William Roberts & Sons, Millwrights, Engineers, Phoenix Foundry, Nelson Lancashire Plate, Inghilterra nord-occidentale, Regno Unito, BB9 con lime, chiavi
5472 x 3648 px | 46,3 x 30,9 cm | 18,2 x 12,2 inches | 300dpi
Data acquisizione:
6 aprile 2023
Ubicazione:
Nelson Lancashire plate, North West England, UK, BB9
Altre informazioni:
William Roberts and Company (later William Roberts and Sons) of Phoenix Foundry in Nelson, Lancashire, England, produced many of the steam engines that powered cotton weaving and spinning mills of Pendle and neighbouring districts. Industrial historian Mike Rothwell has called Phoenix foundry “Nelson’s most significant engineering site Marsland's ironworks closed in 1861 and William Roberts then returned to Nelson with Peter and William Marsland. In August 1862 they bought a plot of land from J. and J. Walton in Hibson Street and formed a new iron founding business called Marsland, Roberts and Company. They were joined in this venture by Henry Greenwood, John Brennand and James Landless who became the engineer for the new firm. The iron foundry was named Phoenix Foundry and struggled to find work initially due to the impact of the American Civil War and resulting cotton famine In 1866 William Marsland died and in 1867 the company was put up for sale or to let in two lots. The business was bought in July 1867 by John Brennand who was a cotton manufacturer at Rake Head Mill in Burnley living at Byerden House. Phoenix Foundry was soon engaged in large contracts, in 1870 building a pair of 'McNaughted' beam engines for Messrs William Lund and Sons at North Beck Mills, Keighley. These beam engines were designed to produce 1, 200 horsepower (890 kW), the low-pressure cylinders having a 7 feet (2.1 m) stroke. The Earl of Chesterfield at Burton upon Trent was the source of another large order for a waterworks pumping engine installed at Newton in Makerfield to supply water to Earlestown. Unfortunately, John Brennand was soon in financial difficulties and in September 1871 William Roberts bought the company. Engine building continued until the late 1920s and afterwards the company concentrated on repairs, mill wrighting and general engineering. The foundry closed in 1959 and was later demolished
