Brunswick Steel Works, Denby Street & Albion Steel Works, Arley Street

[Richard Vessey]

I would be very interested to hear from anyone who has recollections through family, photographs or records of the Brunswick Steel Works in Denby Street which closed in the 60s, the site being sold to T.C. Harrisons and later developed into blocks of flats for Sheffield University or the same for information on Matthias Spencer & Sons at the Albion Steel Works in Arley Street with another premises off Boston Street. Spencers moved from Arley Street in the 80s. I already have records from both businesses that I can share.    Richard Vessey

[Lysanderix]

My company did a small amount of business with Vessey’s ,back in the 1960’s by which time I believe they were more steel merchants than manufacturers,….as indeed were many old Sheffield companies.

I understand Sheffield Archives hold a number of their records

[tozzin]

[Hopman]

There was also Wardrobe and Smith around there. I don't know what their dates of operation were but I remember seeing the trademark of the crossed pipes on a wall on Arley Street and Denby Street.

Was W & S taken over by John Vessey in the 1960s?

[tozzin]

[SteveHB]

1905 directory

Denby Street:

Map, circa 1903

[SteveHB]

OS map #271, c.1953

 

[SteveHB]

Matthias Spencer & Sons, 1905 directory

Map, c.1903

OS map #23, c. 1953

1957 directory

[Richard Vessey]

Very interesting to see the adverts and directory entries (which I have copied). Wardrobe & Smith had premises next to Matthias Spencer & Sons in Arley Street. It seems that when Vesseys bought Matthias Spencer & Sons in the 1920s they must have also bought out Wardrobe & Smith as the Vessey company occupied the whole site. Members of the Wardrobe family remained on the board of John Vessey & Sons (holdings) Ltd.

Matthias Spencer & Sons were file makers and steel makers but upon purchase by Vesseys, the file making side was sold to Spencer Clark (previously Walter Spencer & Co.) which had family connections to Matthias Spencer. It seems that Matthias Spencer must have also made picks for coal mining as this direction of business was continued by Vesseys, upgrading to many tools for the coal extraction business including the "Clever Mary" which I think was a pick head which when added to many others on a chain could rip through a coal seam.

I attach a collage of photos of crucible pouring from 1948 which I assume must be the Brunswick Steel Works in Denby Street (and not the Matthias Spencer works). It would be very interesting if anyone has any knowledge of when crucible steel making stopped at Brunswick Steel Works (Vesseys), Albion Steel Works (Matthias Spencer) and Wardrobe & Smith.

Also fun to note that Denby Street was called New Thomas Street and Arley Street was called Cross George Street.

Replying to Lysanderix, it would be interesting to hear more on dealings with Vesseys in the 60s as I believe their steelmaking stopped in the late 50s and the majority of the Brunswick premises was then sold to Harrisons, just keeping offices until they were transferred to the Matthias Spencer site in Arley Street, then selling the old offices also to Harrisons in the early 60s. There was investment in electric steel furnaces before the end. It would be great to gather when steel making finally stopped at both Brunswick and Albion steel works.

In the end, the Vessey name dropped and the enterprise continued as Matthias Spencer & Co (under Vessey ownership) specialising in coal mining equipment into the 1980s when the business moved to a "green field site" as Spencer Todwick - not quite sure what happened ultimately to Spencer Todwick but as coal mining pretty well evaporated in the 1980s with the new government then, I assume that the company must have gone out of business.

All and any feedback appreciated.....   thank you.

 

[Lysanderix]

Not a lot to recall. We supplied many Sheffield steel merchants with steel and John Vessey was a name I remember as being one of them.

[Hopman]

It looks like Spencer Todwick operated from 1st April 1984 until 1st December 1986, then became part of Arley Properties Ltd. Last Annual return was 31st March 1991. Company now in liquidation.

[Richard Vessey]

Interesting. So it must have been 1984 (or thereabouts) that Matthias Spencer & Sons left the Arley Street premises to the new site in Mansfield Roads, Aston, Sheffield becoming Spencer Todwick (with I believe Deryk Hill becoming managing director). I'm pretty sure the old Arley Street premises were then sold to TC Harrisons (who may still own it, called Cuthbert House and let out). Presumably Arley Properties Ltd. was set up as owner of the Mansfield Road site after Spencer Todwick ceased to operate. I must research further. Thank you all.