INDUSTRIES 



One of the largest soap businesses in Lanca- 

 shire is that of Messrs. Joseph Crossfield & Sons, 

 Ltd., of Warrington and Liverpool. The 

 earliest information concerning this firm is con- 

 tained in the diary of George Crossfield, whose 

 son Joseph was the founder of the business. 

 Early in 1814 the father travelled to Warrington 

 from Lancaster to view 'some premises near 

 Bank Quay suitable for a soapery, which busi- 

 ness our son Joseph seems to have a strong 

 inclination to.' From an entry in June, 18 14, 

 we learn that 'son Joseph has concluded a 

 bargain for the premises at Bankey.' In 1815 

 the lather inspected the soap works ' which are 

 very complete, but the trade is a losing one.' Dur- 

 ing 1 8 1 7 and 1 8 1 8 the trade improved, and in the 

 following year Joseph Crossfield was married at 

 the Friends' Meeting House at Height. 



Originally the firm was largely concerned 

 with the manufacture of farthing dips and of a 

 few varieties of soap. The expansion of the 

 latter trade came after the repeal of the excise 

 duties on soap at the end of the ' forties.' In 

 1862 silicate of soda was first manufactured. 

 In 1882 toilet soap, in 1885 crude glycerine, 

 and in 1889 caustic soda were added to the 

 products of the firm. In 1892 there was a large 

 development in the manufacture of silicate of 

 soda, better known as water-glass, in connexion 

 with its new use for the preservation of eggs. In 

 1893 the firm began to produce chemically pure 

 glycerine on a large scale. During the last ten 

 years the manufacture of many other products 

 has been undertaken, such as perfumery, tooth 

 powder, water softeners, face powders, 'carbosil ' 

 (a washing and bleaching soda), vegetable butter, 

 paint and cement, and caustic in special forms, 



such as solid, liquid, stick, powdered, and 

 detached. There is also a special department 

 devoted to fuel economy. In this connexion it 

 may be noted that the firm succeeds in burning 

 large quantities of common bituminous coal 

 without producing smoke. 



During recent years the firm has undergone a 

 very large expansion. In 1885 there were about 

 200 employees, in 1895 600, and in 1905 about 

 2,000. In conclusion it may be mentioned that 

 during the last few years Messrs. Joseph Cross- 

 field & Sons, Ltd., have introduced various 

 schemes for fiirther improvement in the phy- 

 sical, mental, and moral conditions of their 

 workpeople.* 



Another large soap-manufacturing business is 

 that of Messrs. William Gossage & Sons, Ltd., 

 of Widnes and Liverpool. In 1850 the late 

 Mr. William Gossage founded mills at Widnes 

 to crush limestone which was supplied to the 

 various alkali works of the district. In 1854 he 

 took out his first patent connected with the soap 

 industry, and in 1855 he commenced the soap 

 manufacturing business. It is noteworthy that 

 it was at these works that the manufacture of 

 sodium and potassium silicates was originated, 

 and their use in the manufacture of soap worked 

 out. In 1857 *^'* '^''"^ introduced the manu- 

 facture of mottled soap. Other products of the 

 firm at the present time are glycerine, alkali, 

 and silicate of soda. In 1897 the firm em- 

 ployed some 900 hands. The Liverpool esta- 

 blishment formerly belonged to the firm of Taylor 

 and Timmis, but in 1865 it was amalgamated 

 with that of William Gossage & Sons. This 

 latter firm became a limited liability company 

 in 1894. 



POTTERIES AND GLASS 



POTTERIES 



At the present time the extent of the Lan- 

 cashire pottery industry is very slight and appears 

 to have been limited a few years ago to the 

 manufacture of sewage pipes, chimney pots, tiles 

 and various other kinds of coarse earthenware in 

 the neighbourhood of Darwen. In the past, 

 however, much pottery was made in the south- 

 west part of the county, particularly in Liverpool. 

 The first reference is found amongst the Liver- 

 pool municipal documents. On 16 October, 

 1643, Robert Lyon, clay-potter, was admitted as 

 a free burgher of the town. Previous to this 

 there are references to brick-making in the same 

 documents. There is one in 1618 concerning 

 the getting of marl on the common, by one 

 Mossock of Toxteth Park. In 1693 an order 

 occurs concerning brick-making : — 



That all persons allowed to get marl to make bricks 

 from the common, shall dig to the bottom of the 



clay and marl and make the ground level before they 

 carry off their bricks. 



In the municipal records, under the date 

 4 March, 1690, is the following entry : — 



Richard Mercer, a freeman of this town, being 

 supposed to defraud it by countenancing and pro- 

 tecting mugs and pipes of strangers, as if they were 

 really his own, is to be inquired into and taken 

 notice of at the next Qrtr. Sessions. 



In 1700 the wills of William Ainsdale of 

 Liverpool, potter, and Robert Bruer of Liver- 

 pool, potter, were proved.^ In 1 701 Josiah 

 Poole, of Liverpool, received permission from 

 the corporation to make tiles, and pantiles, and 

 bricks from local clay, and in 1 7 14 Lord 

 Street pot-house was leased to Alderman Jos. 

 Poole. 



* The above details were kindly supplied by Messrs. 

 Crossfield. 



' Lane, and Ches. Rec. Soc. xyiii. 



403 



