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Author Topic: Early 19th century flint glassmaking in Liverpool  (Read 3147 times)

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Offline Sally

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Early 19th century flint glassmaking in Liverpool
« on: March 19, 2012, 12:23:28 PM »
Hello,
Can anyone please help me identify any flint glassworks in Liverpool c.1820-1825?  And that's *Liverpool* please, not Warrington or further afield.

I am trying to find out where/whether two Stourbridge brothers might have been working as flint glass 'gaffers' when they married two Liverpool-born girls at St Anne's church, Richmond in Liverpool in 1824. This is now a fairly central location in the city.  I am presuming that they were working locally. They were in their early 20s. It is possible that other members of their family were with them.  The brothers were born in Oldswinford, Stourbridge, where the family had been located for at least 2 generations before them, all flint glassmakers.  They soon left Lancashire, one going to work in Wordsley, the other in Gateshead. The two girls' families were not, as far as I can tell, connected with glassmaking.

I'm writing a book about the family and their glass manufacturing through the 19th century, so I would be very glad of any help.

Thank you.  Sally

Offline neilh

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Re: Early 19th century flint glassmaking in Liverpool
« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2012, 05:16:04 PM »
Hi Sally,

Thomas Joyce has a few useful notes on early glassworks. There are some Liverpool names for you to check out here
http://www.inchicore-pressedglass-museum.org/notes2.htm

Other parts of his site mention
J. Cunnington & Co.
Old Swan Glass Works

Don't know which of these were flint though...


Offline Sally

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Re: Early 19th century flint glassmaking in Liverpool
« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2012, 05:41:17 PM »
Hi Neil,

Thanks, I will have a look at that. I have just found (by combing through the Historical Directories website) an interesting listing of a 'flint glass manufactory' named Steele & Foster in Argyle Street in 1825. It's the only glass manufacturer named as flint in Liverpool that I can find. It's in a very good position for the addresses of the two brides, and St Anne's church isn't far. I am possibly going to suggest this is what the two brothers were doing in Liverpool. It's a bit of a long shot but it's better, possibly, than suggesting they worked in Warrington (then explanation needed of how they met the girls...).

I am not sure if there was much flint glass manufacturing going on in Liverpool, not at this date anyway. Maybe late in the 18th century.  There's plenty of bottle/crown and merchants and cutters.

If anyone can tell me more about flint glass manufacture in Liverpool in the early 19th century, I'd be glad of the information.

Sally

Offline Lustrousstone

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Re: Early 19th century flint glassmaking in Liverpool
« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2012, 07:04:27 PM »
This mentions the Liverpool Flint Glass Works and the Liverpool Bottle and Flint Glass Works in 1835.

There was also glassmaking in St Helens and Newton le Willows.

It is possible the girls were in service, as all these places (including Warrington) are less than 20 miles from Liverpool and probably on local coaching routes.

Offline Sally

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Re: Early 19th century flint glassmaking in Liverpool
« Reply #4 on: March 20, 2012, 09:32:30 AM »
Hello,

Thank you Lustrousstone for the information to add into my small but growing list.

It's a very interesting possibility about Newton le Willows because in the 1870s the family (name WALTON) return there and open a flint glassworks on the opposite side of the road to the original crown glass works at Newton le Willows.  However, there's a problem in that the Newton crown works didn't open until 1832. And it is not very likely that the brothers were working in crown anyway, as they were flint glass makers. 

It's a good argument that the girls were in service, perhaps in Warrington where the brothers might have worked for Bank Quay. I used to wonder if they were in service in Stourbridge where the brothers were born but perhaps the copy-cat Liverpool weddings, same church and within a month of each other, suggest the brothers were working there.

Thanks Neil for the Joyce references. Don't know why "Newton Thatto Heath" is listed like that. Perhaps it's an old name, because Thatto Heath is some miles from Newton, if that means Newton-le-Willows. 

Have also found in Hajdamach's British Glass 1800-1914 that Hawkes Dudley Flint Glass Works had a 7-pot furnace in Liverpool in 1803. And a directory of 1827 says that Bank Quay had some sort of premises in Liverpool itself, but whether this was a glassworks or warehouse or office is not indicated.  However the Inchicore website has a terrific page on Bank Quay, from which it seems that Bank Quay indeed had a warehouse in Liverpool, from 1767 in Old Church Alley, Liverpool, later Water street.

Going back to Steele & Foster in Argyle Street Liverpool 1825 (flint), I think that where there was one, there were probably others.

Great progress. Thanks to all.



Offline louisew

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Re: Early 19th century flint glassmaking in Liverpool
« Reply #5 on: April 09, 2012, 03:59:56 PM »
Hi Sally
I am researching the family history of a man called Thomas Holt whom I have found in the 1824 Baines' Street Directory of Liverpool listed as  "flint glass manufacturer and merchant", his business address is listed as 77 Hanover Street, Liverpool and home as 23 Hope Street Liverpool.  So he could be the employer of your 2 chaps possibly? Unfortunately I don't know the name of the business, it could of course just been known as "Holt's" but it could be something else. I suppose it may not have been Thomas Holt's' business he in turn could be working for someone else, but the directory makes it sound as if it is his business. He is still alive on the 1841 census occupation listed as a "merchant", he is dead by 1851 census.
Also listed in the same directory and ?? related to my Thomas Holt are;
"Halt James, cut glass manufacturer, and dealer in earthenware and china, 7, Clayton square and 62, Byrom st.
Holt James, jun. cut glass mfr. 22, King st. Soho h. 1, Craven st."
Here is a link to various street directories of this period

http://www.old-liverpool.co.uk/Directories.html

Good luck with your research, If you have anything which may add to my research I would be happy to hear it.
thanks
Louise

 

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