign nations if their work is as artistically produced as that sent out by the Phoenix Works firm, Dining, drawing-room, and kitchen ranges may, to the aesthetic, appear most unromantic matters for artistic treatment. That they are prosaic we admit in the concrete, but in the abstract, and in their associations, there is perhaps more of the genuine poetry and romance of life than is associated with other portions of the household. The memories of the homely, as well as the patrician, fireside are the best and dearest we possess, and why should not art step in to render them beautiful ? The pattern room presents a most interesting sight, and is replete with interest. After the design for the work has been approved, the modelling of the various parts is carried out by the designer, and the models; placed in the pattern-makers' hands, casts are taken in stucco, from the stucco casts waxen casts are taken, and by means of the wax casting,' further castings are taken in a mixture of metal composed of tin and lead. The lead and tin ones are chased up, and fitted together, and the pattern, by this means, gradually built up till the whole is complete. When the pattern is in the metal state, there is an immense amount of labour required to perfect it, and make it thoroughly coincide with the drawing. In the majority, if not all instances, iron founders' patterns are made of wood. In this line of business, such is not the case. The care, and trouble, and artistic handling necessary for the production of a complete pattern are very great indeed, and of which the public have little or no conception. They see the article when it is produced, but they little know the skill and intelligence that has been expended on its production. When the pattern is at length made perfect, an iron casting is taken and carefully prepared, and this, from its strength and durability, be the kind of pattern used in the moulders'. department. Of course, the white metal pattern might be, and actually could be, used in moulding, but the usage it would receive, under the most favourable circumstances, would not tend to make meetings mathematically correct, This, practical men will at once readily understand. The greatest attention is paid to the production of the patterns, and for this reason the firm stands among the foremost in their line in the commercial world, and this proud pre-eminence they laudably intend shall not be abdicated by any want of energy, perseverance and ability on their part. The number of tools used in making the metal patterns is something marvellous. When we mention the fact that two hundred different kinds of punches are in requisition, to say nothing of a great variety of other tools, our readers will form some slight idea of the delicacy and intricacy of the pattern making in question. Some of the more valuable of the white metal patterns are kept, but many are, after having served their purpose, re-melted and used again for fresh patterns. Pattern making under the most favourable conditions, is a costly work, but in this ease it is very costly indeed from the many interests involved. Just before leaving the pattern room the manager showed us some watercolour drawings of mantel pieces and ranges. The perspective and tone of the drawings were remarkably effective and their excellence was so significant that we may be pardoned for asking the question we did--if they were done on the premises by the draughtsmen employed? As a matter of fact they were, but our question was not at all surprising when the splendid nature of the work is considered. The firm employ no external aid. The work is carried out in its entirety from the inception of the design down to the production of the actual article. The men, on the occasion of our visit, were busy on patterns for open and close fire kitchen grates, drawing-room, dining and bedroom grates. We may just incidentally allude to the beautiful and attractive appearance a range and mantle piece presents, when set up and finished with artistic tiles and the usual appurtenances. Following the pattern in its systematic course we cross to the moulding shop. This is the largest moulding shop in Preston. It is of immense size, well lighted, well ventilated and well warmed in winter by hot water in about 1000 feet of pipes—rather a novelty our practical readers will admit. Taking a general view of it, we may say it is a noble workshop, being exceedingly spacious, light, and most admirably served in the matter of delivering the molten metal to the rnoulders. This is effected by a tramway on which run carriages with edge shaped wheels carrying the large ladles full of metal, which is run from an aperture in the cupola facing the shop. The tramway runs down the centre of the foundry and the different "floors" are served with despatch, and with the chance of accidents reduced to a minimum. Our reader will thus see we have reached the prosaic pitch of actual production. In a cursory way we have glanced at the draughtsmen, who produce the designs, which are taken in hand by the pattern-makers, who manipulate them in stucco, wax, and white metal, and finally the iron-moulder, who utilizes the, white metal pattern to produce his pattern for the production of the articles for which the firm is celebrated. Notwithstanding the immense size of the moulding shop, the whole floor is covered with moulds every day. Just outside the moulding shop, stands; a gigantic cupola for melting the iron, which is the best mixture of pig iron that is found suited to the work produced. The cupola is constructed on the most approved principles, and all the latest improvements have been introduced. The blast which serves it during melting operations does not enter from the tuyeres direct to the furnaces, but is led into a belt, from which it is discharged into the cupola by a number of smaller tubes, which is considered more effective. The metal for the furnace is lifted to the mouth of the cupola by means of an elevator, worked by steam power. The blast is produced by a patent rotary blower. The cupola is heated once a day, and a great quantity of metal used. The dressing shop, which, of course, is absolutely indispensable wherever moulding is carried on, is contiguous to the foundry. The usual work of dressing the asperities left after moulding is carried' out here, and the appliances, which it is not necessary to particularize, are of the best description. Here, too, is a mill for grinding moulding sand which is of the finest quality that can be obtained to produce the most delicate castings—and, close by, a large oven for sand drying purposes. With a rapid glance at the many stacks of pig iron in the yards, and the remark that the moulding and dressing shops are "chock full" of plant, we next find ourselves in the pattern store room, on the foundry side. Here, as in other large iron manufactories, the patterns constantly increase in an over advancing ratio, and the cry heard, over and away, is similar to Macbeths, as he viewed the long procession of the ladies and gentlemen he had helped to make a short shrift of this mortal pilgrimages. The patterns here displayed are numerous, costly, and very beautiful in appearance. Many of them are of exquisite design, and of course are properly protected by the firm, against gentlemen and others not very particular as to whose brains they utilise provided only they “can get on." The power necessary to drive the machinery on this side of the works is carried from the old works by a shaft laid in a culvert under the street and a portion of the yard in the new works. Recrossing the street, we next inspect the fitting shops, Nos. 1 and 2, which are of very great size, capitally lighted, warmed, and ventilated. The usual machines for drilling and lathes for turning are to be seen in these rooms in active operation, and the fitters' benches running the length of the room are well supplied with the usual complement of tools. At the bottom end of No. 1 fitting room are large grinding stones and close by emery wheels where the rougher glazing work is done, and adjacent the wheels where fine polishing is executed for work requiring extra finish. In the fitting rooms an immense quantity of articles were in progress and large stocks of castings waiting the workmen to make them ready for use. When the fitters have completed their work upon them, the stoves and ranges are transferred to be blacked and enamelled. Here they undergo several processes of Berlin blacking and afterwards are placed in a large stove the temperature of which is about 500 deg. F’heit. This process, several times repeated according to the quality required, gives them the beautiful enamelled surface which best grates usually present. Other decorative finishes each as bronzing, imitations of marble, wood, etc., are treated in the same manner as the Berlin blacked articles are in the stove thus procuring a 'surface that is washable, and a polish capable of being kept in proper order when in use, by the application of the furniture paste. Close to the fitting room is the packing room admirably well adapted for its purpose. As we passed through, the men were packing goods for Melbourne, Australia. With a visit to the smithy, where the Sons of Vulcan were wielding heavy hammers and blowing fires, and where the clear sound of the anvil fought for supremacy with the roaring of the flames, we begin to find ourselves getting near the end of our visit. Above the fitting rooms are three exceedingly large store rooms, in which are a large flock of finished and unfinished goods. The five lofty storeys on the fitting side are held in communication by means of a powerful and well constructed hoist, the doors of which by an ingenious arrangement–the invention of Mr. Booth–serve their purpose admirably, with the additional recommendation that they are never in the way. Accidents in connection with the hoist, are next to impossible. The general yards present the usual characteristics of such spaces around foundries. In respect to grates in general we may remark that the average life of a firegrate which gets fair play -- that is, as many ha'pence as kicks — is about 10 years. From the tremendous number made — the firm we are treating of turn out over 500 per week—one would think the world would be soon supplied, but the orders keep coming in faster than ever, strange as it may seem. When Chiva and the Dark Continent are opened up to the Britisher it is fearful to think of the number that might be wanted for culinary purposes. The engine, highly polished and finished, is a horizontal one, of very powerful construction, being of considerable horse power, and is well served by a large boiler of the newest construction capable of working up to the highest pressure, and was made by Joseph Clayton, and Sons, Preston. The engine alluded to above is similar to the one made for Doulton's fancy tile works, Lambeth, London, just above the House of Commons. Everywhere there is visible energy, order, perseverance, and what is often absent in large works, courtesy. The ability and intelligence brought to bear upon the work are of the very highest class, and one distinguishing feature of the firm is its openness and the honourable manner of conducting its dealings with whom it comes in contact with. The works are a credit to Preston, commercially and artistically.
John Booth Foundries Ltd - Phoenix Ironworks Location
In modern day terms, the two separate parts of the Phoenix Ironworks that were once separated by Derby Street in Preston are approximately under the east side of the bus station and the buildings currently used by B & M Bargains Home Store.
The layout of the streets can be seen on the Side by Side Georeferenced Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map from 1912. The map image is courtesy of the National Library of Scotland:
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| John Booth Foundries Ltd., Phoenix Ironworks, Derby Street, Preston |
This view from the top of Preston Bus Station that was taken circa 1973 shows the Phoenix Ironworks foundry buildings before they were demolished. The image is courtesy and copyright of The Lancashire Evening Post © www.lep.co.uk
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| View from Preston Bus Station taken 1973 shows the Phoenix Ironworks foundry. |
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Going back to how I initially started on the foundry trail, I can recommend watching Oliver's YouTube video.
How Manchester Saved its Oldest Pubs
by Picking Them Up and Moving Them
by Bee Here NowWatch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbMQDPJLL6w
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