Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council

Records accessible at Dudley Archives

Archived news release from 02 September 2005

Records accessible at Dudley Archives
The records of a former Stourbridge iron manufacturing company have been made available at Dudley Archives.

The full archives collection of John Bradley and Co (Stourbridge) are now on show at the Dudley Council centre in Mount Pleasant Street, Coseley. The Heritage Lottery Fund has funded a project called Documenting the Workshop of the World which has helped make the records accessible.

The John Bradley collection contains many title deeds, dating between the 17th and 20th centuries, to lands and property in Stourbridge, Amblecote, Kinver, Kingswinford and surrounding areas with many accompanying maps and plans.

The deeds contain early field, street and place names, which are of great interest to researchers of local history. They include the ownership of land and property through time and also detail the inter-relationships between local families involved in the various transactions, particularly the Foster family of Wordsley who were wealthy landowners.

Councillor David Vickers, cabinet member for education and lifelong learning said:

"This is a large and diverse collection of records which will be useful not only to those interested in the history of John Bradley & Co but also to researchers of local and family history."

The work has been carried out through a heritage lottery funded project by the four Black Country archive services. The project called Documenting the Workshop of the World aims to catalogue many previously unlisted business records from across the region. It is hoped the records will show the important role played by Black Country businesses during the industrial revolution.

The collection can be viewed at Dudley Archives and Local History Service, Mount Pleasant Street, Coseley. For more information call 01384 812770.

--- Note To Editors ---
John Bradley & Co was formed in 1800 and in 1802, a ‘Deed of Co-Partnership’ was drawn up between John Bradley, Thomas Jukes Collier, and the children of Henry Foster, manufacturer of iron goods and step-father of John Bradley. The parties mutually agreed to be co-partners and joint traders together in the management of Stourbridge Forge, for the manufacturing, selling and vending of iron.

The business of John Bradley & Co was to convert pig iron into wrought iron for use in local industry. In 1814 the business expanded and a new works was built at Stourbridge. John Bradley died in January 1816 at the age of 46, leaving his step-brother James Foster in sole control of John Bradley & Co. James Foster managed to expand the company into coal mining as well as iron-manufacturing, and enhanced the reputation of John Bradley & Co. as manufacturers of good-quality products.

In 1832 the company owned: Stourbridge Old Works; Stourbridge New Works; Stourbridge Foundry; Shutt End Colliery; Brierley Hill Iron Works; Scotts Green Colliery; Baptist End Colliery; Eardington Works; and Hampton Lode Works.

James Foster died unmarried in 1853, and the company passed to his nephew, William Orme Foster. The company continued to expand, and by 1869 John Bradley and Co. was one of the largest iron manufacturers in the midlands, with a total of 95 puddling furnaces.

In the late 19th century there was a depression in the Iron industry which caused John Bradley & Co to reduce their works and output. By 1900, only the Shutt End Colliery and Stourbridge Ironworks remained active. William Orme Foster died in 1899 and his son William Henry Foster inherited his fortune. The company continued under his control until 1913, when he sold the Shutt End Collieries; and in 1919 he sold the last remaining part of the company, the Stourbridge Ironworks, to Edward J. Taylor Ltd.

They continued the business, keeping the John Bradley name, under the title ‘John Bradley & Co (Stourbridge) Ltd.’ After the Second World War, the company was taken over by John Bagnall & Sons. They later became part of the FH Lloyd Group of companies which collapsed in 1982. The Bradley premises were then sold to Sidney Smith & Sons (Stourbridge), manufacturers of manhole covers.

Release Date: 02 September 2005
Directorate: Education and Lifelong Learning

Contact: Phil Parker, Marketing and communications
Phone: 01384 815219
Email: phil.parker@dudley.gov.uk