Grace's Guide To British Industrial History

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Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 164,290 pages of information and 246,083 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 147,919 pages of information and 233,587 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Pow and Fawcus

From Graces Guide
1848.

Maker of chain cables, anchors, windlasses, etc.

1842 Advert: 'POW & FAWCUS, Patentees of the Nipping Lever Purchase for Ships' Windlasses, North Shields Iron Works, and 49, Lower Shadwell, London,
BEG to announce that, in consequence of the Reduction in the Cost of Manufacture and the greatly increased Demand for their PATENT NIPPING LEVER PURCHASES, they are now enabled to sell them at a Reduction upon the original Prices of Ten per Cent.
The Patentees deem it unnecessary, on the present occasion, to add any Remarks with Reference to the very superior Capabilities of these Purchases; they are well known to the Cumberland Shipbuilders, and having now stood the test of some Years’ Experienc, their Superiority has been fully proved and generally admitted.
Agents for Cumberland, Messrs. L KENNEDY and Co., Whitehaven, who have constantly hand an Assorted Stock of Purchases, of various Sizes and are thus enabled to execute all Orders forwarded to them with immediate Dispatch.' [1]

1863 Acquired Winlaton Rolling Mill and Swalwell Works, lately occupied by Crowley, Millington and Co.[2]

1875 Boiler explosion. [3]

1892 'POW AND FAWCUS. Your correspondent T. R. Y., of North Shields, in his communication to you stated that his grandfather had not been over well treated by the shore firm. I will endeavour to show that such was not the case. John Robinson, of North Shields. was without doubt the inventor of the patent windlass. He was a man of very great inventive genius, but, unfortunately, had little business capacity. He first of all invented the tooth-purchase windlass for Tyzack and Dobson, of North Shields ; but as they and he could not agree, he invented the nipping-lever purchase windlass for Pow and Fawcus, of the same town, they agreeing to be content with the profit of manufacture, and allow Mr. Robinson a commission upon every windlass sold. Mr. Robinson tried to sell them himself, but did not succeed in doing so, and Pow and Fawcus, having had for many years previously an extensive connection with shipbuilders all over Europe, pushed the windlasses into the market for him. Before the expiration of the patent they had sold some thousands of them, for every one of which Mr. Robinson received his commission. But as far as I can learn, be begrudged Pow and Fawcus their profit, although they had to run all risk. Mr. Robinson invented many other things, but I am of opinion that he never made a penny by any one of them except the windlass ; and had he not met such good business people to assist him, he would probably have never made a penny by that. He, however, lived to a ripe old age on the proceeds of his invention. I write the above in no controversial spirit, but only in vindication of a firm who, when in existence, were respected by all who did business with them.
R. F, Waugh, Kirkcaldy, N.B. [4]

The foundry was out of use before 1894 and the site was then occupied by a brewer.


See Also

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Sources of Information

  1. North Shields Iron Works, Advertiser - Tuesday 13 September 1842
  2. Shipping and Mercantile Gazette, 7 August 1863
  3. The Engineer 1875/02/15
  4. Newcastle Chronicle, 3 December 1892