Appleby-Frodingham Steel Company
Encyclopedia
The Appleby-Frodingham Steel Company was formed in 1912 by a take over of the Appleby Ironworks by the Frodingham Ironworks. Both of these companies, located in villages near Scunthorpe
, in North Lincolnshire
, are amongst the areas oldest iron producers.
times they had been forgotten until rediscovered in 1859 resulting in the foundation of an iron industry in the villages around Scunthorpe. The extraction of the iron ore commenced in July 1860 and much of this was sold to the Dawes brothers, proprietors of an iron works at Elsecar
, near Barnsley. At the time there was no railway east of the River Trent
so the ore had to be taken to a wharf at Gunness (or Gunhouse), where it was loaded into barges or taken across the river to join the South Yorkshire Railway
’s line from Keadby
. The Dawes brothers were persuaded to build an iron works adjacent to the iron fields, which became known as the Trent Ironworks, and construction began in 1862, the first cast being made on 26 March 1864. It was not long before others followed where the Dawes brothers had started. First to come was the Frodingham Ironworks, near the village of the same name and now part of Scunthorpe, on which work began in 1864, Following this came the North Lincoln Ironworks in 1866, the Redbourn Hill Iron & Coal Company (1872), Appleby Ironworks (1876) and finally John Lysaght's Iron and Steel works (1911).
Crude steel
was first made at Frodingham in 1887 but this was considered not to be viable. Things were to change two years later with the coming of Maxmilian Mannaburg to the works. With his experience he took over control of the steelmaking plant and on the night of 21 March 1890 the first steel was tapped.
Dawes' Trent Ironworks passed to a Leeds
solicitor upon their bankruptcy in 1887. It then passed to Sheffield steel makers Firth Brown Steels
, later to John Lysaght and then the Appleby-Frodingham Steel Co. who closed and demolished the plant.
The Appleby Ironworks was taken over by the Frodingham Ironworks company in 1912 to form the Appleby-Frodingham Steel Company and following the end of the First World War in 1918 they joined with Rotherham based steel makers Steel, Peech and Tozer
, Samuel Fox and Company
of Stocksbridge and various colliery interests to form the United Steel Companies
Limited. In 1931 the North Lincoln Ironworks, which had been previously sold to Stewarts & Lloyds
Limited, were purchased by the United Steel Companies Ltd.
Scunthorpe
Scunthorpe is a town within North Lincolnshire, England. It is the administrative centre of the North Lincolnshire unitary authority, and had an estimated total resident population of 72,514 in 2010. A predominantly industrial town, Scunthorpe, the United Kingdom's largest steel processing centre,...
, in North Lincolnshire
North Lincolnshire
North Lincolnshire is a unitary authority area in the region of Yorkshire and the Humber in England. For ceremonial purposes it is part of Lincolnshire....
, are amongst the areas oldest iron producers.
History
Although iron ores had been found in the area in RomanAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
times they had been forgotten until rediscovered in 1859 resulting in the foundation of an iron industry in the villages around Scunthorpe. The extraction of the iron ore commenced in July 1860 and much of this was sold to the Dawes brothers, proprietors of an iron works at Elsecar
Elsecar Ironworks
The Elsecar Ironworks opened in 1795 in the village of Elsecar near Barnsley, South Yorkshire. The company was bankrupted in 1827 and taken over by the Wentworth estate who owned the land it stood on. The buildings are now part of the Elsecar Heritage Centre....
, near Barnsley. At the time there was no railway east of the River Trent
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
so the ore had to be taken to a wharf at Gunness (or Gunhouse), where it was loaded into barges or taken across the river to join the South Yorkshire Railway
South Yorkshire Railway
The South Yorkshire Railway was a railway company which was based in the south of the former West Riding of Yorkshire, England. Its first section of line opened on 10 November 1849 between Swinton Junction and Doncaster...
’s line from Keadby
Keadby railway station
The original Keadby railway station was the eastern-most terminus of the South Yorkshire Railway. The railway, which was extended from Thorne and opened in September 1859 was built without an Act of Parliament, as the railway company owned the canal alongside which they built the line.The station...
. The Dawes brothers were persuaded to build an iron works adjacent to the iron fields, which became known as the Trent Ironworks, and construction began in 1862, the first cast being made on 26 March 1864. It was not long before others followed where the Dawes brothers had started. First to come was the Frodingham Ironworks, near the village of the same name and now part of Scunthorpe, on which work began in 1864, Following this came the North Lincoln Ironworks in 1866, the Redbourn Hill Iron & Coal Company (1872), Appleby Ironworks (1876) and finally John Lysaght's Iron and Steel works (1911).
Crude steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
was first made at Frodingham in 1887 but this was considered not to be viable. Things were to change two years later with the coming of Maxmilian Mannaburg to the works. With his experience he took over control of the steelmaking plant and on the night of 21 March 1890 the first steel was tapped.
Dawes' Trent Ironworks passed to a Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
solicitor upon their bankruptcy in 1887. It then passed to Sheffield steel makers Firth Brown Steels
Firth Brown Steels
Firth Brown Steels was initially formed in 1902, when Sheffield steelmakers John Brown and Company exchanged shares and came to a working agreement with neighbouring company Thomas Firth & Sons...
, later to John Lysaght and then the Appleby-Frodingham Steel Co. who closed and demolished the plant.
The Appleby Ironworks was taken over by the Frodingham Ironworks company in 1912 to form the Appleby-Frodingham Steel Company and following the end of the First World War in 1918 they joined with Rotherham based steel makers Steel, Peech and Tozer
Steel, Peech and Tozer
Steel, Peech and Tozer was a large steel maker with works situated at Ickles and Templeborough, in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England.- History :...
, Samuel Fox and Company
Samuel Fox and Company
Samuel Fox and Company or "Fox's" is the commonly used name for the major steel complex built in the Upper Don Valley at Stocksbridge, near Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England.- History :...
of Stocksbridge and various colliery interests to form the United Steel Companies
United Steel Companies
The United Steel Companies were a steel making, engineering, coal mining and coal by-product group based in South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.-History:...
Limited. In 1931 the North Lincoln Ironworks, which had been previously sold to Stewarts & Lloyds
Stewarts & Lloyds
Stewarts & Lloyds was a steel tube manufacturer with its headquarters based at Corby, Northamptonshire, England. The company was created in 1903 by the amalgamation of two of the largest iron and steel makers in Britain, A. & J. Stewart & Menzies Ltd, Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, Scotland and...
Limited, were purchased by the United Steel Companies Ltd.