Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    BR
  • Title
    Documents relating to Britannia Works, Bedford.
  • Production date
    From: 1818 To: 1968
  • Admin/biog history
    John Howard commenced business in 1813 on the West side of the High Street, Bedford. In 1837 he built new premises on the East side of the High Street on the site of the Barley Mow public house. The following advertisement appeared in the Bedford Mercury of Saturday August 5, 1837: 'High Street, Bedford - john Howard respectfully begs to offer his most grateful acknowledgements...for the very liberal support he has had....during a period of twenty-four years, and to inform them that he has removed to the Premises lately occupied as an Inn, called the Barley Mow; which he has entirely rebuilt, and so arranged as to afford every possible facility for carrying on his Business very extensively. J. H. trusts by unremitting attention to realize, in his new situation, a continuance of that kind Patronage which he has so long enjoyed.' John Howard also had the Brick and Lime Kilns, Clapham Road, near Bedford. John Howard's sons, James and Frederick purchased 20 acres of land on a site next to Cauldwell Priory to build a new factory. In 1857 the building of the Britannia Works commenced. Designed by Robert Palgrave the works opened on the 3rd February 1859. The factory was extended in 1862 and 1869. J & F Howard merged into the Agricultural & General Engineers Ltd. In 1932 this company was in liquidation and the Britannia Iron & Steel Works were purchased from the receiver by Edward Le Bas on behalf of a new company - The Britannia Iron & Steel Works Ltd. The majority of the shares in the new company were held by George Fischer Steel & Iron Works Ltd., Schaffhausen, Switzerland, who were immediately granted a tenancy of the works by the new company, and work began at Bedford under the George Fischer Steel & Iron Works Ltd., in 1933. In 1936 George Fischer Steel & Irons Works Ltd ceased to be a registered company in England and Britannia |ron & Steel Works Ltd took over the site although they still manufactured George Fischer malleable iron tube fittings and castings. In the early 1970s the Britannia Iron & Steel Works Limited changed their name to George Fischer Castings Limited 'in order to reflect more accurately the nature of our products and to identify ourselves more closely with the George Fischer Group of which we are a part'. George Fischer left the Britannia Works site in 1990s having only had office premises on the site of some years. In 2003-2004 the site was redeveloped for housing with only the entrance lodge remaining as a reminder of the works.
  • Reference
  • Level of description
    fonds
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