J is for Jones!

Today's blog post is a double delight!! J for John and J for Jones!! Let's see what we can find out about John Jones and the Britannia Iron Foundry.

In 1867, John Jones is in partnership with Joseph Frisby, operating an iron and brass founders, engineers, millwrights, and general machinists, providing steam engines, boilers and agricultural implements. The firm had previously been that of Samuel Frisby (Joseph’s father) which first appeared in the trade directories in 1835, and continued to be listed in 1841, 1846, 1849, and 1854, predominantly on Market Street. By 1861, Samuel had retired so Joseph was the ironmonger and ironfounder who was employing 22 men and 10 boys. Presumably, when Samuel died in 1863, Joseph took over and joined forces with John Jones.

John Jones was born in Chester in about 1833, where his father George was a coal merchant. By the age of 18, John was an ironwork fitter in Chester, but by 1861 John, now a millwright, had married and the couple had moved to Loughborough, where they were living on Mill Hill, and where their first daughter was born.

In 1871, John, listed on the census return as an engineer and iron and brass founder, and his family are now living on Meadow Lane, and have another five children, including John James Jones, who would later take over his father’s business. In an 1877 trade directory, the business was listed as an ironfounders, an engineers, and a millwrights. The 1881 census lists John, an engineer, and his wife at his brother’s house in Chester, but by 1891 John’s wife, Mary, has died, and John is back in Loughborough, where he is living on Meadow Lane. He is listed as a steam engine maker and ironfounder, and son John James, now aged 22, and his older brother George aged 26, are assistants to the ironfounders.

An 1892 directory describes the business of the Britannia Foundry as an engineers, iron and brass founders, licensed valuers of machinery and engineering plant. The range of activities is extensive: making castings for sewerage, waterworks and gas works; structural ironwork; all types of engineering and millwrighting work; making engines, waterwheels, pumps, gypsum, and corn-grinding machinery; power hoists, cranes, pullies, bearings - and more, including the recent addition of brick-making machinery!

John was living at 77 Meadow Lane in 1901, and at 68 years of age, he is still a mechanical engineer who is employing staff, and his son John James is living with his own wife and daughter at 31 Clarence Street, where he’s a mechanical engineer, and founder, also employing staff. A trade directory of 1901 lists the business as engineers and boilermakers. The listing in the 1908 trade directory, and indeed in subsequent directories up until 1928, is extensive - iron founders, manufacturers of brick-making machinery, colliery plant, oil and steam engines etc.!

By 1911, John James is still living on Clarence Street, and is an engineer and general iron founder, employer. Meanwhile, father, John is living at Britannia House on Meadow Lane, where he is listed as an engineer and iron and brass founder. However, John soon retired, and lived at Brittania House, until his death in 1917. John James died in 1939. However, I am not sure when the Britannia Foundry closed. 

Products made by the Britannia Iron Foundry, which was that owned by the Jones family, can still be seen in the streets of Loughborough! Remember, when you’re out for a walk, to look up, down, and all around!

Street sign (above and below) made at the Britannia Foundry in the early 1900s

Grave plot markers probably by the Britannia Foundry

The grave of John Jones

 

There are other posts on this blog also feature John Jones, and other foundries in Loughborough!

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This post is one in a series for the ‘April A-Z Blogging Challenge’

 

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Posted by lynneaboutloughborough

With apologies for typos which are all mine!

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