William Irlam
of Grimshaw Lane, Newton Heath, Manchester.
1855 Patent No. 2694, William Irlam, of the Gibraltar Iron Works, Newton Heath, near the city of Manchester, Engineer, has given the like notice in respect of the invention of "improvements in crossings for railways." As set forth in his petition recorded in the said office on the 29th day of November, 1855. [1]
1856 Patents sealed: Wm. Irlam of the Gibraltar ironworks, Newton Heath, near Manchester, for improvements in the construction of railway turntables and weighing cranes, dated Dec. 26, 1856.[2]
1859 Partnership dissolved: William Irlam and Samuel Bethell, machinists, engineers, millwrights, and ironfounders, Gibraltar Iron Works, Newton Heath, near Manchester, 21st March, 1859 [3]. Note: The address of Samuel Bethell, jun., was given in 1853 as the Gibraltar Iron Works, Poland-street, Manchester.[4]. Poland Street was in Ancoats, so perhaps the firm later moved to Newton Heath and took the name with them.
1863 Listings: William Irlam & Co., engineers and machine makers, millwrights, scale beam and weighing machine makers, Grimshaw Lane, Newton Heath; William Irlam, Grosvenor Terrace, Newton Heath [5]
It appears that the business became The Railway Steel and Plant Co.