James Cartmell Ridley
James Cartmell Ridley (1844-1914)
of Queen Street, Newcastle-on-Tyne.
1915 Obituary [1]
JAMES CARTMELL RIDLEY was born at Newcastle-on-Tyne on 31st January 1844.
He served an apprenticeship of five years with Messrs. Robert Stephenson and Co., and after a short time at sea, became rolling-mill manager of Messrs. Palmer and Co., Ltd., Jarrow-on-Tyne.
He held this post for a few years, eventually becoming partner in the firm of Bell, Ridley and Bell, Walker Rolling Mills, which firm dissolved partnership in 1877.
Some four years later, Mr. Ridley established the Swalwell Steel Works, which he ran for about thirty years.
His death took place at Newcastle-on-Tyne, on 27th December 1914, in his seventy-first year.
He was elected a Member of this Institution in 1879; he was also an original Member of the Iron and Steel Institute.
1915 Obituary [2]
JAMES CARTMELL RIDLEY died on December 27, 1914. He was apprenticed to Robert Stephenson & Co., locomotive engineers, and then served for a short time as engineer on one of the Tyne steamers.
He then accepted the management of the Wallsend Blast-Furnaces and Coke-Ovens, where he remained until they were sold to the Greek Iron Company, and then became manager of the Jarrow Rolling-mills. In 1871 he patented a new process for the manufacture of iron and steel. When the Jarrow Works became a limited liability company, he formed the firm of Bell, Ridley, and Bell, and took over the Walker Iron Works, Newcastle-on-Tyne.
He afterwards started the Swalwell Steel Works, under the name of Ridley & Co.
He was an original member of the Iron and Steel Institute.