Poems

Appendix

 

1858 The Hindpool furnaces of Schneider and Hannay commenced and the growth of Barrow began. William Fisher records: "The Iron Furnaces was opened at Hindpool Barrow Witnessed by several gentlemen who came by special Train on the 18th October owners Messrs Hannah and Schneider. It was a Galla and a beautiful day for the season".

 

1864 James Ramsden formed a company to manufacture steel by the Bessemer process.

 

1866 Schneider, Hannay & Co. amalgamated with the new company to form the Barrow Haematite Iron & Steel Company.

 

1876 16 furnaces had been built with an average weekly capacity of 500 tons. "The plant then comprised the largest Ironworks and Bessemerplant in the world and the production of steel rails was undertaken on a grand scale" (Barrow & District)" by Fred Barnes.

 

 

The ironworks at Barrow kept up production well into the 1920. W G Collingwood in The Lake Counties paints a vivid picture of the scene:- Coming fresh from the mountains and abbeys with Wordsworth in one's pocket, one might feel that Barrow had little to show, with its streets of poor looking houses and tall chimneys, dominating the scene as persistently as the Pikes in Langdale. There is abundant poetry and picturesqueness, for anyone who does not travel in blinkers, at the shipyards and steelworks, and even in the streets of Barrow. I remember one December night wet and gloomy when the working folk, rough coated men and lasses hooded in their shawls, were shopping after the day's work, under the gas lamps that streamed their reflections down the pavement; and suddenly aloft from enormous towers, bulking on he darkness like some Babylonian architecture in a picture, there flared out great banners of fire, lighting up the cloud into a brown glow against inter-spaces of deep violet. It blazed and flickered and faded again, and the people of the streets were like ghosts hurrying to and fro.

Note: 1867  The incorporation of the Borough of Barrow-in-Furness.

 

 

3) Shipbuilding

 

1852 William Fisher records: "The first New Ship built at Barrow 180 tons was Launced the day was beautiful all the Vessels had their Flags hoisted. She was Christened by Mrs Roper Snr, the Jane Roper in respect to Mrs Thos Roper of Newland House".

1870 Large scale shipbuilding began. James Ramsden, Barrow's first mayor, knighted in 1872, persuaded the Dukes of Devonshire and Buccleuch to finance the dock extension, the manufacture of Bessemer steel and lron ship building.

From 1872 - 1879 the Graving, Buccleuch, Devonshire and Ramsden Docks were opened.

 

Bird’s-eye View of Barrow Docks

 

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