Bird's Chemical Works
Bird's Chemical Works of Duxford, Cambs.
1836 William Thurnall set up a bone-meal plant at Duxford, using water-power; later steam-power was introduced.
The business was incorporated as the Cambridge Manure Co.
1858 Charles Thurnall, son of William, took on the management.
1860 Bird Bros. acquired Cambridge Manure Co.
1877 The Cambridge Manure Co. Bird Brothers' manures: SUPERPHOSPHATE OF LIME. DISSOLVED BONE MANURE. BONE MANURE. MANGEL MANURE. POTATO MANURE. CORN MANURE. ROOT MANURE. APPLY TO Messrs. BIBD BROTHERS, DUXFORD, CAMBRIDGESHIRE.[1]
1892 A subsidiary, Cambridge Chemical Co., was set up to make chemicals and disinfectants.
By 1900 Birds were manufacturing bone-meal, gelatin, and glue.
1914 A disastrous fire took place
1917/9 the business was acquired by Eastern Counties Products Ltd - the factory remained known as Birds' Chemical Works.
1918 Eastern Counties Bone Products Co., Duxford Works, Cambs., advertised for waste fat or bone to make munitions.[2]
1928 Bird Bros. Duxford, the thoroughly well-known Disinfectant and Veterinary Fluid chloro-Naptholeum or Liquid Coal for Cleansing, took over the business until lately carried on by W G PIKE for 60 years[3]
1939 BIRD’S CHEMICAL WORKS (late W. G. Pike) Duxford. Cambs. First, finest, foremost, disinfectant. Cheapest, too CHLORO-NAPTH .. CURBOLIZED PEAT[4]
1980 The works were still operating, with modern machinery, though the site is also noteworthy for the surviving boilerhouse, chimney, and a set of glue-drying tunnels.
See Also
Sources of Information
- Archives of the British chemical industry, 1750-1914: a handlist. By Peter J. T. Morris and Colin A. Russell. Edited by John Graham Smith. 1988.