Doubleday and Easterby

of Westage and The Close, Newcastle

of Saltmeadows, Gateshead

of Bill Quay, Felling, Co Durham

c.1770 A soapery was set up by Messrs. Lamb and Waldie at the Westgate

1775 The works were purchased by Mr. Thomas Doubleday

Continued as Doubleday and Easterby

1790 Moved to The Close in Newcastle.

1808 Moved to a new site south of the river

1808 Messrs. Doubleday and Easterby started making sulphate of soda by decomposing the waste salts from the soap-boilers, which consisted chiefly of common salt, and some sulphate of soda. Their chief supply of raw material was from Messrs. Jamieson and other soap-boilers at Leith.

At first they bought in their sulphuric acid but, between 1809 and 1810, they got the plans of chambers from Messrs Tennants, of Glasgow, and erected the first chamber on the Tyne

Erected the first platina retort, for making rectified vitriol; soon they had three retorts in operation. The alkali which they made was used in the crude form in the manufacture of soap.

1841. Company closed

The Bill Quay site continued under Cook Brothers until the 1880s.

The Close site became a flour mill and was bombed in 1940.

See Also

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