De Winton and Co
De Winton & Co of Union Works, Caernarfon (Caernarvon, Carnarvon) were manufacturers of marine and stationary engines, boilers, waterwheels, mining machinery and locomotives. At their peak they employed 300 persons.
1840s the company was founded by Owen Thomas.
1853 Advert: 'UNION IRON & BRASS WORKS, CARNARVON. OWEN THOMAS begs to inform his Friends and the Public that he has entered into Partnership with Mr. JEFFREYS DE WINTON ; the business in future will be carried on by the firm of THOMAS AND DE WINTON, Who, by punctuality in executing orders, and by the great care and attention which they will devote to their business, hope to give satisfaction to those who may favour them with orders.
Thomas and De Winton are now prepared to undertake the manufacture of Steam Boilers, Machinery, and Iron and Brass Works of every description. 22nd Jane, 1853.'[1]
1857 Advertising as Thomas & De Winton, Union Iron and Brass Works[2]
1869 Horizontal single cylinder engine for telpher at Dorothea Quarry, Nantlle. Photographed by George Watkins in 1954.[3]
1890 'TRIAL TRIP OF THE STEAM-SHIP "PRINCE JA JA"
The Liverpool, Carnarvon, and Menai Straits Steamship C:ompany was formed in 1873 to supply a great demand in the conveyance of goods between Liverpool, Beaumaris, Bangor, Menai Bridge and Carnarvon. For some time the steamship "' Prince Frederick William," which had done service between Calais and Dover, was employed. This had to be replaced for a more commodious steamer, the "'King Ja Ja," in 1874, commanded by Captain Anderson, who has made about eighteen hundred round trips between Liverpool and Carnarvon during the past seventeen years without a single serious mishap. Such has been the regularity of the service, and the :financial results of the company, that the directors, Messrs J. Roberts, M.P., J. de Winton, a. R. Rees (Carnarvon); and the managers, Messrs R. Mills and Co., James-street, Liverpool, were compelled to order a new steamship, which they placed to the order of the well- known firm of Messrs W. Thomas & Sons, iron and wood-shipbuilders, Amlwch, who have executed the order to the thorough satisfaotion ,of all concerned. She is built of steel, far in excess of Lloyd's rules in strength. She is 140 feet long, 24 feet beam, and 110 feet deep. Her decks are of iron. A roomy cabin for a few passengers with sleeping rooms and warmed by steam coil. The accommodation for the officers and crew is excellent. Special care has been taken to render her a safe and thoroughly sea-worthy, and fit to encounter any weather, to make her passages with the utmost regularity, being nearly double the cargo capacity of the "King Ja Ja." She will fully meet the fast increasing traffic, thus obviating the inconvenietce that has latterly been experienced from the "King Ja Ja " having insufficient cargo capacity. The new steamship was engined by Messrs De Winton and Co., Carnarvon. The engines are compound surface condensing of 60 H.P. nominal, and about 350 actual horse power. They have cylinders 18 and 36 in. diameter by 24 inches stroke, and make 120 revolutions per minute. The boiler is of steel tested to 200lbs per square-inch by Lloyd's, and to work at 100lbs pressure. There is a powerful donkey boiler and donkey engine, two powerful steam winches for woriking cargo, and every appliance to insure economy and despatch. During the trial run on Wednesday from Carnarvon to Liverpool the machinery worked in the most satisfactory manner. There was no trouble of any kind, and an an entire absence of vibration, showing the vessel to be of unusual strength. Although no attempt was made to attain the full speed the results showed that the vessel wil considerably exceed the " King Ja Ja" in speed. As the latter steamship will still be retained as an auxiliary, there is now a certainty of the increasing demands of the trade being satisfied. There can be no doubt that the new steamer, whilst adding to the profits com-pany will prove a great conveniance to the public.
Amongs the company that accompanied the trial trip from Carnarvon.... During the past sixteen years, the firm of Messrs De Winton and Co., Carnarvon, have engined a large number of steam-yachts - upwards of fifty. They have also engined the following foreign sailing steamships-:-" Mimosa," " Linda," " Cincora." "Taurida;" carrying about 1400 tons each-" Livadis," " Neata." " Miniera," "Bernina," and " Orianda," carrying about 2100 tons each - "Herbert," " Tulera," carrying about 300 tons each. The following steam. ships consfructed by Messrs W. Thomas and Sons, Amlwch -" Exchange," " W. S. Caine,". "Lady Kate," " Lady Bessie" and " Anglesey," and " Prince Ja Ja," carrying about 300 tons each - were all engined by Messrs De Winton and Co., Carnarvon, and have given the bullders perfect satisfaction. It should be stated to the credit of the eminent firm of Messrs De Winton and Co., Carnarvon, that fully thirty of their articled pupils' now hold honourable posts as marine engineers in all parts of the world. Amongst these arie Mr James Thomas, deputy marine engineer to Mr De Winton, of the firm of Messrs Richards, Mills and Son, James-street, Liverpool; Mr R. Parry Jones, B.A. (Cambridge) extra-cheif engineer, and Whitworth Scholar (1881); Mr Arthur Llewielyn Jones, who headed the list of Whitworth soholars in 1880, now assistant to Sir W. Thompson, Glasgow; Mr Evan Parry, Whitworth Scholar; Robert Roberts (Gwalchmai). Whitworth Scholar, now extra-chief engineer, superintending an eminent line in India ; Mr Ernest Rees (grandson of the late Mr James Rees, Carnarvon), Whitworth Scholar 1889. The whole construction of the steamship. "Prince Ja Ja," at Amlwch and at Carnarvon, was under the special superintendence of Captain Lewis Thomas, of the, firm of Messrs W. Thomas and Sons, shipbuilders, Amlwch'.[4]
1894 Maker of the 'Simplex' Emergency Grip for Cranes and Winches. [5]
1902 The firm closed.
1902 Sale Notice: 'MARINE AND QUARRY ENGINEERS, IRON FOUNDERS, AND OTHERS
For Sale, as a going concernm, the Important Marine and Quarry Machinery Works and Iron Foundry, known as the UNION IRON WORKS, at Carnarvon, North Wales, founded by the late J. P Winton, Esq., and now carried on by DE WINTON, LIMITED.
MESSRS W. DEW & SON have been instructed .... The Property is in a most convenient situation, adjoining the Quay, with an extensive wharf frontage on one side and connection with the London and North-Western Railway Company on the other. The Works and Premises are nearly one acre in extent, and the Buildings are commodious, well-lighted, and well-constructed, and comprise a new Foundry, 100 feet by 40 feet, with three cupolas and travelling crane, erecting shed and two Machine Shops, each 100 feet length, and engine and boiler house, smith's shop, &c. The Sale will also oomprise the whole of the valuable Machinery (a large part of which has only recently been added). Fixed and Loose Plant, Office Furniture, Working Patterns, and Drawings, together with the goodwill of the said business. ..... '[6]
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ Caernarvon & Denbigh Herald - Saturday 2 July 1853
- ↑ Caernarvon & Denbigh Herald - Saturday 6 June 1857
- ↑ Stationary Steam Engines of Great Britain, Volume 4: Wales, Cheshire & Shropshire, by George Watkins, Landmark Publishing Ltd
- ↑ North Wales Chronicle - Saturday 26 July 1890
- ↑ The Engineer 1894/10/12 p320
- ↑ Y Genedl Gymreig - Tuesday 21 January 1902
- British Steam Locomotive Builders by James W. Lowe. Published in 1975. ISBN 0-905100-816