Swansea Hematite Iron Co
1887 Theobald Fitzwalter Butler and Mr. Bargate purchased the Landore blast-furnaces, which they continued to work under the name of the Swansea Hematite Iron Co. until 1889
1889 The property passed to Messrs. Wright, Butler & Co., Ltd., later part of Baldwins, Ltd., of Swansea.
WWI A National Shell Factory was established in the works at Landore. The factory was initially slow to begin production as machinery intended for Swansea was diverted to Llanelly and matters were further complicated by an incompetent manager which necessitated the reconstruction of the layout of machinery in October 1915. Additional facilities such as cloakrooms and tool rooms were constructed at government expense. The first output was in late 1915
By mid 1917, the factory was turning out 4,000 4.5-inch shells and 2,500 18 pound shells per week. The factory became so efficient that the costs of manufacturing the shells were the lowest of any of the National Shell Factories.
The Swansea Board of Management also supervised a group of smaller firms producing shells in the local area such as Taylors in Briton Ferry.
See Also
Sources of Information
- GGAT 130: The Sinews of War: South East Wales Industry and The First World War, 2015, by Johnny Crawford