Kilner Glass works, Thornhill Lees

[trefriw]

My g.g. grandfather and his brothers all worked for the Kilner family at their glass works in Thornhill Lees. (they all died young, at the ages of 15, 28, 39 and 55,of Phthisis)Does anyone have any information about the glass works and is there a photograph of the factory anywhere?

Thanks

Francine

[r973g]

Hi trefriw,
If you can locate the BBC programme "Who do you think you are" on Jeremy Clarkson you should get answers to your question, his ancestors owned the factory I believe.
Ray

[JenB]

It's on the telly tonight, BBC 2 at 7.50.

Jennifer

[stanmapstone]

See http://www.nowthen.org/articles/singlearticle.php?targetid=240
and http://www.rootschat.com/links/027o/
Stan

[Pels.]

Stan - that is a very interesting link!    Have you tried googling it Francine? 

[trefriw]

Thanks Stan and every one else.
I tried googling, but the info is about the Kilner works at Conisborough.
I've been on Nowthen, but was looking for the disaster at Combs pit, where my grandfather worked, and where the father of one of my father's friend was killed. I'll get the info about Thornhill Lees from Nowthen.

Thanks again

Francine

[junepatrickdelaney]

It should be noted that Thornhill Lees was one of three glass works , plus numerous Yorkshire and London wharfages and several fleets.

They were one of the wealthest families in Britain.

As Jeremy Clarkson's Who Do You Think You Are  programme shows mismanagement and an unfortunate decision  were respondsable for Kilner's demise.

Due to overseas competition, it was necessary for Kilner's to mechanise their works, unfortunately they jumped too quickly and chose the first generation of bottle making machine; which was a compete dud.

Kilner's could not afford to reequip as the costs were prohibitive.

Note  a lesser glass making rival unable to afford this machine had to wait till a later better version to mechanise and are in existence to this day.

This plus family infighting and expensive taste saw off the Kilner wealth.