Wolverley Lower Mill and the beginnings of the tinplate industry
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Abstract
Andrew Yarranton and Ambrose Crowley were sponsored to visit Germany to discover the method of making tinplate. On their return they conducted experiments into the process at Wilden Forge and at King's Meadow Forge, the latter being shown to be at Stourbridge. This included rolling blackplate which was probably an innovation on their part. The process and its problems are examined in detail. Nothing came of a proposal to build a tinplate mill at Halfcot; Wolverley Lower Forge (or Mill) is however shown to have been designed for use as a tinplate works, this being prevented by an unexploited patent held by someone eise. The later history of each works and of the people involved is then traced. The method of tinplate making was taken to Pontypool by Thomas Cooke who was probably son of the Thomas Cooke, who was the slitter at Wolverley Lower Mill. When it was sought to establish a rolling mill at Bringewood with a tinmill at Mitton, Stourport, this slitter's grandson obtained details of the process from bis cousins at Pontypool. lt is likely that the technology of Oakamoor tinplate works has the same origin.
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Brooke 1944
Flinn 1962
Gibbs 1950
Gibbs 1951
Holme 1928
Johnson 1950
Johnson 1952
- archives of one branch of Knight
family deposited in Hereford Rec
Off.
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