Scientific Industries, 479 



J. STONE & Co., LTD., DEPTFORD. 



Established in 1842 by the late Josiah Stone, this firm, at the 

 outset of their career, had their workshops in the railway arches 

 and land adjoining Deptford Railway Station, for the production 

 of the many articles in brass, copper, and iron for which they are 

 now noted. The excellence of their productions led to such an 

 increased demand that the present commodious works had to 

 be erected at the junction of the Greenwich and North Kent Rail- 

 ways. Patents have been taken out at various times for steam 

 and water pumps, which are used in the British Navy, by nearly 

 all the foreign governments and the principal shipping companies 

 and ship builders in this country. In connection with the works, 

 the " Welcome Institute," with its library, clubs, and like agencies, 

 has been founded by the firm for the moral and intellectual benefit 

 of their employees and for recreation outside of business hours. 



THE THAMES IRON WORKS, SHIPBUILDING AND ENGINEERING 



Co., LTD. 



The present works, which comprise departments for shipbuilding, 

 boat building, civil engineering, electrical engineering, and 

 Dry Docks at Canning Town, and a department at Greenwich 

 and Deptford for the manufacture of marine engines, 

 boilers, steam-driven lorries, and petrol vans, has developed 

 from the shipbuilding works of Ditchburn and Mare, which 

 migrated from Deptford and settled on the Blackwall side 

 of Bow Creek in 1836, and at which iron shipbuilding was first 

 commenced on the Thames. Charles Mare suggested to his partner 

 in 1846 that the firm should lay down rolling mills for iron on the 

 land on the other side of the Creek, but being opposed, the partner- 

 ship terminated, and Mr. Mare started for himself on four acres of 

 reed covered land, which was cleared and had workshops and 

 slipways laid down on it. Here the Menai tubular bridge was 

 constructed in 1846, and also the Westminster Bridge. In carrying 

 out a contract in 1856 for gunboats for the Crimean War, Mr. 

 Mare became insolvent, and his works were then taken over by the 

 present company. Mr. Mare promoted another shipbuilding 

 company, laying down mills for rolling armour plate, but he found 

 it impossible to compete against ironworks in the North, owing to 

 the price of coal, and ultimately he died in poverty in 1898. 



Since 1836, nearly 900 vessels of all sizes have been constructed, 

 having a total displacement of nearly 500,000 tons. Many of 

 these were for the British Navy, and others for foreign governments. 



In 1860, H.M.S. " Warrior," the first sea-going armourclad in 

 the British Navy and in the world was launched from these works. 

 The constructive methods and details of this new departure in 



