United Alkali Co
United Alkali Company Limited of Cunard Building, Liverpool. Cables: Ubique. (1922)
1890 The company was formed at a time when the British chemical industry mainly consisted of family-run concerns making acids and alkalis but with insufficient financial reserves to compete with the more economic Solvay process for making alkali installed by Brunner, Mond and Co[1]. In protection United Alkali Co was formed to bring together producers of soda ash using the older Leblanc process (the product was used in the glass, textile, soap, and paper industries). The company was registered on 1 November, for the purpose of acquiring 40[2] chemical works in the United Kingdom (including auxiliary plant for making ammonia soda, glycerine, potash, soap, artificial manures, etc), as well as salt mines and works in the county of Durham [3]
1891 John Brock was chairman of United Alkali Co; he pioneered rationalization of the industry which brought brief initial success. Profits peaked in 1892 and thereafter declined rapidly, due in part to American tariff barriers.
1891 Prospectus published for shares in the company. Agreements were made between John Brock and James Hawke Dennis and 40+ companies [4]:
England - West District
- Henry Baxter of St Helens
- Globe Alkali Co of St Helens
- Greenbank Alkali Works Co of St Helens
- A. G. Kurtz and Co of St Helens
- James McBryde and Co of St Helens
- St Helens Chemical Co, trading name of William Chadwick and Sons of St Helens
- Sutton Lodge Chemical Co of St Helens
- Thomas Walker of St Helens
- Gaskell, Deacon and Co of Widnes
- Golding Davis and Co of Widnes
- Hall Brothers and Shaw, trading name of Robert Shaw of Widnes
- Hay Gordon and Co of Widnes
- John Hutchinson and Co of Widnes
- Liver Alkali Works of Widnes
- Niel Mathieson and Co of Widnes
- Mort, Liddell and Co of Widnes
- Muspratt Bros. and Huntley of Flint
- James Muspratt and Sons of Widnes and Liverpool
- W. Pilkington and Son of Widnes
- The Runcorn Soap and Alkali Works of Runcorn and Weston
- Thomas Snape of Widnes
- Sullivan and Co of Widnes
- The Widnes Alkali Co of Widnes
- Wigg Brothers and Steele of Widnes
- The Netham Chemical Co of Bristol
- Hazlehurst and Sons of Runcorn
England - East District
- Heworth Alkali Co of Heworth-on-Tyne
- Jarrow Chemical Co of Jarrow-on-Tyne
- Newcastle Chemical Works of Gateshead
- J. G. and W. H. Richardson of Jarrow-on-Tyne
- Seaham Chemical Works of Seaham Harbour
- St Bede Chemical Co of Jarrow-on-Tyne
- Charles Tennant and Partners of Hebburn-on-Tyne
- Wallsend Chemical Co of Wallsend-on-Tyne
Scotland
- Eglinton Chemical Co of Irvine
- Irvine Chemical Co of Irvine
- North British Chemical Co of Dalmuir
- Charles Tennant and Co of St Rollox
Ireland
- Boyd, Son and Co of Dublin
Salt Works
- Newcastle Chemical Works of Port Clarence
- Charles Tennant and Partners of Port Clarence
- Fleetwood Salt Co of Fleetwood
Arrangements had also been made to acquire the Leblanc businesses of:
- E. Bramwell and Son of St Helens
- Morgan Mooney of Dublin
- Dublin and Wicklow Manure Co of Dublin
- Peter Alfred Mawdsley of Flint
- Tyneside Chemical Co of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
1891 Established what may have been the first industrial research laboratory anywhere in the world at Widnes[5]
1892 Established ammonia-soda works at Fleetwood[6]
1894 Acquired Lancashire Metal Co
1897 United Alkali Co fought back against the American tariffs by establishing a factory in Michigan which was run by the North American Chemical Company, of which John Brock was president, but this venture failed to improve the fortunes of the company. Brock retired as chairman of the UAC in 1913.
1903-6 Acquired pyrites mines at Tinto Santa Rosa, Sotiel Coronada and Concepcion (province of Huelve, Southern Spain)[7]
1906 Acquired Henderson Works of Irvine
1907 Said to control nearly all of the British companies producing alkali and bleach by the Leblanc Process. Had recently purchased (copper) mines in Spain[8].
WWI: In the absence of German imports, and due to insufficient investment, the UK chemical industry was dependent for supplies of ammonia on imports of nitrate of soda from Chile to supplement supplies from gas works[9].
1916 Acquired the works of J. B. Aitken. Closed 1917
1917 Advert. [10] List of chemicals available from United Alkali. Also listed companies in the group as:
- Muspratt, Widnes
- Richardson, Curlew
- Alkali Works, Widnes
- Globe Alkali Works
- Atlas works
- Runcorn Soap and Alkali Works
- William Henderson and Co, Irvine
- Tennant's, St. Rollox
- Gaskell Crystal Carbonate Deacon
- Eglington and Irvine Works
- Liver
- Jarrow Works
- Baxter, St. Helens
- Walker
- Allhusen (77%) Newcastle
- Fleetwood Salt
- Pilkington, Widnes
- Mathieson, Widnes
- Wigg Brothers, Steele
- McBryde, St. Helens
- St. Bede Works
- Sutton Lodge
- McKechnie, St. Helens. Sulphate of Copper
- Gamble and Son, St. Helens
- Tennant, Hebburn
- Boyd, Dublin
- Hall Brothers and Shaw, Widnes
- Golding
- Hutchinson, Widnes
- Greenbank Alkali Works
- Kurtz, St. Helens
- Muspratt, Flint
- Sullivan, Widnes
1922 Advert for Brands:- "Hand-in-Hand", "HB", "Allhusen", "Bull", "Kangaroo", "Tiger", "Redheart", "Muspratt", "Skull". Also as Manufacturers of numerous Chemicals. (Stand No. A.2) [11]
1926 One of the 4 major British chemical companies which were merged to form Imperial Chemical Industries, the others being Brunner, Mond and Co, Nobel Industries and British Dyestuffs Corporation.
1926 June. Sir Max Muspratt was chairman of the company.[12]
1932 Transferred the Spanish mines to Compania Anonyma de Buitron.
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ The Times, 11 March 1952
- ↑ The Times, 10 November 1890
- ↑ The Stock Exchange Year Book 1908
- ↑ The Times, 10 February 1891
- ↑ [1] ICI General Chemicals Division News
- ↑ National Archives [2]
- ↑ National Archives [3]
- ↑ The Times, 3 June 1907
- ↑ The Times, 11 March 1952
- ↑ [1917 Worrall's Yorkshire Textile Directory]] Advert p140
- ↑ 1922 British Industries Fair Advert ccxi and p80
- ↑ The Engineer 1926/06/25