A HISTORY OF CORNWALL 



On the 9 April, 1860, the late Mr. William 

 Sara began business as a founder at Tolgus, Red- 

 ruth, for making light castings, stamps' heads, 

 etc., for the local mines. During the years 

 1860 to 1870 a good business was done, and 

 employment was found for from fifty to sixty 

 persons. 



Mr. Sara died in 1883. The foundry has 

 been carried on since then by his sons. During 

 the past few years operations have been very 

 largely curtailed owing to the closing of so many 

 of the neighbouring mines. There are now not 

 more than about half a dozen mines at work in 

 the district, and the number employed in the 

 foundry at this time does not exceed ten. 

 Mr. W. H. Sara, the only surviving son, is the 

 present proprietor. 



The Penzance Foundry had its origin in the 

 small foundry carried on by a Mr. Jeffery which 

 Mr. Nicholas Holman of St. Just purchased in 

 1840. He carried on this branch for several 

 years in conjunction with the business at St. 

 Just. Additions were made from time to time, 

 the most noteworthy being Symons' Shipbuilding 

 Yard in 1862. During the following thirty 

 years attention was paid specially to mining 

 plant. In 1893 the engineering premises and 

 plant of Mr. John Bond in Market Jew Street 

 were purchased and worked in connexion with 

 the foundry on the wharf. In 1895 a cycle 

 business was established, to which later was 

 added a motor department. Two years later 

 the Jubilee Hall in Market Jew Street was pur- 

 chased and added to the engineering premises, 

 and in 1899 the workshops were pulled down 

 and rebuilt. The Penzance Graving Dock and 

 premises were purchased and put into good 

 repair and equipped with the necessary machinery 

 for the building and repairing of ships. These 

 premises were formerly known as Mathews' Dry 

 Docks, and were used for many years by the 

 defunct firm of Messrs. Martin, Matthews & Co., 

 Ltd. 



The St. Just Foundry was built in the year 

 1834 by Mr. Nicholas Holman of Pool, Illogan, 

 and the business is still carried on by his sons 

 and grandsons. Beginning in a small way in 

 smithery and casting and the manufacture of 

 agricultural implements, Mr. Holman, by per- 

 severance, energy, and good business ability, made 

 considerable progress and added a large fitting 

 and engineering shop, and began making Cornish 

 mine boilers. In the year 1855 hammer mills 

 were built and two tilt hammers installed since 

 replaced by Nasmyth hammers, for which a 

 separate engine was built. Six years later a 

 wheelwrights' branch was added. In 1860 a 

 complete gas plant was laid down for supplying 

 the works and the town with light. In 1872 

 larger fitting and erecting shops were built. 



In 1840 Mr. Holman started a branch 

 business at Penzance. All kinds of mining 

 machinery are made, as well as agricultural im- 



57 6 



plements. When the mining industry declined 

 the firm developed their agricultural implement 

 and general business, making windmills, water- 

 wheel pumps, cooking ranges, etc. 



In the year 1867 the founder died at the 

 comparatively early age of 63. Since 1894 the 

 firm has been a limited liability company under 

 the name of Nicholas Holman & Sons, Ltd. 



The foundry at Truro, known as Dingey's, 

 was originated by two persons, named Burnett 

 and JefFery in or about the year 1835. After 

 a few years they were bought out by a Mr. 

 Webb. Mr. JefFery subsequently re-purchased 

 the business, and in a few years took his son 

 into partnership, built new workshops and 

 developed it into a prosperous business for five 

 or six years. Ruined by mining speculations 

 the property was acquired by Messrs. Hamilton & 

 Dingey. This partnership lasted about fourteen 

 years, when Mr. Dingey bought Mr. Hamilton's 

 share. The business was then carried on under 

 the title of Francis Dingey & Sons. The 

 number employed was about twenty. 



All kinds of mining machinery were made 

 including the pulverizer bearing Mr. Dingey's 

 name. A considerable quantity of work was 

 done for the Perran iron mines. The require- 

 ments of the city and agriculture found much 

 useful work for this little foundry. 



Owing principally to the want of capital the 

 foundry was closed about seventeen years ago. 



In the year 1840 the late Mr. John Toy 

 began business at Meneage Street, Helston, as 

 a general machinist, and a few years later started 

 a foundry which has continued to the present 

 time. Originally all kinds of agricultural ma- 

 chinery and implements were made threshing 

 and winnowing machines, ploughs, etc. The 

 hay tedder, which has had a very large sale, was 

 invented by him. A little later Mr. Toy began 

 making such general mining machinery as came 

 within the range of the limited capacity of his 

 works, and doing repair work. The product 

 by which he was best known was his useful 

 lifting jack, which was made in several sizes, up 

 to 25 tons lifting capacity. It is stated that many 

 thousands of these have been supplied to mines 

 and other works at home and broad. 



When mining declined Mr. Toy turned his 

 attention to the requirements of shipping and 

 fishing, and by cultivating this business and 

 pushing the agricultural implement trade, and 

 general house work, etc., sought compensation 

 for the loss of the mine work. 



Mr. Toy died in the year 1900. The busi- 

 ness is carried on by his son, Mr. John Toy, 

 who has introduced pulverizing machinery for 

 the reduction and extraction of ore from mine 

 refuse. 



The Charlestown Foundry, owned by the 

 Charlestown Foundry and Iron Works Co., Ltd., 

 was established by Mr. James Thomas about the 

 year 1845, on a small scale, to meet the demands 





