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Harleston Iron Works


Tony Moorwood

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Does anyone know of a source with pictures or other memorabilia of the Harleston Iron Works which was founded around 1860 by Messrs Marshall, Watson & Moorwood? Later the business became Moorwood, Sons & Co.  I'd be grateful for any information, Tony Moorwood.

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On 06/04/2021 at 12:09, Tony Moorwood said:

Does anyone know of a source with pictures or other memorabilia of the Harleston Iron Works which was founded around 1860 by Messrs Marshall, Watson & Moorwood? Later the business became Moorwood, Sons & Co.  I'd be grateful for any information, Tony Moorwood.

https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Watson,_Moorwood_and_Co
https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Moorwood,_Sons_and_Co

https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Moorwoods


https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?action=search2&keywords=Ref_No_increment%2CDate_Period%2CImage_Date%2CTitle%2CFurther_Information%2CKeywords%2CPhotographer%2CImage_Copyright%3BMYSQL_MATCHES%3B%2B%2BHarleston

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Thanks for the replies and interesting information. I'm not used to this website and I didn't look in the right place for responses.

John M Moorwood was my great uncle although I never knew him as he died in 1940. I believe his iron foundry carried on until around 1970 when his daughters sold out and it was absorbed into a larger organisation.

 

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Hi Tony and all

A friend of mine has this incredible Atlas figure that he is currently sympathetically restoring under expert guidance. During the work the casting foundry was revealed and the year 1908.  The foundry was Moorwoods.  On his behalf I have been doing some research, and the figures existence we shared just last week with Museums Sheffield.  My motivation is driven by an interest in all matters of Sheffield heritage and my own family history.  By remarkable coincidence, I am a Morewood from my late mothers side.  (On discovery of the casting foundry I tried to lay claim to the figure on behalf of the extended Morewood/ Moorwood family on the basis that my friend cannot produce a payment receipt! Perhaps a little unsurprisingly he summarily dismissed the claim☹️😆). I am, according to my own research, a 6th cousin once removed from the Moorwood brothers who ran the foundry at that time.  My friend’s steel industry family recollections and our research has uncovered lots of this figure’s history, but there are many un answered questions.  Whilst the Museums may well at sometime put their weight behind further research and publicity, my friend and I are currently trying to find out more about the following and we wonder if you or others on this forum may have any information or suggestions.

1 - It’s strongly believed that there were six figures cast used at exhibitions and displayed in the Firth Brown Atlas works  reception area.  So where are the others? Does anyone ever recall seeing any of these displayed anywhere?

2 - Who was the gifted sculptor?

3 - Who was the gifted craftsman / company that created the wooden globes that Atlas carried?

4 - Sheffield Archives have the Moorwood order books from 1920. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/c/F194811
A (very) long shot would be that someone has the order books back to 1908 as that might shed some further light.  It was either John Browns or Thos Firth who ordered them, probably to coincide with the commencement of their joint relationship.  Francis Colin Moorwood, a brother of the foundry owners, worked for Firth as a lab assistant and later with Harry Brearley who of course worked in the FB Research Laboratories, (they apparently were great friends and business partners). His connection to both FB and the Moorwood foundry is an obvious assumption as to how Moorwoods got the order.  Any thoughts on this?

Please note the photos are the property of my friend and should only be used in conjunction with related research and should not be reproduced or published elsewhere except with his express permission.  Permissions can be requested via myself.

We look forward to any suggestions/ideas.

319C3E1D-5619-4B77-9BC0-02AAC36B1F6D.thumb.jpeg.430a551f968cbc412b3c18b87fecfac9.jpeg05CF814F-58E8-4264-88EF-DC57FA7D041F.thumb.jpeg.a02bb7c07cb9f746e04b8fd15bec3c2a.jpeg20792EFD-A657-4DAA-9F73-A622FE7C278B.thumb.jpeg.f7200620b58b9b6596d4576f4d43becb.jpeg

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