INDUSTRIES 



He discovered in some way the art of casting 

 pumps, and other parts of machines, but when is 

 unknown doubtless between the years 1776 

 and 1790. It has been stated that he found 

 out the method in South Wales, possibly at the 

 Neath works, which it appears he visited in 1776. 



This enterprising man died in October 1 803, 

 at the age of 73 years, and was interred at 

 Gwinear Churchyard, the I4th day of the same 

 month. He was succeeded by his son Henry, 

 ' the great Mr. Harvey,' as he was called, who 

 was not an engineer in the technical sense. He 

 regarded the foundry as only a factor in the 

 development of the port. The foundry being 

 well established, he threw his energies into the 

 work of developing the harbour and its trading 

 advantages, in which he was fortunate in having 

 the advice of his brother-in-law, Richard 

 Trevithick, the great engineer. 



Henry Harvey died 7 May, 1850, aged 75 

 years. The tombstone in Gwinear Churchyard 

 records ' After an active life in which he largely 

 developed the Harbour of Hayle, together with 

 the Foundry, and the trade at that Port.' Mr. 

 Nicholas Oliver Harvey succeeded to the man- 

 agement. He was a great nephew of the 

 founder, and died on 7 June, 1861. Later 

 managers of the foundry were Mr. William 

 Husband, who died on 10 April, 1887 (he was 

 a man of striking personality, and was one of 

 the most able of Cornwall's modern engineers) ; 

 Mr. Nicholas John West ; Mr. Henry Nicholas 

 Harvey, who died 14 December, 1892, and Mr. 

 Francis Haniel Harvey. The late Mr. Jebus 

 Bickle was for a great many years the superin- 

 tending and consulting engineer of the works ; 

 he was a man of great experience, and his 

 opinion was always highly valued. 



It is impossible to convey an adequate idea of 

 the quantity and diversity of the machinery 

 which has been supplied to mines in all parts of 

 the world by Messrs. Harvey & Co. In this 

 country there were few mining districts forty 

 years ago where the Hayle engines were not 

 to be found. Metalliferous and coal mines 

 throughout Great Britain have been indebted to 

 this firm for some of the largest pumping, winding, 

 crushing and other machines for which for a long 

 series of years they had an unrivalled reputation. 

 Abroad, their engines have been used exten- 

 sively for all kinds of mining. It is worthy of 

 mention that the first pumping engine on the 

 compound principle employed on any considerable 

 scale was made by them for Great Wheal Alfred 

 in 1823, Wolff being the engineer. 



The principal extensions of the works and 

 developments of the business were in the years 

 1847, 1854, 1888-1890. In the year 1883, 

 for family convenience, the business was con- 

 verted into a limited liability company. 



In the year 1888 the company laid them- 

 selves out for large shipbuilding operations, and 

 expended a very large sum of money in 



enlarging their premises and laying down the 

 requisite plant. Experienced shipbuilders were 

 imported from the north, and a considerable 

 number of additional men were employed ; but 

 the enterprise proved a failure and involved the 

 company in a great loss. During this period, 

 1888-1893, tne tota l number of men and boys 

 employed was about 1,200, including the 

 foundry employe's. Previous to this the number 

 employed was about 700 to 800. 



Shipbuilding was abandoned in 1893 ; not 

 long afterwards it became only too apparent that 

 the engineering business was rapidly declining, 

 and that the closing of the works sooner or 

 later was inevitable. This calamitous event for 

 the town of Hayle took place in October, 

 1903. 



The smelting works of the Cornish Copper 

 Company, built about or soon after the middle 

 of the eighteenth century and situated at the 

 eastern end of Copperhouse, and to the right of 

 and alongside the main road leading to Camborne 

 and facing Phillack Church, being unremunera- 

 tive by reason of the cost of bringing coal to the 

 works, were abandoned about the year 1806. 

 In the same or the following year Messrs. 

 Sandys, Carne, and Vivian having become 

 owners of the property, including Ventonleague 

 and part of Trevassack, the works were con- 

 verted into a foundry. Later, on the retirement 

 of Mr. Carne, who removed to Penzance and 

 engaged in banking with others under the title 

 of Batten, Carne & Carne, the name of the 

 firm was changed to Sandys, Vivian & Co. 



The greatest number of persons employed at 

 anytime was from 300 to 350. 



The works were conducted on a scale of 

 considerable magnitude, as might have been seen 

 a few years ago from the abandoned buildings, 

 which extended from the present Market House 

 to Ventonleague. The firm made their own 

 gas ; the remains of the gas-works could be seen 

 a few years ago. 



The foundry was closed in the year 1869. 

 The decline of these important works was due 

 to the closing of the local mines, the com- 

 petition of other works and, it is stated, the lack 

 of enterprise. 



As a locally well-known fact it may be stated 

 that there was always a great deal of rivalry 

 between the Copperhouse and Hayle foundries, 

 and as a consequence between the two places. 



The Tuckingmill Foundry was established 

 about the year 1833 by Mr. William Vivian, 

 who up to that time and for several years 

 previously was employed by the Copperhouse 

 Foundry Company. About ten years later he 

 acquired the hammer mills and forges at Rose- 

 worthy belonging to his cousins, Joseph and 

 John Vivian. These had been carried on since 

 about the year 1815, the originator being 

 Mr. John Vivian, the father of the two gentle- 

 men named. 



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