Charles Macintosh and Co
of Cambridge Street, Manchester); Works Warehouse: Cambridge Street, Oxford Street, Manchester.
of 22, Coleshill-street, Birmingham (from c.1946)
Wholesale Warehouse: 19 St. Bride Street, Ludgate Circus, London, EC.
of Bridport Road, London, N18. Telephone: Tottenham 1010 (13 lines). Cables: "Macintex, London". (1947)
1792 Glasgow had begun to introduce gas lighting into the streets, as well as a few prestigious properties. While he was trying to find uses for the waste products of gasworks, Charles Macintosh discovered that coal-tar naphtha dissolved india rubber.
1797 He opened the first alum works in Scotland and, with Charles Tennant, developed a dry bleach made from chlorine and slaked lime. This made him a considerable fortune and enabled him to research into various other fields of chemistry.
1817 The Glasgow Gas Light Co was formed. The gas was produced from coal and Macintosh contracted to buy the waste products as he could extract ammonia from them which, in turn, could be used by his father’s company to make the violet-red dye cudbear. He was still left with a further waste material – a mix of organic liquids called collectively coal tar naphtha.
1818 As early as 1791, Fabrioni had remarked on the excellent solvent properties of this for rubber but he seems to have been ignored and it was not until 1818 that J. Syme proposed that “a substance from coal tar” could be used as a rubber solvent – and noted that it was cheap and readily available with the new gas lighting.
1818 Charles Macintosh discovered that a rubber solution used between two sheets of cloth made the resulting cloth rainproof.
1823 The practice of coating cloth with rubber latex to make it waterproof had been known to the natives of South America for centuries, but as latex was too unstable to be shipped to Europe, the industry had been waiting for just such a discovery. Macintosh began experimenting with this material as solvent and found that the resulting fabric was waterproof - it was also sticky and smelt foul. His idea to avoid the stickiness was simply to press two sheets of fabric together with the rubber sandwiched between them. This he patented in 1823, but the smell remained.
1824 Macintosh persuaded the Birley brothers, cotton spinners and weavers of Manchester, to build a factory next to their mill (presumably later to become Birley and Co) in which he could manufacture his rubberized cotton. He met with numerous problems and his cloth was shunned by society although there was a large and steady demand from the armed forces and merchant navy - despite the smell. Macintosh was punctilious about replacing unsatisfactory products, or giving cash refunds and, ten years on, the factory was still not profitable.
1825 It was then that the ‘father of the UK rubber industry’, Thomas Hancock, stepped in. He was aware of Macintosh’s work and took out a licence to manufacture the patented “waterproof double textures”. Hancock’s solutions were able to have a higher rubber content than those of Macintosh. This gave a more uniform film on the cloth with less penetration through it and with less odour. Hancock quickly realized that his products were significantly superior to those of Macintosh, and eventually, with much secrecy on both sides, they co-operated, although remaining separate corporate entities, to improve their products.
1831 Mutual trust slowly developed and Thomas Hancock became a partner in Charles Macintosh and Co, their two companies merged and two years later the combined company bought Thomas’ brother’s specialist rubber business which manufactured a range of rubber medical devices.
1838 'DREADFUL FIRE AT MANCHESTERSMELAN. MELANCHOLY LOSS OF SEVERAL LIVES. (From the Lancashire Herald.)
MANCHESTER, SUNDAY EVENING.-It is our painful duty to record one of the most fatal calamities which has befallen Manchester for some time. About twelve o'clock on Saturday night, Patrick Chilton, private watchman on the premises of Messrs. Macintosh and Co., manufacturers of the celebrated waterproof material for cloaks, &c., at Chorlton-upon-Medlock, discovered smoke issuing from one of the upper windows of the manufactory; he instantly gave the alarm, and the fire-bell had scarcely began to toll ere Mr. Rose and his fire-brigade, accompanied by two engines, were on the spot. By this time, however, the flames had burst forth with alarming fierceness; and although the engines immediately commenced playing on the building, in an incredibly short space of time the whole of the upper part was enveloped in one vast sheet of fire. About one o'clock the hose of one of the engines was passed up to Watson, a fireman, who with great intrepidity had mounted to one of the upper rooms, and he continued, assisted by fireman No. 37, who had followed him, with several others, to play upon the burning pile beneath, but without much apparent effect. In the adjoining room to that in which they were at work was an immense cylindrical cistern, filled, or nearly so, with a composition, which, by some means unknown to the firemen, the fire reached, when it exploded with terrific violence - several of the men in the adjoining room being blown off their legs, and forced violently against the walls, by which many of them were severely injured.
It is reported that about this time some one set the machine of the manufactory going, which being placed in the upper part of the building, and thereby shaking the burning pile from the roof to the foundation, probably might have been, as is conjectured, the cause of the dreadful catastrophe which immediately followed.
A fireman, who was near Watson at the moment the engine or machine of the manufactory was set going, says, that feeling the boards under his feet trembling, he exclaimed- "Oh, James (Watson), it's like to be all up with us." He had hardly uttered these words, and gone into the next room, before an awful crash was heard, and instantly following it the whole of the flooring on which the machinery was resting gave way, and poor Watson, together with the whole of that part of the building was precipitated into the flaming abyss beneath! This was quickly followed by the roof, the falling of which for a few seconds appeared to have entirely extinguished the fire; but as soon as the dense volume of smoke and dust, which resulted from such a mass of machinery, brick-work, and timber coming down on it, had rolled away, the flames, "like a giant refreshed," burst forth with redoubled vigour, presenting at once a magnificent, though awful sight. This occurred about two o'clock, and although the force-pumps of the manufactory, aided by the engines brought by the fire-brigade, did not cease playing on the premises, it was not till three o'clock that the fire was anything like subdued. As soon as it was, active exertions were made by the fire-brigade, the police, and, in fact, by every person congregated within the walls of Messrs. Macintosh's premises, to give relief or assistance to the unhappy sufferers, who, it was too truly conjectured, lay buried beneath the ruins. At a quarter-past three, Fireman James Johnson heard some one groaning under a heap of burning materials, a portion of which being quickly removed, the head and shoulders of a poor fellow named Jones, it is believed, who had volunteered assistance to the firemen, appeared, covered up to the waist by a vast quantity of the fallen building. He cried out faintly, though imploringly, to Johnson, "Give me a drop of water! Oh water! Oh Lord! my poor wife and children !" Johnson procured him some water, and then turned round to speak to a fellow-fireman, who stood only a few yards off, when a mass of rubbish again fell, completely covering, and, as it afterwards proved, killing the wretched man, already half-buried there.
The two firemen and Mr. Rose had a most providential and narrow escape, being struck and covered with portions of the same fall as killed Jones ; indeed, Mr. Rose was seriously crushed by it. After unremitting and strenuous exertions, about six o'clock the body of the unfortunate Watson was discovered ; and, strange to say (when it is recollected that he apparently fell into, as it were, a vast blazing furnace), although dreadfully crushed, yet with the exception of his hands, the fingers of which were either burned or torn off, leaving little but the stumps, his person did not appear injured by the fire. As soon as the body could begot out from the dangerous situation in which it lay, which was a work of infinite labour, it was carried to the King's Arms Inn, Chorlton, there to await the coroner's inquest.
Shortly afterwards the men engaged in searching, which, from the extremely tottering state of the remaining walls, was a work of great danger, discovered another body, which turned out to be also that of a volunteer, who, previously to offering his services, had given, as is believed, the name of Morgan. It presented a frightful appearance. No sooner had this body been dug out than another was seen, which, after much labour, was also taken, with the bodv of Morgan, to the King's arms. It proved to be the remains of a person nomed Mash or Marsh.
Just at this time, about twelve o'clock, the excitement of the vast multitude assembled was extreme. The carrying out of the dead bodies - the wailing of the relatives and the anxiety of many to ascertain the fate of those seho were missing - altogether presented a scene painful to the beholder, and difficult to describe.
There are several persons still missing, and it is feared that ere the efforts of the searchers are finished, a frightful addition will be made to the catologue now given.
One of the gable-ends of the manufactory being in a very tottering condition, it was thought advisable to pull it down; accordingly, a man ventured up, and fixed a rope to it, when nearly every one in the yard lending a hand, and pulling altogether, down it came, with a noise resembling thunder. It is utterly impossible to form an estimate of the loss of Messrs. Macintosh and Co., but that it is coisiderable there there can be doubt. We hear that they are insured in the following offices :-"Atlas," "West of England," and "York and London."
Mr. Ostler, conductor of the Salford Fire Brigade, was seriously injured by the falling of the ruins; and a fireman named Pollitt, was taken to the infirmary in a pitiable state, as were many others whose names are at present unknown.
It must be considered a most providential circurmstance that the fire did not reach an immense cistern containing about 40,000 gallons of Naptha, which was not more than five yards off from where it was raging with violence; had it done so, the consequences to those in the neighbourhood must necessarily have been frightful.'[1]
1843 Charles Macintosh died
The discovery of vulcanization, initially by Goodyear in the US and separately by Thomas Hancock in the UK in 1843/4, completely altered the fortunes of the company which was now able to produce a vast range of products made from both vulcanized rubberized fabric and solid rubber.
1846 The company purchased the 'cold cure process of Alexander Parkes for the sum of £5,000. This then enabled thin sheets of rubber, or single texture fabrics, to be vulcanized using sulphur chloride, initially in solution but later in the gas phase.
1846 Advert: 'PATENT VULCANIZED INDIA RUBBER.
CHARLES MACINTOSH and Co. beg to inform the Public that they are the Patentees and sole Manufacturers of the above Substance. The distinguishing properties of the Patent Vulcanized India Rubber are, its uniform elasticity in various temperatures ; its not becoming hard on exposure to extreme cold, nor liable to injury from contact with heat. Its strength is greater than that of native caoutchouc ; it is indissoluble in essential oils ; it resists the effects of oil and grease in different degrees, according to the purposes for which it is manufactured. Among the various useful applications of the Patent Vulcanized India Rubber, may be enumerated—
WASHERS or RINGS for joints in steam and water-pipes, and for valves for steam-engines ; by which labour is economised, and the joints more effectually made, than by any other mode.
ELASTIC BANDS, for holding together bundles of letters, papers, &c.
In ARTICLES of DRESS— Springs for waistcoat-backs and trowsers, straps for trowsers, brace-ends, garters, &c.
In CALICO-PRINTING, the substitute for blanket has been found produce a much finer impression than the woollen hitherto used, and with considerably less pressure; hence a saving in power, and wear of lapping.
COVERS for furnishing rollers (in lieu of flannel), are perfect for their purpose ; and, as the India Rubber does not absorb moisture, they can be easily cleansed, and no colour need be wasted.
FLEXIBLE HOSE for fire-engines, brewers’ purposes, gas, &c.
SPRINGS for railway and other vans and carriages, and for buffers and drags.
CORRUGATED FELT, for placing between the rails and the chairs on the sleepers, to take off the ultimate concussion, and to prevent in wooden continuous sleepers the embedding of the rails, &c.
Cambridge-street, Chorlton-upon-Medlock, Manchester, April, 1846.[2]
1846 Advert: 'MACINTOSH and Co., Patentees and Sole Manufacturers of the VULCANIZED INDIA RUBBER, beg to inform merchants and factors, that they have established works at 22, Coleshill-street, Birmingham, for the manufacture of articles from the Vulcanized India Rubber, under the patent granted to S. Perry and T. B. Daft; and for the convenience of those parties who have been supplied with elastic bands for holding together parcels of papers, &c., vest backs, trouser cuffs, straps for trousers, boot gussets, belts, garters, &c., they have retained the original numbers given to all the articles, so that orders described accordingly will have immediate attention.
The Vulcanized India Rubber has been much improved in quality, and the efflorescence of sulphur on the surface entirely removed.— Cambridge-street, Manchester, June 24, 1846.'[3]
1847 Advert: 'NOTICE.-HANCOCK'S PATENT. CHARLES MACINTOSH & CO. of Manchester, the Proprietors of Mr. THOMAS HANCOCK'S PATENT for Improvement in the Preparation and Manufacture of CAOUTCHOUC, granted in November, 1843, having been informed that large quantities of Shoes, Over-shoes, and Goloshes, stamped or marked with the words, "Goodyear's Patent, 1844," or a similar device, have been or are about to be offered for sale in London and elsewhere, feel it due to the public, and to themselves as Patentees, to give notice to the public generally, and particularly to all vendors and purchasers of the above articles, and of all other articles manufactured of what is now commonly called or known as Vulcanized Caoutchouc, or India Rubber, that such Shoes, Over-shoes, Goloshes, and other articles, are infringements of Mr. Thomas Hancock's said patent, and that proceedings will be taken against all parties dealing in such articles without their license; and the said Charles Macintosh and Co. hereby give notice, that actions have been already brought, and damages recovered, against parties dealing in similar articles without their license and consent; and that, the Hayward Rubber Company, of Connecticut, United States, have taken an exclusive license from Charles Macintosh and Co. for the use of their Patent in Great Britain in respect of Shoes, Over-shoes, and Goloshes manufactured in America; and that all Shoes, Over-shoes, and Goloshes, and other articles manufactured by Charles Mackintosh and Co. are stamped with the Name of their Firm, and that all Shoes, Over-shoes, and Goloshes sold by the Hayward Rubber Company are stamped, "Manufactured by the Hayward Rubber Company, licensed by Charles Macintosh and Co. patentees of the Vulcanized India Rubber."
Manchester, 27th Sept. 1847.'[4]
1851 The award-winning stand of Charles Macintosh and Co at the Great Exhibition, set it on the road to financial security.
1875 Laid some rubber pavement outside St. Pancras Railway Station which was still in good order in 1899.[5]
1889 The company was incorporated as a private limited company.
1914 Manufacturers of India-rubber "Converted Rubber" as applied to waterproof clothes, rendering them insusceptible to cold; waterproofing of cloth by means of vulcanization of Indiarubber and converting process. [6]
WWI During the War there was a large demand for material such as ground-sheets and airship and balloon cloths, and waterproof garments.
1918 The manufacture of rubber proofed fabric, and the design and manufacture of water proof and shower prooof garments was transferred from the Cambridge Street works to the more commodious factory in Brook Street.
1925 Acquired by Dunlop Rubber Co[7] as part of its strategy to broaden the business into general rubber goods trade
1940 Original factory was destroyed.
1947 Listed Exhibitor - British Industries Fair. Manufacturers of Men's and Women's Rainwear and Sportswear, Children's Rainwear, Macintoshes for Civilian Wear and Police, Railways, Transport Drivers, Industrial Workers. (Earls Court, Ground Floor, Stand No. 361) [8]
2000 The Dunlop Company used the mill until February, when it closed.
The present factory is now the centre of a regeneration programme for the ‘Southern Gateway’ to Manchester.
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ Freeman's Journal - Wednesday 29 August 1838
- ↑ Morning Advertiser - Friday 3 July 1846
- ↑ Morning Advertiser - Friday 3 July 1846
- ↑ Manchester Examiner - Tuesday 3 October 1848
- ↑ The Autocar 1899/05/06
- ↑ 1914 Whitakers Red Book
- ↑ The Times, 16 December 1925
- ↑ 1947 British Industries Fair p175
- Trademarked. A History of Well-Known Brands - from Aertex to Wright's Coal Tar by David Newton. Pub: Sutton Publishing 2008 ISBN 978-0-7509-4590-5
- [1] The Plastiquarian