Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



there was a meeting of the creditors of Benjamin Edwards, deceased, Hugh 

 and Benjamin Edwards junior ; and in 1816 the foundries at BaUymacaiTett, 

 Belfast, and at Xewry, were advertised for sale. 



Benjamin Edwards, however, appeal's to have got over his financial 

 troubles, as in 1824 he enlarged his glass house concerns, by taking the 

 adjoiniag establishment, formerly occupied by John SmyKe & Co., glass-makers. 

 He does not appear, however, to have been very successful, for in 1826 the 

 whole of the concerns were advertised for sale, and in the f oHowiag year were 

 purchased by T. J. "Wright & Co. (Thomas Joseph "Wright, Eobert McCrory, 

 and A, J. McCrory) for the pui-pose of carrying on the flint-glass manufacture. 

 In 1829 the partnership was dissolved and the stock of cut and plain glass, 

 together with glass pots, sand, and utensils, were sold. 



Probably the manufacture ceased then, though ta 1836 A. J. McCrory 

 advertised the glass house to be let, and stated that the chimney was forty 

 feet in diameter and capable of being enlarged. 



One glass-house chimney is still standing on the groimd which was 

 formerly adjacent to the end of the Long Bridge, but now some distance from 

 the end of the present bridge, owing to the land having been reclaimed. 

 "Whether this is the chimney of Edwards' or Smyhe's glass house is imcertain. 



In 1784 another glass house was erected in Belfast at the east end of the 

 Long Bridge, for the manufacture of bottles and window -glass. It was finished 

 in August, 1785, and coiomenced making bottles in April, 1786. The height 

 was 120 feet and the diameter 60 feet. 



In Benn's Histoiy of Belfast it is stated that thu-teen persons subscribed 

 £100 each for starting the glass-bottle manufactui'e, and among these were 

 Cunningham Greg, James T. Kennedy, Charles Brett, Eobert Hyudman, 

 Hugh Hyndman, and John Smylie, the firm being known imder the name of 

 John Smylie & Co. 



In 1 786 Smyhe & Co. advertised bottles at 20s. and 22s. per gross, -s-itriol- 

 bottles, bell-glasses, gooseberry bottles, bottles for gardevins, and every other 

 article in the glass way. They stated that gentlemen might have their 

 initials stamped on the bottles for an additional 4.s. M. per gross, besides 

 paying for the stamp, or the name at a reasonable rate, in proportion to its 

 length. 



In 1787 Smylie & Co. commenced making window-glass, and in 1789 

 stated that the crown glass made at their glass house was fourteen per cent, 

 cheaper than that imported, and was then, though not at first, superior to any 

 Bristol glass. 



In 1792 Smylie & Co. erected a new glass house for making bottles, the 

 old one being retained for window-glass. 



