Topic: John Derbyshire info query

[Roger_Brereton]

Hi All

This is my first post to this forum and it stems form research I am doing into my family tree.

I am trying to find out what happened John Derbyshire the pressed glass manufacturer. It is thought by members of my family that he emmigrated to Australia in his 40's. There are no garrantees that he continued working in pressed glass but I wondered if there are any pressed glass factorys active roughtly around the time he would have arrived in Australia, somewhere between 1881-1891?

I would also be very interested in hearing any information regarding John, his brother James and James's son Thomas Derbyshire and their companies. I have the intension of producing a web page about these firms and any info or pictures of the different products that I may include would be greatfully appreciated.

Yours hopefully

Roger Brereton

[Cathy B]

Hi Roger,

There were several small pressed glass factories working in the late 1800s in Australia, mostly pressing bottles. According to Marjorie Graham in Australian Glass of the 19th and Early 20th Century* (1980), there is very little mention of pressed glass goods other than bottles. Most of them went under in 1904 leaving very little trace. That year, the Sydney Morning Herald announced the "Collapse of the Glassblowing Trade". 'Only three of the smallest remain', they said. (Graham, 1980)

The largest of the bottle manufacturers, the Melbourne Bottle Company, which went on to found the largest pressed glass manufacturer in 1926, did have a history of bringing out workers from other countries including England, America and Europe. They first did this as back when the company was an offshoot of Felton and Grimwade (chemists) in the late 1880s.

I haven't time now, but I will firm up the dates for you. I'm researching Australian glass, so I'll have a scout around at the archives for his name and see what I can find for you.
cathyb at netspeed dot com dot au

Cathy




*(The grammar in the title annoys me. It should be Centuries)

[Roger_Brereton]

Hi Cathy

Thanks for your reply. I have no idea how much truth there is in the following but I am told that John Derbyshire set up a number of pressed glass factories in Australia some time between 1877 and 1895. Could this be right? I would really like to know what came of him and his family.

Thanks again

Roger Brereton

[Martin Brown]

I am trying to find out what happened John Derbyshire the pressed glass manufacturer. It is thought by members of my family that he emmigrated to Australia in his 40's. There are no garrantees that he continued working in pressed glass but I wondered if there are any pressed glass factorys active roughtly around the time he would have arrived in Australia, somewhere between 1881-1891?

I would also be very interested in hearing any information regarding John, his brother James and James's son Thomas Derbyshire and their companies. I have the intension of producing a web page about these firms and any info or pictures of the different products that I may include would be greatfully appreciated.

I can't really answer for the Australian end, although I am fairly sure there would still be a struggling glasshouse somewhere near Sydney NSW about that time. It would be struggling too since its glass blower, Michael Cook (b:1836 Gateshead) had jumped ship to Freemans Bay glassworks in New Zealand in 1880. He is incorrectly described in several books as an Australian glassblower (his wife Margaret Scope is Australian). There was at least one previous Cook glassmaker from Sydney who went to NZ in 1870 to Auckland. A search on paperspast for NZ will get some more info but nothing I could see on Derbyshire - alas I know of no comparable news resource for Australia - http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast

I am also researching John Derbyshires, Regent Road Flint Glassworks which was on Glasshouse St, off Regent Road Salford as I am fairly sure that John Cook, the elder brother of Michael was working there at least up to 1901 (after John Derbyshire went away). And I believe it returned to the family fold. Like you I have various family legends of glassmaking folk who vanished off to the antipodes. There is a little bit online at the Salford archives on page 16 of a longish local history PDF which includes a short description of the works and a B+W picture of his lions. Trademark JD over an anchor.

http://www.salford.gov.uk/link16.pdf

I know less about the Chorlton Hulme works of James Derbyshire except that again my ancestors worked there too before decamping to Salford with John in the 1870's. I don't have any of the background story on that and would be interested in any details. And I do know that prior to working there some of them were involved in the ill fated Newton le Willows flat glass venture that was squashed by Chance & Pilkingtons.

http://www.n-le-w.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=270&Itemid=27

BTW to the original poster - did you ask a similar question on Curious Fox?
If not then there is at least one other researcher looking at this makers family history.

Sorry about the late reply. Best wishes to all for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Cheers,
Martin Brown

[Bernard C]

... the ill fated Newton le Willows flat glass venture that was squashed by Chance & Pilkingtons. ...

One each side, I presume!

Martin, Roger & Cathy — There is one notable Manchester glass enthusiast who has taken over where the late and much missed Tom Percival left off.   I don't recall his name, but he always comes to Gaydon and possibly to Cambridge.   I recall having a heated discussion with him about the PV No. 1 lampshade, which I had on my stand as a vase with additional cut decoration in an EPNS stand, much to the astonishment of my neighbours, new to the detail we revel in.

I will obtain contact details the next time I see him.

I think he is a member of the Glass Association, so joining and asking for help there might prove beneficial.

Bernard C. 

[Martin Brown]

... the ill fated Newton le Willows flat glass venture that was squashed by Chance & Pilkingtons. ...

One each side, I presume!

Martin, Roger & Cathy — There is one notable Manchester glass enthusiast who has taken over where the late and much missed Tom Percival left off. 
I will obtain contact details the next time I see him.

I rather over simplified the tale in my original telling. They came very close to breaking the existing flat glass cartel using imported Belgian expertise and local skilled labour. It took Pilkingtons, Chance and Hartleys combined might to force a buyout of the Newton works for about £15k including stock in 1855. And they closed it immediately. I suspect only the workers and the adjacent brickworks did badly out of this deal. More info on the Newton le Willows and Earlestown website for those interested.

http://www.n-le-w.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=270&Itemid=27

Admin question - is history of glassworks and working on topic here or just identification of objects ?

Thanks for any leads on people who might know more of the Derbyshire story. Even better for me if they know anything at all about the Cooks (who were comparatively minor players in the business side but good at glassblowing).

Best wishes,
Martin Brown

[Frank]

Admin question - is history of glassworks and working on topic here or just identification of objects ?

Very much so, the ID topics serve to keep a steady flow of people through here and thus a rich resource of nibbles of data that can help flesh out the real stories. There is a benefit in that myths like Royal Bohemia get squarely squashed and a lot of eBay sellers with little glass knowledge are able to provide accurate descriptions. Now and again we push back the borders of glass history, as you do here