206 JAMES SHANKS 



associated with Russell, and they were the 

 inventors of the revolving black-ash furnace. 

 Together they managed the Greenbank 

 Alkali Works, at St. Helens, where they 

 worked out Longmaid's Soda Process. It is 

 said that Elliott was the first to introduce 

 into Lancashire the Scotch lixiviating vat, 

 which Dunlop had first worked at St. Rollox. 

 Shanks was employed by Gossage in putting 

 up his condensing towers, and his plant for 

 the recovery of sulphur from vat-waste, and 

 whilst thus engaged, he was sent to St. 

 Helens to construct these works for Gamble 

 and Crosfields. This firm needing some 

 one to assist Josias Christopher Gamble in 

 the practical management of their works, 

 as his health was failing, retained the 

 services of James Shanks. When Gamble 

 retired from the partnership with Crosfields, 

 Shanks remained with them and was made a 

 member of the firm of Crosfields, Bros., & 

 Co., a position which he filled as long as he 

 lived. 



In the spring of 1841, about the time of his 

 coming to St. Helens he took out his first 

 patent, for improvements in the manufacture 

 of carbonate of soda. These he specifies as 

 being, first, the placing of black-ash or impure 



