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September 2008

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Foundry Square, as the name suggests derives is origins from it's industrial past when the village once had a thriving Iron Foundry employing local labour and using much of natural resources readily available in the valley.

During the research of this publication many residents have commented on the existence of the foundry and its supply of chains or links for the Menai Suspension Bridge. This intriguing information relating to the Menai Bridge has yet to be confirmed with documented evidence, but merit's further research.
To date our research into the foundry is as follows;
1840 map showing Norton Green Foundry - Lot 1260
During the 1780's George Cope built an Iron Foundry on the canal side at Milton next to the mill of his father-in-law William Sherratt, engineer and part owner of 'Cockshead Colliery' that was worked by the canal side at Norton Green. Following in the footsteps of his father-in-law's engineering interests, George's business grew and flourished picking up many contracts in the vicinity through William Sherratt's business dealings.

A cousin of George Cope, Thomas Cope, a civil engineer also decided to set up business at Norton Green. Having secured a lease from the then Lord Norton, Charles Bowyer Adderley, he set up business in 1815 as 'Thomas Cope and son's, civil engineers, boiler maker's and iron founder's'. The foundry consisted of two furnaces and boilers that were situated behind 'Foundry House'.

Many of the long gone buildings in the square such as 'Foundry Farm' also made up part of the works. With the natural resources close at hand for his industry, his business soon flourished and became a major employer in the village. Coal from the Cockshead and Froggery mine along with many other drift mines in the village were being used to feed the hungry furnaces and boiler's, along with sand from Heakley for mould castings.

With the canal arm of the Caldon coming virtually into the works transport of products was not a problem. Around this time many large scale ambitious engineering projects around the country were in progress and none more so than the construction of Thomas Telford's Menai Suspension Bridge, the first of its type in the world.

Work began on the bridge in 1819 and the contract for the iron work going to a Mr Hazeldine, with the iron links being cast in a foundry in Upton Magna, Shropshire. Considering that to make up the sixteen huge chains to suspend the 579 foot span, 33,264 large links were required. It is plausible to suggest that this amount of links would be too much for any single foundry to cast and with the financial penalties for holding up construction in any contract of this magnitude, that some of the work was also contracted out to other foundries around the country.

This then maybe, but unconfirmed is where Thomas Cope could of picked up 'part contract' for the supply of the links, and where this claim derives. In 1836 Thomas Cope had died and the business was being run in the partnership of his three sons', Thomas (B.1799. D.1852) George (B.1805. D.1861) with John (B.1802. D.1852) at the head of the company.

The business went from strength to strength and in Whites Directory for 1851 it states 'there is a large iron foundry lying in Norton Green'. By 1852 John Cope had died and his son Charles, born 1832, was principal owner of the foundry. It was around this time that construction began on the row of cottages on the west side of Foundry Square (numbers 2-16, numbers 18 and 20 added around 1871) known locally as 'Yellow Row' and it is most probable that it was Charles Cope who financed the build.

Whether the construction of the properties was initially to house the workers of the foundry, or just a financial venture we are unsure of, but by 1861 the Census records show that properties were rented to residents of varying occupations:-

No 2. James Unwin. - Grocer and Master Baker
No 4. John Simcock. - Iron Moulder
No 6. Joseph Mountford. - Iron Moulder
No 8. Reuben Sant. - Joiner
No 10. Edward Marsh. - Pattern Maker
No. 12. Theodosia Lancaster. - Mangle Woman
No. 14. Joseph Holdcroft. - Coal Miner
No. 16. Thomas Docksey. - Iron Moulder

The 1861 census also shows that the 'large iron foundry' employs 27 men and 4 boys.

The name 'Yellow Row' we surmised came from the fact that the front elevation of the properties being built of 'yellow brick' but during research of this publication a number of our mature residents have recalled that their parents told them that the name 'Yellow Row' came about because the residents who lived in this row and worked in the foundry had yellow tainted skin. It is relatively easy to dismiss this as an 'old wives tale' but on further reflection maybe with the continual exposure to a smoke filled atmosphere and the excessive amounts of sand being used, which would easily taint the skin, then maybe there is some truth in this explanation.

By 1869 a new partnership had been formed, with trade directories advertising the business as 'Barker and Cope - Iron Founders - Norton Green' In 1871 the business ceased to operate in the village and the partnership had now moved to the 'Union Foundry' at Kidsgrove, operating under 'Barker and Cope-General Engineers.' Business continued at Kidsgrove with such diverse manufacture as pressed buttons to the supply of steam winding engines to the Welsh coal industry, such as the one supplied in 1875 for the 'Hetty Shaft' at 'Tymawr Colliery' at Pontypridd.

After 1880 this line of the Cope family's long association with iron foundries comes to an end, as the works at Kidsgrove were acquired and taken over by a new partnership between a 'King and Renshaw' and operations at the 'Union Foundry' continued under that name.

Whether Charles Cope had now concentrated his engineering expertise elsewhere, only further research will reveal. But recent research has revealed that in 1864 an agreement for the lease of lands was signed between the 'Chesterton Estate' and - Thomas Eaton, Sam Dale, Henry Sherratt, George Barker and Charles Cope acting as the 'Chesterton Mining Company' If we are to assume that the mentioned 'Barker and Cope' are the same Barker and Cope who were in partnership at Kidsgrove, then Charles Cope engineering skills were now engaged in the profitable extraction of coal.