Union Glassworks

[Jason Ellis]

bit off on the date but oh wow i was right...my 4x gt grandad john harrington b 1781 glos is on the 1841 census living in darmouth st with his 2 daughters aged 18 and 16 (wife had died) occupation glass blower...i know i cant prove it but i think its a good bet he worked at bacchus glass works although quickly reading this thread there was more than one glassworks in dartmouth st ?? well heres hoping but i will add it to his notes now.. on the 51 census he has moved to heneage st and is down as a glass maker also on the 51 and 61 i have 2 young harrington rellies at ashted row aged 15 and 13 down as glass blowers/makers..later on i will have a proper good read of this thread

lyn

John Harrington is my 3rd gt grandfather so we must be related!

John Harrington was a glassmaker. His constantly changing abode reflects the tenuous employment situation of a Victorian glassmaker. Heneage Street, Aston, Dartmouth Street, Birmingham, Dudley, Oldswinford and later Wollaston. All of these areas had glassworks in the Victorian era.

His daughter Mary Ann married my great-great grandfather William Ellis who was also a glassmaker.

A word for the unwary. John Harrington was born at Winchcombe in Gloucestershire. The census enumerators sometime write this as Witcham (which is how it is pronounced). This tempts genealogy sites' algorithms to align records with Witcham in Cambridgeshire, which is not correct.

Also for the unwary, I doubt that he ever formally married his life-long partner Susanna. When they baptised Susannah and Mary Ann at St Phillips, Birmingham on 24 Dec 1832 the officiant marked the parish register as "single woman" with an exclamation mark. Which, sadly means we may never know her maiden name.

 

[Jason Ellis]

And here is Oslers' glass fountain at the 1851 Great Exhibition (with the "crystal" of the Crystal Palace made by Chances.

 

[JudyTink]

In addition to the trade directory excepts provided a couple of years ago I offer the following summary of glassworks in and around Birmingham. I have deliberately omitted the Stourbridge and Dudley glassworks because that's a completly different story and place. However, there was significant movement of proprietors and workmen between both locations. As there was to and from Bristol and South Yorkshire.

Snow Hill Glassworks
1656 Mayer Oppenheim obtains patent for red & ruby flint glass
1762 Mayer Oppenheim advertises glasshouse and dealing house for sale.
1775 Mayer Oppenheim became bankrupt.

Union Glassworks, Dartmouth Street
1818 Established Bacchus, Green & Green
1822 Bacchus and Green
1833 George Bacchus & Co.
1841 George Bacchus & Sons
1851 exhibited at Great Exhibition
1860 Bacchus family sold out to Stone, Fawdry & Stone
1860 Sir Ben Stone joins firm (friend of the Richardsons)
187? Closed

Etna Flint Glass Works, Birmingham
1851 July 24th press moulded and uranium coloured plate registered by George Joseph Green.

Bagot Street Glassworks
Made flat glass
1850 purchased by Chance Brothers
1876 closed by Chance Brothers

Victoria Glassworks, Dartmouth Street
Run by James Stevens senior & his son James junior until about 1880

Park Glass Works, Spring Hill
1788 founded by Isaac Hawker formerly a glasscutter of Spiceal Street, then a glassmaker of 14 Edgbaston Street.
1792 death of Isaac Hawker, business continued by his son John
1803 John Hawker still working the glasshouse
1808 or earlier passed to Biddle and Lloyd (John Biddle and David Lloyd)
1822 last known reference to Biddle & Lloyd
1833 reference to John Biddle alone.
1850 Lloyd & Summerfield made coloured vases shaped like the onion family
1861 Lloyd & Summerfield apply the Siemens’ patent furnace to glass melting

Islington Glass Works, Birmingham Heath.
1799 built by Owen Johnson after his glass toy manufactory in Birmingham was destroyed by fire in 1799 (see Aris Gazette of 4 Sep 1799)
1803 Owen Johnson alone mentioned in trade directory.
1805 established partnership of Shakespear & Johnson abandons the New Town Glasshouse, Walmer lane and joined by John Berry establish themselves here.
1815, December 20th partnership dissolved. Shakespear either founded or moved to the neighbouring Soho Glassworks. Johnson & Berry take Rice Harris into partnership.
1829, May 8th Owen Johnson retires
1832 Aug 9th, John Berry leaves partnership.
1833 firm run as Rice Harris & Co.
1849 employed 400 hands.
1851 exhibited at Great Exhibition
1878/9 closed

Belmont Row Glass Works, Great Brook Street, Ashted, Aston
Established some time after 1804 when Thomas Harris left the partnership of Hughes and Harris to take up glass making. Run by partnership of Harris, Smart and Co. Partners were Thomas Harris, T. L. Hawkes, Thomas Smart and Rice Harris.
1810 Hawkes and Smart leave the firm. Thomas Harris and Rice Harris continued until 1814.
1814, November 8th Rice Harris left and was replaced by John Harris.
1819, September 7th, John Harris retires and the firm becomes Harris, Gammon & Co. (probably Thomas Harris, William Gammon and Thomas Lowe).
T Harris eventually died or retired and the firm became William Gammon & Co.
1832 Thomas Lowe retired, business continued by William Gammon
1833 William Gammon & Co mentioned.

Broad Street Glasshouse
1832 Messrs A. F. Osler and T.C. Osler moves established family firm of glasscutters to Broad Street
1849 exhibited at Birmingham Exhibition

Icknield Glassworks, Freeth Street, Rotton Park
1850 F & C Osler take Edward Page as partner and move to purpose-built glasshouse on the bank of the old Birmingham Canal.
1851 produced glass fountain centrepiece for the great exhibition
1855 F & C Osler were sole owners
1882 F & C Osler made etagere now in Birmingham Museum
1922 closed.

Hands Glassworks, Lodge Road, Hockley
Crystal and coloured glass
1930 closed

Soho & Vesta Glass Works, Lodge Road, Hockley
1816 William Shakespear left the Islington glassworks and took into partnership Thomas Fletcher to build or buy the Soho works.
1822 Thomas Fletcher left the firm.
1833 run as Hannah Shakespear & Co.
1850 John Walsh Walsh purchased factory from Samuel Shakespear
1882 Lewis John Murray joins as manager
1951 closed

Isaac Barnes
1855-75 Cambridge Street, Broad Street, Summer Row

Barr Street, Great Hampton Row, Hockley
Francis Barnes
Coloured glass
1858 Closed

Warstone Lane, Hockley
G.H. Barnes
Closed 1890

Hampton Street Glassworks
1865 established by Thomas Lane

Great Brook Street, Glasshouse, Aston
1829-1887 W. Gammon & Son

Toledo Glassworks, Aston Brook Street, Aston
Parkes & Saunders

Spon Lane Glassworks, Smethwick
1814 British Crown Glass Company formed by Thomas and Philip Palmer, Nathaniel Chater and Samuel Brookes
1822 October 17th Thomas Shutt died.
1824 purchased by Lucas Chance
1832 sheet glass introduced by Lucas Chance.
1840 invented paper-thin glass for microscopy
1847 Chances adopt new method of making rolled plate-glass.
1851 shown on ordnance survey as British Glass Works
1851 built a lighthouse works in the site

Birmingham Plate Glass (Gibbins), Smethwick
1877 closed by Chance Brothers

Halesowen Street Glassworks, Oldbury
Manufactured antique-glass for most of 19th Century.

Can you possibly throw any further light on Isaac Hawker and his son John Alfred Hawker? Where they came from etc. please. Also, if you have the time, another of my husband's ancestors with the name Silvers, was supposed to be connected to glass manufacturing in Birmingham, but I can only find boot and shoe makers! My sister-in-law has inherited a pair of beautiful red glass swans which were made by a distant family ancestor! This thread makes very interesting reading. Thank you.

 

[mikejee]

Isaac Hawker seems to have started his business in Edgbaston St in 1772 and seems to have concentrated on things such as scent bottles.



Later there seems to have been a descendent Isaac Hawker Bedford who was into glassmaking

 

[CharlieS]

Hi, I’ve just found the Birmingham History Forum site and this thread because I discovered a 3rd great grandfather James Steven.
In the 1851 census he was shown residing on Aston Brook and his occupation was glass manufacturer. With some investigation I found the 1850 Post Office Directory published by W Kelly & Co. That directory, on page 157, lists Stevens James, flint and coloured glass manufacturer, Victoria glass works, Dartmouth Street. On page 38 he shown to be located at #183 Dartmouth, sharing it with Rubery and Evans a papier-mâché maker, seemingly a strange combination of manufacturing endeavours. Can anyone provide a description or picture of what that end of Dartmouth Street looked like?
I see from an earlier posting by Jason Ellis that James Stevens Sr and James Jr operated the firm until about 1880.
Does anyone know what his products were? Flint glass, I understand could either be used for optics or since it contains lead I’m guessing it could be used to make crystal glassware. The reference to coloured glass would imply stained glass and I’m wondering did he produce the stained glass used by artists for widows and other art work?
Any help would be appreciated and would help me learn about this 3rd great grandfather.

 

[Flumpet3000]

Can you possibly throw any further light on Isaac Hawker and his son John Alfred Hawker? Where they came from etc. please. Also, if you have the time, another of my husband's ancestors with the name Silvers, was supposed to be connected to glass manufacturing in Birmingham, but I can only find boot and shoe makers! My sister-in-law has inherited a pair of beautiful red glass swans which were made by a distant family ancestor! This thread makes very interesting reading. Thank you.

Thank you - this is so helpful.

 

[Flumpet3000]

Hello - I've just joined this forum through researching my Birmingham ancestors. 3xgreat grandfather Adam Haden is listed either as a glass worker or glassblower in the 1841, 1851 and 1861 census records. I've noted that in 1851 and 1861 he was living on Freeth Street. Looking at the very helpful list of glassworks in Birmingham it looks very likely that he would have worked for F & C Osler - Icknield Glassworks, Freeth Street, Rotton Park. Would anyone know if there is an archive for this company so that I could check if he was an employee? It would be great for my mum and aunt to know as they have some victorian glasses and decanters we think he made. Many thanks for any suggestions. PS in 1841 he is listed as living in Holly Hall, Dudley - also as a glassmaker - was there a glassworks near there?

 

[illumina3]

Hi, just found this thread - I have a glassmaker/blower ancestor also: William Price, who was living on Lister Street between 1822 and 1833. I'm guessing he may have worked at the Union Glassworks on Dartmouth Street as it was nearby. He seems to have moved from Staffordshire - Colwich/Little Haywood. Unfortunately he seems to have died young, aged 39 in 1833, so I don't have him on censuses - his occupation is solely from the bapts of his children. His eldest son George (born 1818 Little Haywood) was also a glassblower on the 1841-1871 censuses. Any information anyone might have, I'd be grateful, as William Price is a major brick wall for me!

 

[Astoness]

Hi, just found this thread - I have a glassmaker/blower ancestor also: William Price, who was living on Lister Street between 1822 and 1833. I'm guessing he may have worked at the Union Glassworks on Dartmouth Street as it was nearby. He seems to have moved from Staffordshire - Colwich/Little Haywood. Unfortunately he seems to have died young, aged 39 in 1833, so I don't have him on censuses - his occupation is solely from the bapts of his children. His eldest son George (born 1818 Little Haywood) was also a glassblower on the 1841-1871 censuses. Any information anyone might have, I'd be grateful, as William Price is a major brick wall for me!

hi...it maybe a good idea to ask your question in our surname interests of the foum that way we wont go off topic with this thread...hope this helps and good luck

lyn

 

[Jason Ellis]

hi...it maybe a good idea to ask your question in our surname interests of the foum that way we wont go off topic with this thread...hope this helps and good luck

lyn

I can add some information to your quest. I have documented your putative family at https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/MH1Z-PT1. If you are unfamiliar with www.familysearch.org it is free.

“Your” William Price was born some time before 1798. He married Sarah and had at least two children, probably more: George b1818 and William b1820 both baptised in Colwich. Their baptism records inform us that William senior was a labourer in the glass trade 7 Jan 1818 and a glassmaker 9 Jan 1820, while living at Little Haywood, Staffordshire on both occasions.

His older son George Price was born in Little Haywood and baptised 7 January 1818 at nearby Colwich. He married Elizabeth Sheldon 31 Oct 1836 at Saint Phillips, Birmingham and went on to be a glassmaker of Lister Street, Aston from at least 1851 to 1871. While living in Lister Street is seems highly likely that he worked at the nearby Union Glassworks on Dartmouth Street.

There is only one possible explanation for the migration from Little Haywood to Aston. Little Haywood had no glassworks, but nearby Tutbury did. The Tutbury glassworks is 17 miles distant from Great Haywood, but I can see no other explanation.

The Tutbury glassworks was established in Ludgate Street, Tutbury, Staffordshire in 1720 by the Jackson Family and initially supplied the Burton brewery trade with glass bottles. The glassworks was rebuilt and re-equipped in 1836 by Henry Jackson but it never prospered and was taken over by the well-known Stourbridge firm of Webb Corbett in 1906. It finally closed in 1980.

1842 was probably the worst year of the century. The miners were on strike, Chartism was rife and there was great distress and starvation. But, with Victorian optimism, the glass trade of Birmingham, Aston and Stourbridge recovered and were soon booming while the Tutbury glassworks remained in the doldrums. This was because it was isolated from any trade routes by canal or railway whereas Birmingham, Aston and Stourbridge had both.

“Your” George Price is one of dozens who deserted Tutbury for the better employment prospects of Birmingham, Aston and Stourbridge.

 

[Jason Ellis]

Hello - I've just joined this forum through researching my Birmingham ancestors. 3xgreat grandfather Adam Haden is listed either as a glass worker or glassblower in the 1841, 1851 and 1861 census records. I've noted that in 1851 and 1861 he was living on Freeth Street. Looking at the very helpful list of glassworks in Birmingham it looks very likely that he would have worked for F & C Osler - Icknield Glassworks, Freeth Street, Rotton Park. Would anyone know if there is an archive for this company so that I could check if he was an employee? It would be great for my mum and aunt to know as they have some victorian glasses and decanters we think he made. Many thanks for any suggestions. PS in 1841 he is listed as living in Holly Hall, Dudley - also as a glassmaker - was there a glassworks near there?

The Haden family, and particularly the Haden-Richardson offshoot are famous in the annals of Stourbridge glassmaking.

But genealogy aside I think I have the connection you are looking for. Holly Hall Glassworks in Dudley stood about a mile southwest of Dudley town centre, and the glassworks there was on the north side of what is now called Stourbridge Road. It was probably built by John Keelinge who was an attorney and steward to Lord Dudley.

After many changes of ownership it came to be owned by Edward Page. Edward Page carried on the business until at least 1850 , probably closing it in 1852. On 25th April 1850 he entered into an agreement with F. & C. Osler of Birmingham to build a new flint glassworks on the branch of the old Birmingham Canal in Freeth Street, Rotton Park, Birmingham . This new glassworks went into production in late 1851 or early 1852 which is when Page probably left Holly Hall. He had certainly moved to a new house in Icknield Street West, Birmingham by the census of March 1851.

The Holly Hall glassworks was demolished sometime between 1870 and 1886 and the land was redeveloped for housing. The site of the glassworks in now enclosed by the modern Bushey Fields Road, Abbottsford Drive and Kingswinford Road.
It sems highly likely that Page would have enticed his best workmen to follow him from Dudley to Birmingham. It was the norm!
Oslers achieved the epitome of fame by manufacturing the magnificent glass fountain which was the centrepiece in the entrance hall to the Great Exhibition of 1851.