Webster & Horsfall..founded 1720.. Associated with Wrights Ropes..Founded 1770??

[shyster2008]

Hi All.

Webster and Horsfall was Founded in 1720 and, I am reliably informed, that Wrights Ropes was founded in 1770.

Both Companies were involved in the laying of the Trans Atlantic Cable in 1865.

Perhaps that this Link will enable to get me to the FOUNDER of Wrights Ropes !!!

Does anyone out there have any Information Please

Need to find the Founders name of Wrights Ropes...May not have been called Wrights Ropes at that time !!!!

I may be clutching at straws but the link with Webster and Horsfall may provide me with some more Information.

Any Input would be greatly appreciated.

Hope someone can help.

Thanks

Brian

[shyster2008]

Apologies to all...Caption should read WRIGHTS ROPES  OK?

Forgot to mention that Webster & Horsfall were Established in Hay Mills, Birmingham and that Wrights Ropes were Established in Garrison Lane, Birmingham.

It appears that the Wrights supplied the materials from their London Works at Millwall, London...

But this still does not get me to the FOUNDER !!!!!

Brian.

[TonyR]

Hi Brian, you will find all your answers here on this link:-

http://atlantic-cable.com/Cables/1865Atlantic/index.htm

Founders were John & Edwin Wright and there are references to letters, books & Wrights Ropes' patent of the armour for the transatlantic cable.

This jumped off the page at me because my dad worked there from about 1956 to the late 60s, so the info from the link was fascinating reading for me as well!  Regards, TonyR.

[TonyR]

Just spotted that you have 4 or 5 similiar posts about this topic.  Looking at the Doncaster Archives link in one of these posts, there is a J T Wright mentioned in 1880s & his death in 1890 I think, so might be father or grand-father of John & Edwin Wright I quoted earlier.  And yes I got carried away & wrongly said they were the founders.

It looks like Doncaster Archives will be the only place to get your answer, have you tried emailing them rather than travelling there.  Some archives 'give' 15 mins of free research, must be worth checking unless you live nearby.  Good luck.  TonyR.

[TonyR]

This looks like it is J T Wright in 1881 census

Name: John Wright 
Age (Original): 55 
Gender: Male 
Birth Year: 1826 
Birthplace: Birmingham, Warwickshire, England 
Relationship to Head of Household: Head 
Marital Status: Widower 
Occupation: Ropemaker Emp 230 Men & 153 Girls 
Address: 404 Moseley Road 
Event Place: Aston, Warwickshire, England 
Disability: 
Record Type: Household 
GS Film number: 1341721 
Affiliate Publication Number: RG11 
Piece/Folio: 3016 / 108 
Page Number: 10 
Household Gender Age Birthplace
Head  John Wright  M 55 Birmingham, Warwickshire, England 
Son  Edwin P Wright  M 19 Birmingham, Warwickshire, England 
Emily Henson  F 25 Birmingham, Warwickshire, England 
Emma Pedley  F 23 Wolverhampton

so all you have to do is work forwards from here to John & Edwin Wright & backwards to founder.  Good luck again.  TonyR.

[shyster2008]

Hi TonyR
Appreciate your interest in this topic and for your input....
Still having problems finding the FOUNDER !!!
But your Idea about the Doncaster Records Office sounds a good Idea..
I`ve got all the information on the 1865 Transatlantic Cable.....John and Edwin Wright...Associated with Webster and Horsfall......
Will have to try the Records in Doncaster as I seem to be coming up with brick walls !!!!
WRIGHTS ROPES was Founded in 1770....Still cannot find the FOUNDER !!!!
Brian.

[Dawn Macqueen]

There is a Wright Ropes logo on gracesguide website which says est.1770 - however if you look at the etching of the works in 1770 it is big and i am sure that a business would have had to be going already for some time to achieve that status.
The firm did not move to Garrison Lane (later Rover Works site) until the mid 1800s and they also set up at Mellish Street, Millwall around that time.
It is interesting that Wrights Ropes is NOT listed in Wrightson's 1818 Directory, but a WIlliam Wright has a Rope line and twine makers business in Suffolk Street.
There is a 1704 Will online for John Wright, ropemaker of Woolwich and i did wonder if this was the founder - whose family may have moved or expanded to Birmingham early on. However, I checked the will and it offered no clues (PROB 11/476/68).

You are right in saying that the Doncaster Archives do not give the answer as their records do not start until 1796, which is clearly much later.

Can I ask why you are interested in the founder?? My own interest is that I am doing a Phd on the carriage of cargoes between Birmingham and its ports 1660 - 1777(before the canals were built). Rope is an important part of that history and it is intriguing that an area which has no river navigation and is  at the centre of the country - about 100 miles from any major port (Lynn, London, Bristol, Liverpool) would actually develop one of the most important rope businesses in the world!