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Renishaw Ironworks Nr Sheffield


ceegee

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Sorry I don't have a closure date, but I used to go to National Scrap Metals on the same industrial estate to repair their metal sampling furnace. Renishaw Ironworks looked to have 2 cupola furnaces that would be used for making cast iron castings. I think it had British Steel Corporation on the sign. It closed about the same time as National Scrap Metals was bought out by ELG Haniel, a German company.

 

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Information from the London Gazette, Sheffield Daily Telegraph and Graces Guide (further information available via links from Graces):

In 1875 a High Court case was reported between plaintiffs James Morrisson, William Hunter, and Hilton Philipson (all Newcastle) Alfred Allott (Sheffield) and Henry Tennant (York) - Appleby and Co of the Renishaw Ironworks , who owned land and coal seams at Barlborough at the Cottam colliery.  The defendant was Margaret Morton who claimed to own 6 acres of adjacent land.  In 1873 the Cottam had "got" coal from the adjacent land, and various actions for trespass, offers for purchase had been going on.  The case was agreed out of court.

In November 1876 the failure of Alderman Allott was announced - liabilities amounting to £210,000. This was the biggest Sheffield failure since Parker, Shore and Company's bank, but luckily most of the creditors were not local.

In March 1882 Bankruptcy proceedingswere still proceeding against Alfred Allott Public Accountant of Sheffield (Alfred Allott and Company – partners Thomas Hadfield and John Kidner), an Iron Master at the Renishaw Ironworks (Appleby and Company – partners James Morrisson, William Hunter, Hilton Philipson, Henry Tennant, William John Hutchinson deceased), also at Woodford Northampton (Newbridge Iron Ore Company), also an Iron Mine Proprietor at Saint Austell (Ruby and Trethurgy Iron Mine Company) also formerly a colliery proprietor at Brightside (Pitsmoor Coal Company – partner John Crossley),

In November 1887 the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway gave notice in Parliament that it intended to apply to make a number of new railways, including a branch into the premises of Messrs Appleby and Company at the Renishaw Ironworks.

1888 Certainly operating before this date as Emma, the 87 year old widow of James Appleby (of Renishaw Iron Co) died then.

1920s-30s Difficult times for the company as demand for pig iron fluctuated with consequent firing and shutting down of furnace and hiring/firing of workers.

1937 Listed Exhibitor - British Industries Fair. Pig Iron Brand "Renishaw" Foundry Iron, Derbyshire quality , for general engineering castings and light castings. Special Low Phosphorous and High Manganese iron for all grades of high class castings. (Stand No. D.821)

In March 1937 a notice was published advising that the High Court had made an order for a meeting of the shareholders of the Renishaw Iron Company to consider a Scheme of Arrangement of their shares.

1938 Loan from Tinsley Park Colliery Company in exchange for agreement that control of the company and right to supply coke were secured by Tinsley Park

1941 Patent - An improved wheel attachment for prevention of wheel spin.

1945 Patent - Improvements in or relating to chairs for railway lines.

1951 Nationalised under the Iron and Steel Act; became part of the Iron and Steel Corporation of Great Britain.

1956 Purchased by Tube Investments for its complementary pig iron facilities.

1968 British Steel announced that pig iron production would cease with 225 out of 420 losing their jobs. This was a consequence of closing the open hearth steel making plant at Park Gate Iron and Steel Co's works which would reduce demand for pig iron from Renishaw to below economic levels.

58a413e5bb631_AllottFailure1876.thumb.png.d9e3907b903fdc1fe764fce1c3a9518a.png

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Thank you Old rider and Edmund that is very helpful. The Ironworks had Its origins in the C17th as these 2 cuttings from the Derby Evening Telegraph show - the first is dated 5th October 1934 and the second 5 days later, 10th October 1934

 

 

renishaw19341005det.jpg

renishaw19341010det.jpg

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Whilst researching some family history I was contacted by a retired US Navy Admiral, living in Bangor, Maine, who asked if I was interested in some old documents he had relating to Renishaw iron works. I duly received a large package through the mail...including plans, maps, legal documents. Having read through them they were offered to both Sheffield Archives ... not interested not in Sheffield or S Yorks... and Chesterfield/Derbyshire weren't interested either. In some disgust I passed them onto a local community./history group in Renishaw...this is several years ago and I never did find out how the American had obtained them

That said, the foundry closed on 22 April 1999. A company called Carbo Ltd paid BSC £800,000 for the foundry and a substantial land bank. This was leased between Bryan Donkin and Renishaw Properties. Donkin moved men and equipment into the abbreviated foundry and proceeded to lose money, hand over fist and quickly went into receivership. The site now has a housing estate and a few small industrial units in place....someone made some money out of it and the workers, as ever, were the losers.

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Renishaw Ironworks certainly did become part of the British Steel Corporation, as I clearly recall the 'B.S.C. Renishaw' notice board when I used to drive through the village, and closure in 1999, seems about right to me.

The internal railway network was connected to the North Midland Railway line by way of an under-track bridge beneath the G.C.R. railway station platforms and a restricted clearance, under road-bridge, the parapets of which still exist, along with its adjoining cutting. It also seems to have connected with the G.C.R. mainline to Staveley.

It probably also, at one time connected to the adjoining Chesterfield Canal which ran along the back of the property, and I do remember the public right of way, which passed from the canal path back onto the main, Eckington to Barlborough highway, and which passed through parts of the iron-works.

One of the locomotives which formerly worked the internal railway network, Renishaw Ironworks No.6, Hudswell Clarke, works no.1366, of 1919, is now preserved at Tanfield, County Durham.

I also recall that there might have once been a colliery, sandwiched between the ironworks and the adjoining G.C.R. railway line, and certainly, until the late 1980's there still existed on that site, a dewatering shaft, with pump-house, probably for the nearby N.C.B. Renishaw Park Colliery. There might still exist, (at least it did until recently), a chute from that site, down onto the canal-side, which was presumably used for loading coal.

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Interesting to see what was in and around the Ironworks, with the 1898 map showing both the iron works site itself and the colliery at Renishaw, with the canal, road and railway infrastructure providing access to and from the sites. The map from 1877 also shows the area before the GCR line was laid...

https://www.old-maps.co.uk/index.html#/Map/444900/377910/12/100613

 

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 As an aside,the adjoining Sitwell Estate was  largely made possible by an income from timber (for charcoal) obtained by the "cunning" Sitwell's from branches obtained from trees intended for Royal Navy shipbuilding. Iron working in the area had been going on for centuries ...as indicated by some local place names...and Sitwell's supplied all manner of iron wares to a burgeoning trade with the West Indies...but it was the later exploitation of coal that really made their fortunes....including a nice little "earner" for every wagon the Midland Railway passed over their Renishaw lands.

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Just looking through my rather scanty notes on Renishaw Ironworks, I find that I have the details of two of the other locomotives that worked the internal railway network.

Renishaw Ironworks No.1, Hudswell Clarke, works no.1691, of 1937, an 0-4-0, outside cylindered saddle-tank

Renishaw Ironworks No.3, Hudswell Clarke, works no.1341, of 1918, an 0-4-0, outside cylindered saddle-tank

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