A HISTORY OF CORNWALL 



The Camborne Engineering Works, owned 

 by Messrs. Holman Brothers, were established 

 in the year 1839, by Mr. John Holman, 

 father of the present proprietors. The name 

 of Holman has been long and honourably 

 associated with mine engineering and manu- 

 facture. The genesis of the present works and 

 their successful career must be sought in the 

 family annals. As far back as the 1 8th century 

 the Holmans were men of repute as smiths and 

 mechanics. In the year 1802 Nicholas Holman, 

 grandfather of Messrs. John H. and James M. 

 Holman, established what is now known as the 

 Cornwall Boiler Works, at Roskear. This was 

 mainly due to the large demands of Richard 

 Trevithick, who in the same year ran the first 

 successful locomotive on the turnpike roads of 

 Camborne. The progress of the Boiler Works 

 was greatly helped by the introduction of high- 

 pressure steam, which revolutionized the existing 

 form of boilers. 



Nicholas Holman had four sons, all of whom 

 became boiler-makers, or iron founders, namely : 

 Nicholas Holman, at St. Just, James Holman 

 who carried on the boiler works at Pool, William 

 Holman, manager of the boiler works at Cop- 

 perhouse, and John Holman, of the works at 

 Camborne. 



In 1880 Mr. Holman handed over the 

 business to his two sons, since when the works 

 have been considerably enlarged, and the business 

 has been developed to an extent that has placed 

 it in a foremost position amongst mining engi- 

 neering firms. 



The works at Wesley Street, Camborne, 

 known as the ' Engineering Department,' cover 

 over six-and-a-half acres of land, and employ 

 many hundreds of persons, and are equipped with 

 the most modern machinery. In another part of 

 the town the firm have a Rock Drill Depart- 

 ment, with a capacity for an annual output of 

 more than a thousand drills. As far back as 

 1882 the 'Holman,' then known as the 

 ' Cornish ' Drill, had established a high reputa- 

 tion for excellence and efficiency. A large num- 

 ber of the Holman drills are in use in the South 

 African and other foreign mines. 



At Roskear are situated Messrs. Holman's 

 Cornwall Boiler Works which date back a 

 century, and are equipped with every appli- 

 ance for coping with present-day demands. 

 Here boilers of all descriptions are made. 



The Docks Foundry, Falmouth, belonging to 

 Messrs. Cox & Co., was established for the pur- 

 pose of building iron and steel vessels, marine 

 engines, etc., and for ships' repairs, and em- 

 ployed at the beginning from 1 5 to 20 persons only. 



The work carried out by this enterprising firm 

 includes the building of steam trawlers, steel, iron 

 and composite steam yachts, barges, tugs, passen- 

 ger tenders, and marine engineering of all kinds. 

 Shipbreaking is a branch of the business added of 

 late years. 



The works are equipped with the most mod- 

 ern pneumatic and hydraulic plant for drilling, 

 riveting, caulking, and other operations. They 

 comprise two forge shops, with three steam ham- 

 mers, fitting and erecting shops, brass and iron 

 foundry, with three large drying stoves, copper- 

 smiths' shop, boiler-yard, and two ship-yards, 

 with six covered building sheds ; also pattern- 

 makers', boat-builders' and joiners' departments 

 fitted with up-to-date machinery. 



Messrs. Cox & Co. have a private wharf with 

 large lifting shears at the end ; from the wharf 

 a branch line runs past the various portions of 

 the works to the Great Western Railway 

 system. The firm make their own forgings, and 

 can turn in lathe to 10 ft., and build boilers up 

 to 14 ft. in diameter. On the closing of Perran 

 Foundry the firm made provision for dealing 

 with heavier castings and forgings and larger 

 general engine work than they had hitherto 

 attempted. 



The number of workpeople varies according 

 to the work in hand, from about 500 to 600. 



The works were originated in the year 1868 

 by Joseph G. Cox, Henry H. Cox, and C. Far- 

 ley, trading as Cox, Farley & Co. Ten years 

 later Mr. Farley's connexion with the firm 

 ceased, the remaining partners continuing as 

 Cox & Co. In December, 1901, these gentle- 

 men disposed of the business to the present 

 proprietors, Messrs. Herbert Henry Cox, Walter 

 R. Cox, Ernest G. Cox, Alfred Cox, and 

 William D. Cox. 



With regard to Budge's Foundry at Tucking- 

 mill, one of the earliest, perhaps the earliest in 

 the county, the following references appear in 

 Francis Trevithick's Life of Richard Trevi- 

 thick : ' Richard Trevithick, senr.'s account- 

 book, closing in 1775, states that Mr. Budge 

 was paid, for erecting Dolcoath engine, 63.' 

 Elsewhere we read : ' Mr. Budge was the work- 

 ing engineer erecting it (Dolcoath engine).' We 

 also read of ' Budge's Foundry ' and ' Budge, a 

 clever mechanic, who had a foundry at Tuck- 

 ingmill.' The writer has been informed by 

 Mr. Leonard W. B. Smith, that in turning over 

 family documents he found that a Mr. Budge 

 was resident in Tuckingmill in 1765. This 

 person was probably the iron-founder of that name. 



One of the earliest of Cornish foundries was 

 that of Messrs. Thomas Reed and Co., situated at 

 Tarrandean, Perranarworthal, and was built some 

 years before the Perran Foundry in the same 

 parish. It was known as Tarrandean Foundry. 

 The foundry was closed before 1805. 



The St. Agnes Foundry, situated about half a 

 mile from Trevaunance Quay, St. Agnes, was 

 originated by Messrs. Thomas and Son, and 

 some years later was acquired by Mr. William 

 Vivian, founder of the Tuckingmill Works. A 

 Mr. Curtis afterwards took over the works, but 

 owing to his bankruptcy, they were closed for 

 about ten years. 



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