A HISTORY OF CORNWALL 



Mr. William Vivian carried on the works 

 conjointly until about the year 1865, when he 

 found it necessary, owing to the severe strain on 

 his financial resources through mining under- 

 takings, to transfer a large proportion of his 

 interest to a company with fresh capital. Soon 

 afterwards Mr. Vivian's connexion with the 

 two concerns ceased. He acquired a small 

 foundry at St. Agnes, the centre of an 

 important mining district, and died September, 

 1870. 



Subsequent proprietors have been : 1840 

 1860, William Vivian, junr. and his sons ; 

 1860-1868, Captain Wm. Teague, J.P. (the 

 well-known mine proprietor) ; Richard Trevi- 

 thick (Devon), Edward Burgess (mine proprietor), 

 George Smith, LL.D., J.P., etc. (safety-fuse 

 maker), Major John Bickford (safety-fuse 

 maker); 18681904, William Bickford-Smith, 

 M.P. (died 1898, safety-fuse maker); John 

 Pike (died 1874), Sir George J. Smith, J.P. 

 (fuse maker), John R. Daniell (solicitor), H. P. 

 Vivian. Since 1904 Sir G. J. Smith has been 

 the sole proprietor. 



Besides being extensive makers of general 

 mining machinery, the Tuckingmill Foundry 

 Company began, about the year 1889, to make 

 rock drills for the Rio Tinto mines, and have 

 since to a great extent specialized in drills and 

 air-compressors. Their ' Little Hercules ' rock 

 drill and ' Economic ' compressors have been 

 supplied in great numbers throughout the world. 



At the old Roseworthy hammer mills are 

 made, in addition to ordinary work, the Cornish 

 steel-faced shovels which, owing to their superior 

 quality, appear to have ousted other kinds from 

 the Cornish mines. Numbers are exported to 

 various foreign mining camps where Cornishmen 

 are at work. 



The greatest number of persons employed at 

 any time is from 200 to 300. 



The Perran Foundry was situated in the 

 charming Kennal Vale, on the right of the 

 main road leading to Truro, and at the head of 

 Restronguet Creek, about midway between 

 Penryn and Truro. 



From its magnitude and the importance of its 

 manufactures, as well as from its interesting 

 history, the Perran Foundry ranks next to that of 

 Hayle. 



It was established in the year I79I. 1 The 

 original founders were George Fox, of Perran 

 Wharf, ancestor of the well-known family of 

 that name at Falmouth, and Peter Price, of 

 Neath Abbey. 



Several changes of proprietorship have taken 

 place. Mr. Price died 13 September, 1821, when 

 it is probable the connexion with the Neath 



1 The catalogue issued by the company in August, 

 1870, gives 1795 as the date ; this is an error, as on 

 three arches in buildings still standing the figures 

 1791 are clearly discernible. 



works and also with Mr. Price's family was 

 severed. 2 About this time it appears that Mr. 

 Benjamin Sampson, one of the principal share- 

 holders of Tresavean mine, whence he derived 

 great wealth, and also the principal owner of 

 the Kennal Vale gunpowder works, became 

 connected with the foundry. He built Tulli- 

 maar House, a short distance from the foundry, 

 in the year 1828, at which time and for some 

 years previously, he was manager of the works. 

 He died on 7 November, 1840, aged seventy 

 years, leaving with other property his interest in 

 Tremough, the Kennal Vale works, and the 

 Perran Foundry to his nephew of the same 

 name. About the year 1848 or 1849 Mr. 

 Michael Williams, of Trevince (born 1784) 

 became the principal partner, and appointed his 

 son, Mr. Michael Henry Williams, of Tredrea, 

 manager, under whom Mr. James R. Carnall 

 was works manager. In 1857 tne Fox family 

 disposed of their interest or the remaining part 

 of it to Mr. Michael WiUiams. A year later, 

 on the death of that gentleman at Trevince 

 (15 June), Mr. John Michael Williams, of 

 Pengreep, his eldest son, succeeded to his large 

 interest in the works, which shortly afterwards 

 were closed for a brief period. 



Evidently negotiations took place about this 

 time or soon after between various members of 

 the Williams family relative to the foundry, for 

 we find that Mr. John Michael Williams 

 retained his interest for only a short time, selling 

 it to his uncle Mr. (afterwards Sir) William 

 Williams, of Tregullow. There were recon- 

 structions and alterations, and the firm assumed 

 the title of Williams' Perran Foundry Company. 



On the death of Mr. Benjamin Sampson, in | 

 1864, his share and other property passed by 

 will to Mr. William Shilson, of St. Austell. Sir 

 William Williams died March, 1870, his eldest 

 son, Sir Frederick M. Williams, Bart., M.P., 

 becoming the principal partner and manager $ 

 the other partners were Mr. George Williams, 

 of Scorrier ; Mr. Michael Williams, of 

 Tregullow ; and Mr. Shilson, of Tremough. 



For several years after the starting of the 

 business only small machinery and comparatively 

 light forgings were made. ' Shingling,' the 

 faggoting or welding together of scrap wrought 

 iron with tilt hammers, was extensively carried 

 on. Heavy forgings and castings were made at 

 the Neath Abbey works. The days of the 

 Nasmyth steam hammer were not yet ; it is 

 doubtful whether it was adopted in any Cornish 

 foundry earlier than about the middle of the 

 century. It is stated that the first heavy forging 



' In Francis Trevithick's Life of Richard Trevlthick, 

 vol. ii, p. 169, it is stated that the steam-cylinder of 

 Dolcoath 76-inch engine was cast in South Wales 

 (presumably at the Neath Abbey works) in 1816 ; 

 ' the beam, still working in the new engine of 1869, 

 was cast in the foundry of the Williams at Perran.' 



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