J. and H. Pearce
Iron founders of Tavy Foundry, Tavistock, Devon.
Tavistock foundries - Pearce
J and H Pearce – Tavy Foundry. ‘..Tavy Foundry, is in Dolvin Road, adjoining a garage, but has little architectural interest ..’[1]
‘Close to the river on the opposite side of Parkwood Road, and across the Tavy adjacent to Mount Tavy (the Princetown) road, were other foundry premises, known as the Tavy Iron Works. A walking bridge connected the two areas. It was probably here that, as reported in the Exeter Flying Post of 4 April 1811, an iron boat capable of carrying 8 tons, to be launched on the Tavistock Canal, was built. Lessees here from the Bedford Estate during the latter part of the century were James and Henry Pearce. They were followed by Petherick and Stenner, ‘Brass and Iron Founders, Agricultural Machinery Makers’. From 1905 until closure during the first world war the foundry was run by G H Budge & Son. Several of the buildings, serving other uses, still remain.’[2]
1853-59 Circa 1853 J & H Pearce in partnership with Samuel Drew. William Escott, a Tavistock ironmonger, then purchased Drew’s share of the partnership. Disagreements led to arbitration and J & H Pearce were ordered to pay £60 a year for five years. They filed for a sum owing from Escott, etc etc. Verdict of nonsuit with costs.[3]
1862 TWO APPRENTICES WANTED IMMEDIATELY, BY MESSRS. J. & H. PEARCE, Tavy Foundry, Tavistock.[4]
1865 J and H Pearce, Ironfounders .. A good moulder wanted. Also an opening for an apprentice. Apply at the Foundry.[5]
1865 J and H PEARCE, Ironfounders, Tavy Foundry, Tavistock. Beg to inform the Public that in consequence of the advantages derived from the machinery they have lately erected, they are enabled to sell their well-known cooking stoves at a considerable reduction in price.[6]
1867 John Riddolls v J & H Pearce. Court case. Waggoner in employ of founders managed to break a turbine wheel he had collected from a site on the moor. Wages 15s a week. 2s 6d witheld for following 6 weeks towards cost of breakage. Riddolls sought to recover 15s but lost case.[7]
1870 WANTED a SMITH.–Apply J. & H. PEARCE, Tavy Iron Works, Tavistock.[8]
1880 James Pearce, Esq, ironfounder, Tavistock, one of the directors of the Lady Bertha United Copper & Tin Mining Co Ltd. Capital £15,000. The other directors all home counties based.[9]
1881 Wanted, Good Waggoner, Moulders and Two Boys. Apply J. & H. Pearce, Tavistock.[10]
1881 Court case. J & H Pearce v The Wheal Fortescue Mining Co Limited. Demand was for £50 for a stamp axle and plunger pole, which goods were detained by the defendants but the plaintiffs contended that these were their property. In 1879 some plant which had belonged to Wheal Newton was sold including the above and four pumps to J & H Pearce. The Newton company went into liquidation. Some of the pumps were sold back but the foundry was never fully paid. Fortune [Fortescue?] company took over mine. Case adjourned.[11]
1882 WANTED, a good WAGGONER, also APPRENTICES – Apply J. & H. Pearce, Tavistock.[12]
1884 The Vice Warden of the Stanneries has ordered the Tamar Silver Lead and Floor Spar Mining Company, Limited, to be wound up, on the petition of Messrs. J. & H. Pearce of Tavistock, ironfounders, claiming to be creditors of the company.[13]
1884 —On Wednesday afternoon an accident occured to Mr. J. Pearce, of Brook-street Tavistock. It appears that he was returning to Tavistock with his brother James and labourer named Yard, who were in charge of a traction engine and couple of trucks, belonging to Messrs James and Henry Pearce of the Tavy Foundry, laden with granite from the Dartmoor quarries belonging to Mr. Duke. Mr. J. Pearce was in attendance upon the heavy laden trucks, and it thought that shortly after gutting into the public road from the quarry, he attempted to do something with the roller, which acted as a break between the wagon, the two trucks, and in this way must have been caught between the wheels of the second passing over him. The brother continued to drive the engine for a short distance, but happening to look back he saw the injured man struggling along on one leg. Seeing that his brother had met with an accident, he pulled up, and found that the injuries were severe. A conveyance was obtained, and Mr. Pearce was taken to his home at Tavistock. He was at once attended to by Mr. Gilbert Northey, surgeon, who found that his right thigh had been badly crushed, as well his left foot and ankle. His hands were much injured, and he was also much bruised about the body.[14]
1888 At the Launceston County Court on Friday an action was tried before Judge Howard, in which W. Bray, farmer, of Kelly Bray, in this parish, sought to recover from Henry Pearce, ironfounder, Tavistock, damages by destroying a rick of hay which, it was alleged, had been set on fire by a spark from defendant’s traction engine. After hearing the evidence the Judge awarded the plaintiff £21 damages.[15]
1891 .. A section of the leat by which the Tavy Foundry is worked, was destroyed.[16]
1897 To Mine Agents, Foundrymen, and others. Sale of Mining Materials, &c. GLANVILLE & SON have been instructed by the representatives of the late Mr. Henry Pearce to Sell by Auction, at the Tavistock Iron Works, Parkwood Road, on January 12th, 1897, at 11 a.m.:[17]
- 12in. Horizontal engine, air receiver and connections, jib crane (complete, hydraulic lifting jack, hand screwing machine, with dies, by ‘Hatch’; and various other mine accessories.
- AT Belstone Mine, Okehampton, —Water wheel, iron rings and axle, 40ft. diameter, 4ft. wide; double-acting hauling machine, gearing, &c.
- AT Wheal Benny, near Latchley.—Water wheel, with iron rings and axle, 36ft diameter, 5ft breast; hauling machine, complete; stamps. &c.
- AT Sortridge, Horrabridge. —Horizontal tubular boiler by ‘Hornsby’.
- AT Holm Bush, Callington. 22in. horizontal engine, 6ft. stroke, capstan and winding drum, with steel rope; 22in. horizontal air compressing engine, 7ft. stroke, with fly wheel complete.
- AT Devon Great United Mine, near Latchley.— One-third of interest in quantity of materials, including : —56in. pumping engine, air compressor, winding engine and drum complete, stamps, pumps and pit work, strapping plates, rods, &c., air winch, rock drills and bars, &s..
[Were some or all of the waterwheels listed here cast by J & H Pearce? Did the foundry manufacture steam engines? We know the Bedford Foundry did].
Waterwheels
Finch Foundry, Sticklepath, Belstone, Devon. SX 642941. Two overshot waterwheels by Pearce. An edge-tool factory making billhooks, scythes and shovels and mining tools (1814-1960). Tilt hammers and shears driven by a 12ft 6in by 5ft overshot. Shrouds by Pearce and Co, Tavistock. Grinding house waterwheel 12ft by 4ft overshot; shrouds made by Pearce and Co, Tavistock.[18][These waterwheels survive: Finch Foundry now part of National Trust estate].
Lady Bertha Mine, Buckland Monachorum. SX 471689. Two waterwheels. A 45ft by 5ft known as Wheel Emily worked pitwork in shaft by a line of flat rods.[19]
A second waterwheel 30 ft by 4ft worked a double acting haulage engine and crusher plant. Both wheels manufactured by J & H Pearce under superintendence of Matthew Loam, engineer of the mine.[20]
Devon Friendship, Mary Tavy. SX 510792 Bennett’s Shaft. New waterwheel installed designed by Mr Loam, manufactured by J & H Pearce. ‘Mr Loam expressed his unqualified satisfaction with the manner in which Messrs Pearce had executed his design, which he said did them much credit’. Wheel was designed to drain Bennett’s shaft and the od mine as well - the latter worked by the Taylor family for nearly 80 years. The Emma Wheel: one of the most powerful in the county, attached to nearly 400 fathoms of flat rods.[21][22]
Trebartha Lemarne Mine, North Hill, Cornwall. SX 2555 7766. 28ft by 6ft waterwheel by J & H Pearce, Tavistock. Started work 1883, known as ‘Kempthorne’s Wheel’.[23]
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ Frank Booker, Industrial Archaeology of the Tamar Valley. David & Charles 1971, 263
- ↑ Helen Harris, Foundries in Nineteenth Century Tavistock. Devon Historian 31, (1985) .16
- ↑ Tavistock Gazette 19-8-1859 p 4
- ↑ Tavistock Gazette 11-7-1862 p 4
- ↑ Tavistock Gazette 3-3-1865 p 4
- ↑ Tavistock Gazette 22-9-1865 p 1 last col
- ↑ Tavistock Gazette 22-11-1867 p 4
- ↑ Tavistock Gazette 12-8-1870 p 4
- ↑ Tavistock Gazette 5-3-1880 p 4
- ↑ Tavistock Gazette 20-5-1881 p 4
- ↑ Tavistock Gazette 29-7-1881 p 8
- ↑ Tavistock Gazette 24-11-1882 p 4
- ↑ Tavistock Gazette 6-6-1884 p 5
- ↑ Cornish & Devon Post - Saturday 26 July 1884 p 4
- ↑ Tavistock Gazette 16-11-1888 p 5 col 1
- ↑ Western Times 18 March 1891
- ↑ Tavistock Gazette 1-1-1897 p 4
- ↑ R A Barron, The Finch Foundry Trust and Sticklepath Museum of Rural Industry, n.d. published post 1964.
- ↑ Tavistock Gazette 26-11-1880 p 5
- ↑ Hamilton Jenkin, Mines of Devon, Vol 1, 1974, 50-51
- ↑ Tavistock Gazette 2-12-1881 p 5
- ↑ Western Morning News 28-11-1881 p 3
- ↑ Tavistock Gazette 6-4-1883 p 8