Horseley Ironworks

The Horseley Ironworks (sometimes spelled Horsley and Iron Works) was a major ironworks in the Tipton area in the county of Staffordshire, now the West Midlands, England.

Founded by Aaron Manby, ["Annual Register", Edward Burke, 1885, Rivingtons] it is most famous for constructing the first iron steamer, "The Aaron Manby", in 1821."Energy and Empire: A Biographical Study of Lord Kelvin", Crosbie Smith, Matthew Norton Wise, 1989, Cambridge University Press (ISBN 0521261732)] ["Iron", Neil Morris, 2005, Black Rabbit Books (ISBN 158340631X)] The boat was assembled at Rotherhithe. The ironworks have also been responsible for the manufacture of numerous canal and railway bridges of the 19th century.

The ironworks were built near the Toll End Communication Canal"Canal Companion - Birmingham Canal Navigations", J. M. Pearson & Associates, 1989, ISBN 0-907864-49-X] on the Horseley estate, which had been sold by their owner at the turn of the 19th century"The Tame Mills of Staffordshire", Douglas Dilworth, 1976, Phillimore] due to demand from engineers wishing to profit on the construction of the BCN Main Line through the estate. The date when the ironworks were constructed is unknown but is believed to have been by 1815. Industry in the area prospered and the location retained the name of the Horseley estate as shown in an 1822 survey of the area. [ [http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/D917E5A9-B21E-4CF0-937E-C19D2B89E966/21003/NEWSLETTER7.pdf Time 2 Time: Newsletter 7] ]

With the increasing popularity of canals, the ironworks quickly became popular for manufacturing canal bridges, mainly in the local vicinity. [ [http://www.laws.sandwell.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/transport-and-streets/waterways/canals/top-10-canal-attractions/ Sandwell MBC: Top 10 Canal Attractions] ] Canal bridges made by the ironworks include the Engine Arm Aqueduct (1825), two roving bridges at Smethwick Junction (1828), ["Wales and West Central England: Wales and West Central England, 2nd Edition", Roger Cragg, 1997, Thomas Telford (ISBN 0727725769)] [ [http://www.laws.sandwell.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/transport-and-streets/waterways/canals/smethwick-summit-canals-project/restoration-work/ Sandwell MBC: Smethwick Summit Canals Project] ] Galton Bridge (1829), and Braunston Towpath Bridges (1830). ["Civil Engineering Heritage", E. A. Labrum, 1994, Thomas Telford (ISBN 072771970X)] [http://www.suffolkcam.co.uk/grand_union052004.htm Suffolk Cam: Grand Union Canal] ] By the end of the canal construction era, Horseley Ironworks had emerged as one of the most prolific manufacturers of canal bridges in the West Midlands region, especially in Birmingham. [ [http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/GenerateContent?CONTENT_ITEM_ID=666&CONTENT_ITEM_TYPE=0&MENU_ID=12908&EXPAND=12890 Birmingham.gov.uk: Canal Walks - Broad Street] ] This was a result of their signature bridge design which had become popular amongst canal constructors. The design has been replicated more recently, for example in Birmingham during the regeneration of Gas Street Basin where Worcester Bar is linked to Gas Street. [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/your_birmingham/walk_through_time/07.shtml BBC Birmingham: Walk Through Time - Page 7] ]

Horseley Ironworks were also responsible for manufacturing in the railway industry. Railway bridges constructed included that of the viaduct for the London and Birmingham to Holyhead railway at Shifnal, Shropshire which was cast in 1848. ["History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Shropshire", Samuel Bagshaw, 1851, S. Harrison of Sheffield] As well as manufacturing bridges, they also produced locomotives. [ [http://www.steamindex.com/manlocos/manulist.htm Steam Index: British Locomotive Manufacturers] ]

People who have worked for the iron foundry include Charles Manby, the son of Aaron Manby, James Thomson, [ [http://www.airmynyorks.co.uk/lbrw.htm Tidal correspondents of the nineteenth-century harmonic method, 1862-1906] ] William Johnson ["The Diary of William Mackenzie, the First International Railway Contractor", David Brooke, 2000, Thomas Telford (ISBN 072772830X)] and Richard Roberts. [http://www3.museumofmaking.org/dbtw-wpd/bios_roberts.htm Museum of Making: Richard Roberts] ]

The firm moved in 1865 to a site on the, now defunct, Dixon's Branch, off the BCN New Main Line (Island Line), near the South Staffordshire Railway line.

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