Ironmaster, of Rugeley
A location named 'Slitting Mill' is situated SW of Rugeley. By 16th October 1799 Edward Barker is named as the mill tenant. At that time he was running a tin plate making business in the valley. By 1799 it was referred to as a rolling mill. It is known that the leat was built by 1803 and the Dutton’s Pool was dug in or about 1807. By 1817 Barker's business had collapsed. An 1817 sale notice stated that the mill had been used for rolling sheet iron.[1]
1812 To be SOLD by PRIVATE CONTRACT (ON VERY LOW TERMS)
TWO BUCKET WATER WHEELS, 20 Feet high and 5 Feet wide, made with cast Iron Ladles [?], Shrouding and Wood Arms and cross Planking, nearly new; also Wood and cast Iron Shafts, of various Diameters, and all Sorts of Mill and Forge Castings, Tools, and Implements, of and other Wheels of various Sizes. For Particulars apply to Mr. Barker, Rugely Ironworks, Staffordshire. ' [2].
1814 Advertisement: 'BY THE KING'S LETTERS PATENT. To Iron-Masters, Founders. Smiths, Anchor Smiths, and others, JOHN STREET Esq.'s Hydrostatic, Portable, Single, and Double BLOWING ENGINES are recommended, and made and sold, by Mr. BARKER, at his IRON WORKS, RUGELEY, Staffordshire; where an assortment are regularly kept for inspection. These machines are applicable to all purposes where blast is required from bellows, blast cylinders, and, from their portability, are particularly adapted for forming; a circulation of fresh air in coal and mine works, and ventilating ships, hospitals, prisons, manufactories, or noblemen and gentlemen's apartments. Their superiority, deduced from actual experiment, is as follows:
1st. They are quite portable, and applicable to all situations: take little room, simple construction, are not liable to out of repair, nor do they require particular attention when working.
2d. They produce a greater quantity blast than any other method of blowing, with much less power; and come considerably cheaper than bellows or cylinders.
3d. From the superior quality of the blast much fuel is saved in heating and smelting, and less waste in the materials.
4th. The quality of the body heated or smelted, is retained or improved in much greater degree than bv any former method.
5th. Great advantage arises in welding and faggotting iron, as the whole mass, if ever so large, receives a regular soaking heat in much less time, without sanding to prevent burning or waste the surface, which, with the greatest attention, well known to take place the common method of heating iron blast or otherwise.
6th. The qualities of steel in heating, and cast iron in smelting, are retained in a most wonderful manner, when worked many times over.
A Double Blowing Machine is worked all day by a man, and is warranted to smelt 6 cwt. per hour.
A Double Blowing Machine, of less size, is worked by a stout boy, and has taken a complete welding heat thro‘ the whole mass of a faggot inches diameter in less than 30 minutes. A Single Blowing Engine is worked by small boy, and has taken the like heat on a faggot 4¾ inches diameter in 15 minutes.
Machines are made in all sizes, suitable to any kind work.— For further information apply the following Persons, who have them work:-
Mr. Williams, at his Foundry. School-house Yard, Clerkenwell. Messrs. Fowlers, and Messrs. Wards, at their Foundries, London; Messrs. Acraman & Sons, Anchor Smiths, and Messrs. Harford & Co. Bristol; Mr. Kay, Burv, Lancashire ; Messrs.Radford & Waddington, Manchester; Messrs. Euens & Allies, Warminster; Messrs. Williams & Moir, Plymouth; Messrs. Hornblower and Smith's Iron and Steel Works, Brierly Hill, near Stourbridge; Messrs. Samuel Fereday & Co., Bradley Iron Works, near Bilston; and Messrs. Shaw, Jobson & Co. Sheffield.
N. B. To be sold also by Mr. Barker, two Water Wheels made of cast iron, 20 feet diameter; and also several Gearing and Fly Wheels, all made on the most improved constructions.' [3]
1815 Letter from E. Barker (Rugeley) to James Watt (Soho). 16 Jul. 1815, written on a printed leaflet for John Street’s 'Hydrostatic, portable, single and double blowing engines' made by Barker. Docketed 'With description and certificate of Street's blowing engines. Wishes us to make trial of one.'[4]