Mixed fortunes of city’s foundry fathers
Last updated 13:36, Thursday, 06 March 2008
Among the business interests of Dr John Heysham, a medical practitioner in Carlisle, was “a cotton spinning mill and an iron foundry”, according to his biography by Henry Lonsdale.
The cotton mill of 1803, which at first operated under the name Heysham and Co, can be easily identified as the Currock Mill which stood in Wapping until demolished in 1875 to make way for Iredale’s Brewery.
However, the foundry is more problematic.
This must be the one on Water Lane advertised as up for rent in the Carlisle Patriot in November 1818 “near the New Twist Mill (Slater’s Mill), formerly occupied as a foundry by Williams, Parker and Co and lately by Messrs R Jackson and Co as a cotton warehouse, 46 by 34 feet, with a floor above and a large yard near the Corporation Dam, apply RW and R Porter”.
Later maps show the foundry on the corner of Water Street and Wood Street, close to where The Pools are today.
To understand the full history of the firms associated with the foundry it is necessary to look elsewhere.
In the Carlisle Journal in September 1824 is an advert for Thomas Burgess who had commenced business as a brass founder in premises formerly occupied by the cockpit, “situated in the Horse Market”.
This was on Lowther Street and Mr Burgess again advertised in 1825 that he had added iron founding to his skills and was taking into partnership, Thomas Insall.
The firm of Burgess and Insall cast the bell for Sebergham Church in 1826, but in May 1828 the Journal announced: “Thomas Burgess and his late partner beg to inform that in future the partnership will be Burgess and Hayton.”
Two bells were cast by them in 1830, one for Hayton Church and the other for Christ Church, Carlisle.”
Another bell, this time for Wetheral, was cast by the firm in 1833.
In 1814 Dr Heysham said he held “an estate by lease of three lives (99 years) of the Corporation of Carlisle” and this was called Favey Fields, which was in and around the later James Street.
He had married in 1789, Elizabeth, the daughter of Thomas Coulthard, an alderman of Carlisle.
A court case in 1834 showed how the land came to the doctor.
“Coulthard took a lease in 1750 for 99 years on land in Water Lane.” The Cumberland Pacquet reported that Dr Heysham was now the possessor of the lease on the death of Mr Coulthard, on which land was a “tanyard, foundry and other tenements”.
Not a shilling had been spent on repairs, said the newspaper, and after about two years “these were found in a state of destruction, some parts of them were falling down”.
But in 1834 Dr Heysham died and the “iron and brass foundry on Watergate Lane,” was advertised in the Journal “to let for a term of years, erected according to the plan of an experienced founder”.
The lease was then taken by Burgess and Hayton, who in February 1835, thanked their patrons and stated they had moved from Lowther Street to the foot of Water Lane having purchased the patterns of James Lennox (of Robert Street), millright.
It was Thomas Burgess who gave this the name Waterloo Foundry, but the partnership did not survive the move.
An advert of November 1835 shows that Thomas Hayton had left the firm by mutual consent.
There may have been difficulties because the Journal advertised in August 1836: “For sale, the remaining term of interest of premises situated in Water Street now occupied in part as an iron foundry by Messrs Burgess and Co and as tanyards by Messrs Lamb and Co under Carlisle Corporation for the residue of 99 years which will expire in 1849.”
However Thomas Burgess continued being listed in directories at the Waterloo Foundry on Water Lane. He was still there when he died in August 1848 “at an advanced age”. A Journal advert then showed that in January 1849, Jesse Pape was to carry on the foundry of Thomas Burgess.
Next at the foundry was Daniel Clarke who planned to rebuild in 1861, but in 1862 he complained to the Corporation about the dilapidated state of the buildings.
The Health Committee advised “certain repairs ... recommending a building to be put in room of the present wooden shed which would give Mr Clarke additional accommodation”.
It was agreed that £250 would be laid out on new buildings, providing Mr Clarke took a 14-year lease, but when the city made application for a grant from the Lords of Treasury the money was not forthcoming.
Again the lease of the Waterloo Foundry was the subject of corporation discussion in 1871.
This was offered to the sitting tenants, Daniel Clarke and Sons, for 21 years at £60 per annum and after negotiations a deal was reached.
This was a short-lived tenancy as the land was wanted by the Citadel Station committee to enlarge the station. The Journal announced in October 1871 that the Borough Mill, Carrick’s Hat Factory and the Waterloo Foundry were threatened.
A new site was secured and Daniel Clarke took the Waterloo Foundry name with him when the firm moved to St Nicholas in 1877.
The Journal reported in October 1878 that “destruction of condemned buildings in Water Street, Mill Street and the neighbouring streets was making rapid progress”.
Daniel Clarke died in 1880 but the firm traded under that name well into the 20th century.
